Your movie reflections should be posted by 5pm on Thursdays. Your full analyses are due the following Tuesday turned in via eLearning (aka WebCT).
Your movie reflections should be posted by 5pm on Thursdays. Your full analyses are due the following Tuesday turned in via eLearning (aka WebCT).
When I see this movie I always think no matter what someone would wish to bring with them on a deserted island it would never be enough. Come to think of it, it probably wouldn’t even be the right thing/things. Besides what we would decide to bring with us from a material standpoint, I wonder if we would have the ingenuity that Chuck had to survive more than a couple months, let alone over 4 years. And, this was with things Chuck didn’t get to “wish” he could bring with him, but rather whatever washed up on shore from the plane crash or other ocean debris. Items that we take for granted every day would have been luxury items to Chuck. In his first few days on the island Chuck had to find the basics everyone needs to survive: water, food and shelter. Chuck uses the ice skate blades to break open the coconuts and drink the contents. Then, he uses his resourcefulness to refill the shells of the coconuts with water that is collected on the leaves after rainstorms. For food, Chuck catches some small crabs and fish. He eats these animals raw at first until he figures out how to build a fire. This is a testament to his survival skills. In a time of need one can’t be too picky on how well their fish is prepared. Over the course of the years he is on the island Chuck polishes his fishing skills by using a spear and gets to cook his catches over the fires he learned to build. The final thing Chuck needed to establish was his new residence, or in this case a makeshift tent from the life-raft until he can afford the new cave up the side of the mountain. Another thing besides a little creativity each of us would have to possess is a strong will to live. Each of us would have to bring something on the inside that keeps us living day to day. Chuck’s reason for living, the thing that kept him alive on the island, was his love for his girlfriend/fiancé Kelly. Chuck knew he had to get off the island to get back to her and the picture in the pocket watch she gave him before the plane went down served as his inspiration. The picture kept her spirit alive within Chuck and served as his motivation to get back to her. Unfortunately for Chuck things had changed in the four plus years he’d been away. Kelly had moved on with her life as she thought he was dead. But, look out ladies because Chuck does get his bitchin’ jeep back and is back on the prowl.
The entire time while watching this movie (and it was my first time I might add), all I could think about was "Chuck knows how to use his brain." Its hard for me to fathom how to even survive on an island, and referring to what Brett said in the comment above, I don't think I would even bring the right things to an island to survive. Whenever I was asked the question "If you were to be stranded on an island and you could only take three things, what would you take?" My biggest worry was being lonely, so I always said I would bring someone else with me. Chuck seemed to fix his loneliness with Wilson, his volleyball turned into person friend. Also, Chuck constantly focused on getting back to Kelly, whose picture he managed to keep through the plane crash into the water. The whole time Chuck was on the island, I found myself trying to figure out what his next move was. After the four years had passed, and we were brought to see all the things that Chuck had adapted to know, and all of his creations, I have to admit I was amazed. In thing that really sticks out to me is that he made a calendar on the wall in the cave based on how the sun would shine through the hole. His fishing skills weren't that bad either. The one thing I did not like was Chucks return home. It almost seemed as if his co-workers and friends expected Chuck to just jump back into things. Being stranded on an island, where the only thing you have to worry about is surviving, and then jumping back into a fast paced society doesn't seem like a calm transition. Overall, I would say that Chuck being stranded on an island was a good thing for him, not only did he have the strength to survive, he also learned more about his abilities than anything. Chuck might have took things for granted before the plane crash, however, Chuck definitely had four long years to think about it, and talk with Wilson about it. I also would have to add that during the scene where Chuck and Wilson are in the middle of the ocean after the huge storm, and Wilson falls off the raft, was a very defining moment for Chuck. It almost seemed as if he had to let go of his life on the island in order to return back to society. Wilson represented the Island, and the boat that came to rescue Chuck was society waiting for Chuck. Cast Away was not only enjoyable to watch, but also intrigued my interest on how a person could survive for four years in an unfamiliar place, where nothing was their homes.
