There's really a whole lot more to this than just Tom Hanks alone on an island. It works on a visceral level as a straightforward tale of survival amidst the harshest conditions imaginable, but underneath the surface there's all manner of allegorical goodness also at play. It's intense and powerful no matter how you choose to take it, though, and that's the sign of a real masterwork.

That whole stack of cards teeters on Hanks's work in the central role, of course, and he flat-out crushes it. In a way, his whole career up to this point has been preparing him for this kind of an effort; I can see shreds of many of his earlier roles, alive in his gamut of expressions, as he slowly, grimly comes to terms with the fact that there's no form of rescue on the horizon. He's familiar but lost, a modern-day everyman denied his tool belt, stripped bare to the very core of his being. It's an all-world performance, easily among the best of his career, though it didn't quite draw the accolades that his turns in Philadelphia or Forrest Gump enjoyed.

Behind the lens, Robert Zemeckis also hands in some of his best work. Experimenting with before-their-time camera angles and quick, effective snapshots of daily life on the island, he's able to evolve his craft without losing touch with his typically warm, lush brand of storytelling. And, needless to say, Cast Away's famous crash scene remains one of film's most historically intense, white-knuckle rides. I didn't realize I'd been holding my breath until it was all over. A fantastic picture that only stumbles in the payoff, lingering in the moment for longer than it really should, then momentarily giving in to its indulgent, romantic side.