I realize that *Cast Away * is several years old, but I just saw it rerun on TV and I thought of a new question. (I put this in IMHO, btw, not in CS or GQ, because I’m looking for suggestions on desert island survival techniques, not comments on the movie, nor hard and fast answers.)
Over the years Jack, the TH character, mastered a number of key survival skills like spear throwing, fire making, rope weaving, tree felling and, ultimately, raft building. Given the raw materials and “tools” Jack had at his disposal (like the logs, videotapes and ice skates) was there something he could have done to substantially improve his lot that he never did or thought of?
Also,when he found the dead guy floating in the ocean,he only salvaged his shoes,been awhile since I seen the movie,but I remember thinking he should have at least taken the deceased belt,if not everything else he had on.
Did anyone else think that the guy in the Swedish Castaway parody really bore an uncanny resemblance to Tom Hanks for about a minute before realizing it was the actual movie dubbed into Swedish?
I think he did about as well as anyone could have done, considering his background. In fact, while a more outdoorsy type may have been able to create a more comfortable and efficient living environment, or done so more quickly, I don’t think there was much more anyone could have done about getting off the island. It was just luck that the big plastic “sail” washed up on shore; it took a few years to realize the winds shifted at around the same time each year; he made about as seaworthy a raft as he could considering the tools and materials at his disposal, etc.
I think his first real problem isn’t addressed in the film at all; scurvy.
Coconut contains only 3mg of vitamin C per 100g and seafood contains no vitamin C at all. After about three months, he is in for some real trouble on that island.
It appears you are correct! Thanks. I was remembering his name from the scene where Helen Hunt yells his name over and over as he drives away in the rain. She must’ve been shouting, “Chuck! Chuck!” but I misheard her saying “Jack! Jack!”
If you click on the link in Rick’s post, you’ll go to a YouTube page. The main video is the one Rick is refering to in his post. But off to the side there’s a list of similar videos. The first one listed - Cast Away Parodie (sic) - is the one I was confused by.
There isn’t a square inch of the earth that isn’t looked at by satellite on a fairly regular basis. A bigger SOS laid out in rocks, combined with a large fire at night, would probably have been noticed and followed up on.