I saw this movie many years ago, and didn't realize how much I had missed. There was so much I learned from watching this movie this time around. It really makes you think how much things in life we take for granted, what we should be thankful for and the people and things we cherish in life. This is symbolized once Chuck is rescued out of the water by a ship. When he has people over for food, and to catch up like a reunion for him being alive, he looks at all the food and even picks up a crab leg and doesn't want anything to do with those anymore since he lived off fish and crab for about four years. I did wish that Chuck and Kelly got back together. I mean what would you do if you thought the one you loved was dead? I don't think I would've moved on that fast, but I didn't believe her when she said she knew he was always alive, because if she really knew she would have waited for him.
Furthermore, when Chuck was on the island, I don't know how he did it, I for one wouldn't know what to do, or how to survive if I was stranded. I probably wouldn't have lasted as long as he did, plus I don't eat seafood. He was very fortunate though to have packages surface to the sand bar. Without some of those packages, survival would have been harder for him. For example, the ice skates which he used for hunting, cutting and splititng open cocunuts. He would of had one hell of a time doing anything without those blades. And of course you can't forget Wilson, I mean in order to stay sane you would have to have someone to talk to and what's better then an imaginary pal on a deserted island. I think Wilson gets him through the days and nights. It is sad though when Wilson floats away.
Furthermore, once chuck is recued I think its a bit ridiculous that everyone expects him to get right back in the the jist of everything. I mean, they don't know what all he went through and they don't seem like they frankly care as long as he's alive and can function.
In addition to this movie, if I was stranded and then rescued, I would be pissed if my finace moved on and had a whole new life, but life's a bitch...I just don't think he of all people deserved it. But overall I loved this movie and I loved the fact that in the end he buys another Wilson ball.
I did not understand the "Wings" part of why he kept that one particular package though...so if anyone knows and could elaborate on that, that would be great.
The beginning of the movie depicts Chuck in a FedEx warehouse in Russia. Christmas is a busy time for nearly everyone, but especially for package carriers. In this particular scene, Chuck is trying to motivate the employees to work harder to cut delivery and in-transit time. During his speech, he does not use incentives to motivate them, but uses the excitement in his voice to increase their intrinsic motivation.
We also see him give a little boy a Snickers candy bar, portable CD player, and Elvis CDs as a reward for quickly and successfully delivering the package that Chuck had sent to himself from Memphis to Russia. Although this could be assumed to be an example of extrinsic motivation, we never actually see Chuck telling the boy that he would receive a reward for delivering the package. Therefore, I think that this scene is an example of a positive reinforcer. The boy may then pair the reward with delivering packages, increasing the probability that he would do it again.
When I think about Cast Away, the one thing that has always come to mind is "Wilson," his volleyball companion. Wilson is an important character throughout the movie, as we have a need for relatedness. According to Reeve (2005), “people function better, are more resilient to stress, and report fewer psychological difficulties” when their need for relatedness is met (pp. 121-122). Although Wilson is not actually another human, it is important for all humans to have social bonds with others - we actually go out of our ways to create these relationships. Chuck definitely bonds with Wilson. He has conversations with it, talks to it, and in his mind it even talks back. He also shows how much he cares about it in two specific scenes. First, Chuck is in the cave and becomes upset with Wilson. He throws it out of the cave and then immediately panics and goes to retrieve it. In the other scene, Chuck is on the ocean in his raft and is sleeping. Wilson falls off, and Chuck swims as far as he can, but cannot save it. We then see Chuck bawling on his raft. This is a strong scene, as Wilson has been his comrade during the 4+ years he was isolated on the island, but it also symbolized his letting go of the island, as he was soon rescued back to civilization.
It's hard to imagine being put into a situation like Chuck's, but I think I would first try to set up a base for protection - like Chuck eventually did with the cave - setting up one place where I could feel safe and protected. Also like Chuck, I would probably try to store emergency food and water in the shelter.
As was implied in the movie, the first few days would probably be the most difficult, but if the right resources were available survival would be possible. Chuck seemed to have above average intelligence which suited him well throughout his time on the island. It would be a lot easier to find the motivation to work hard and survive on an island if there was at least a comfortable temperature. If I washed up on the shore in soaked clothes and it was windy and cold I would probably feel like giving up right away.
At first I thought the idea of talking to a volleyball was rather ridiculous, but in some ways I suppose it is not that much different than having pictures around or talking to the gravestones of those we have lost. He even carried the volleyball with him while he was working on starting a fire, building a raft, and planning. He reminds me of my parents' housecat, who takes his toy ferret with him wherever he goes - this behavior seems to just arise from wanting to be attached to someone or something. I found it interesting that his search for materials seemed to roughly follow the hierarchy of needs model.
I found the unopened package to be rather interesting. Someone else commented that they weren't sure why he didn't open it. I think it has sometimes been interpreted to have been a symbol of hope. Chuck didn't want to feel reduced to nothingness - by leaving the package unopened it remain a link between him and the rest of the world. Although he opened several of the packages in hopes of finding materials to help him survive, leaving that one package intact gave him hope that he would one day get off the island and be able to deliver it. It helped him retain the identity of his former life (being a FedEx manager/employee was a big part of his former life).
It was rather interesting that he was so concerned about wasting time before he was stranded on the island, but as he finally did deliver that package you could see how much he had changed. He was no longer in a hurry everywhere he was going.
This is kind of a side note, but I remember reading about a parody of Cast Away in which the character Chuck delivered the package to the woman, asked what was in it, and she replied, "Nothing much... Just a waterproof, solar-powered satellite phone, GPS locator, fishing rod, water purifier, and some seeds..."
Although he often felt like he had no control while on the island (or during his first few days back), I believe the ending of the film showed he had regained control of his life. He literally stood at a crossroad and could decide to go whatever direction he wanted. He smiled as he looked towards the road on which the dark haired woman lived.
I very much liked the message that seemed to be present at the end of the film. Life does not always go the way we would like or expect it to. There are many times where we will fail. The key is to not give up hope. We do not know with certainty what will happen, and sometimes we just have to hold on during the storm to make it to the sunny day that lies ahead.
First off I can honestly say I would never be able to last more than four years on an island, Chuck is a fighter throughout the whole movie. He fights for food, life, and love. It's so hard to lose somebody anyway and to think of losing someone from a plane crash. You would have no closure on your relationship with your husband, boyfriend, etc. His whole drive to stay alive was the thought of Kelly waiting back in Tennesse for him. I think it would be hard not to lose faith at one point, being in either of their shoes. His body was never found yet you never fell out of love with him. I can assume that the tiny little present he was giving her at the beginning was a ring; they wanted to spend a lifetime together. All those emotions and feelings bottled up for him was a struggle, which is why he found Wilson. Wilson was a ball, someone to him, to talk to about his thoughts, Kelly, and getting off of the island. As noted by another person in class this is our need to relatedness. I'm sure Chuck and Kelly both felt mad at one point and sad at another, lonely, and let down. It's just like she said towards the end, "You said you would be right back." Although you would want to move on and find another person to love, I don't think anyone could take those feelings away once seeing them again. This represents our need for companionship, love, and reproducing. Even though he lost the "love of his life" I'm glad at the end he knows he has to move on and keep waking up, "you never know what the tide will bring." We lose people everyday whether it be to others or death, it's no reason to roll over and die ourselves.
Chuck really adapts to his environment by making a fire, catching fish and crab, and figuring out the best way to break a coconut so the juice isn't wasted.
One thing that upsets me everytime I watch this movie is how the people from back home and his FedEx office don't give him anytime to get back into the groove of things. They immediately expect him to have this party and be fine. When inside he is nervous and unsure of everything.
I think this movie portrays motivation and emotion very well. Thinking of everything he had to go through would cause a lot of pain and sadness, but you would always have this motivation to stay alive and get back to your loved ones.
As for the "wings" package I thought he saved it because he knew where it was going to. The same house/farm that was at the beginning of the movie, also I think the image of the wings can him hope.
To start, I couldn't imagine being in the situation where I am by myself on a deserted island. Whenever we had to take survival tests in high school, I always failed. So, I don't think even motivation would help me and my ability to survive. It seemed like he had many things motivating him to stay on that island.
When living on that island by himself, he figured things out in the environment and what worked for him when catching fish, trying with the fire, and living situations. He really adapted to his surroundings, and turning it into his home. That was really encouraging and motivating to see, after loosing Wilson and almost completely giving up on everything, he was finally found. Which showed that he had battled with giving up and keep going.
I was surprised to see that he had tried to kill himself, but that it was fate when the tree branch had broken. I saw that when he needed more rope that it was off the cliff and tied in a nus, but I didn't realize at that moment that he had made that for himself at one point.
Time, Kelly, The Box with Wings, Wilson, and overall survival. He said that he had to wait for the right time to be able to sail off of the island on his raft. Kelly was a motivation in that he loved her and didn't want to loose the thoughts of her and the promises he made in that he would come back to her. That love motivated him to do whatever he could to get back to her. I wasn't so sure why he didn't open up the box with the wings on it, maybe just the fact that it was different from all the other boxes, but I suppose in that situation you can find hope in anything, like he did with the box and with Wilson. Having anything to talk to and being surrounded by would help if you felt alone. The fact that there was a face on it helped I'm sure. I wouldn't know what I would do if I were in that situation or be as strong as he was and as creative with the ideas he had to survive.
I think Chuck is motivated by his need to survive, as some previous comments have also mentioned. First Chuck fulfills his physiological needs of thirst and hunger. After he is able to survive on the island, he creates Wilson. Wilson is able to fulfill his social needs. Wilson is somebody Chuck can talk to and connect to, even if he is just a volleyball. I think it Wilson represents the affiliation and intimacy aspects of social need.
I’m surprised no one has mentioned the similarity to Lord of the Flies yet. I am sure most of us read this book sometime throughout our schooling. A group of British schoolboys were stranded on an island and forced to survive on their own. These boys had to learn to hunt, create fire, and many of the same things Chuck had to learn throughout Cast Away. Although the moral behind the two stories might be different, I think the motivation to survive was the same.
It is amazing what Chuck has to endure to survive for four years, but Cast Away is only a movie, therefore there were many helpful things that helped Chuck survive (like his knowledge of wind speed/direction, something most people do not know and the ice skates found in one of the packages). In real life there have been some documented cases of people who have been shipwrecked, but were usually rescued in under two years. It is hard to say what I would do in the same situation, mainly because I cannot even comprehend what it would be like. I would like to think I would act like Chuck and be motivated enough to try and survive, but I’ll never know unless it happens to me.
I think that the movie did a great job of showing the motivation of Chuck all throughout the movie. We start off seeing Chuck as a highly driven FedEx worker who not only is highly motivated to do his job well but also to motivate all of his employees to be all that they can be, so that the company can be the best that it can be. At the beginning I thought, wow he's a really motivated worker, but then I continued to watch and realized that because he was so comitted to his job, other areas in his life, such as his girlfriend, family, and holidays, took the back seat to his job.
Chuck's real motivation is shown, though, when his plane crashes miles off their track in the Pacific Ocean. He ends up on a deserted island by himself with no way of communicating with the rest of the world. Chuck lives on the island for about four years.
Honestly, this is much longer than I think I'd be able to survive for. He is so driven to survive so that he can see his girlfriend Kelly that he makes himself learn how to live successfully on the island. He figures out how to collect fresh water, how to start and maintain a fire, how to make usefool tools, and how to fix wounds and injuries all without any actual tools or technology. He makes do with he has, because it was really important for him to keep his promise to get back to his girlfriend. He also creates a friend, Wilson, from a volleyball. This helps him keep some of his sanity and Wilson becomes a vidal part of his survival as well as a best friend.
When Chuck finally leaves the island and is found, he continues to show how driven he is. He does everything to make it back to Kelly, only to find out that she is now married with a child. What a slap in the face! All that time at the island surviving and refusing not to kill himself because he wants to get back for Kelly and he doesn't even get what he worked so far for.
Overall, I couldn't believe all of the instances where chuck shows intelligence, motivation, and drive to survive. It's hard to say how I would respond if I were in a situation similar to his, but I don't think I would be able to make it. I consider myself to be a motivated person, but without other humans and the things that I've become so comfortable living with, I don't think I'd make it past a few weeks at most.
This was the first time I had watched Cast Away and was not quite sure to expect. It turned out to be a very enjoyable experience. Chuck transforms from in the beginning where he was very particular and time oriented, probably unhealthily so, to when he is rescued, resolves his at home conflict and is left with a new appreciation for freedom of choice, and everything in his life.
This movie corresponds exactly to what we talked about in class about the three levels of needs. On his stint on the island he is presented with a lack of all three, and it depicts his struggle to maintain equilibrium on these three aspects.
Physiological: The need for water, food, and sex.
In the beginning he struggled to find effective ways to cope, but as the movie continued, he used his cognitive thought process to determine ways to effectively meet these needs.
In the beginning he struggled to get even coconut milk, by the end he had leaves and half coconuts set out to catch the rainwater.
He learned to fish, and catch crab, after not being able to stomach it raw, after many tries built a fire to cook the food.
The sex, well it was only a PG-13 movie.
Psychological: The continuing theme was control, how when he went to the island, he had no control, but by the conclusion he had realized he did do things to maintain control. He did not open that last package he built the raft to leave.
Social: After time started passing, he need for affiliation was the most apparent. He created the volleyball with the blood face naming it Wilson, and it nearly crushed him when he lost it after all those years.
After finally making it home, he was experiencing considerable cognitive dissonance. After making attempts to adjust he finally realizes that he his back in control and he is overcome with happiness.
First of all, only an actor of Hanks’ caliber could pull off a role that requires only his presence on the screen for almost 2 hours. This was the first time I had seen this movie, mainly because it sounded totally boring, but I was impressed.
Being stranded on an island like that might be everyone’s dream. To escape the day to day grind and just focus on surviving by yourself on an island sounds like a pleasant experience. The reality is that it is anything but. Chuck devotes all of his energy to surviving. Fed Ex delivery time is no longer important. He could have just sat there working on his tan hoping someone would come by, but it is unlikely he would have lived very long with that strategy. However, his survival skills at the beginning are less than mediocre as evidenced by most his various injuries and lack of basic survival skills/knowledge. My favorite part had to be when he had finally lit the fire and was incredibly elated singing “Light my fire” by The Doors, and also starts feeling more confident in his ability to survive on the island. This could be an example of a natural dopamine kick, as he may have never expected to actually be able to make a fire, but he got the smoke and then the ignition through his persistence.
Right after that, he does the calculations of how many square miles their potential search area might be and realizes he may never be found. That was a small moment, but incredibly real. His realization may have been related to the increased dopamine, as it can improve functioning through problem solving and creativity. Cut to 4 years later and he’s incredibly skinny and has that huge beard---awesome. This is an example of complete engagement by Tom Hanks. His effort to transform his body from somewhat overweight to that size has to be related to his commitment to his craft and character, which is likely related to some intrinsic motivation. He was also a producer, so he had some say in the final cut, a benefit most actors don’t get. The paycheck (extrinsic motivation) doesn’t hurt either.
Cut to the attempt to leave the island and he is overcome by emotion when he gets outside of the break. This is what he had been hoping for, but he was also comfortable on the island even though he might not have made it very much longer. At one point he even thought about suicide because he wanted to go out on his own terms. The branch he was testing the noose on broke and he felt completely powerless not even being able to kill himself. However, I think if he really wanted to kill himself he would have found a way (low energy). The monologue at the end about ‘who knows what the tide could bring’ was riveting. The speech was basically saying that opportunities are always present, sometimes in unexpected ways.
Cast Away begins showing Chuck as a driven Fed Ex worker and devoted husband. These were constant themes throughout the movie. To start things off, Chuck is portrayed as a highly motivated worker and is dedicated to motivating his workers as well. This is especially important for him to motivate the workplace because it is Christmas time and packages need to get out. Along with this it is also clear that he loves his fiance, Kelly, very much and love his life with her. This is what I believe is the main source of motivation for him on the island. You can tell her never stops loving her or thinking of her because he constantly looks at the picture of her in the pocket watch she gave him.
I could not imagine going through the torture and deprivation Chuck goes through in the four years he spent on the island. Love could not be his only motivation for survival; I think Chuck has a love for living and life in general and does not want to let that go without a fight. Obviously, he has the ability to put up and fight with all of the knowledge he has acquired throughout his life. His resourcefulness is key to his survival on the island: using the ice skate, building a fire, using the coconuts, creating Wilson, etc.
Wilson is the best part of the movie for me because it is humorous but at the same time makes you empathize with Chuck on a whole new level. When you think about being stranded on an island you automatically think about the struggles to eat, drink, stay healthy, etc. Not often would we recognize how lonely it would be. Could you imagine being completely alone for four years? It's just insane. Wilson was creating because Chuck needed some social support and affiliation. His social need was somewhat fulfilled with Wilson, but of course real human contact would have been far more helpful. Like with everything else, Chuck made due with what he could to stay alive and as sane as possible.
Watching the movie, I not only thought about Chuck's motivation but about Kelly's motivation as well. Naturally you think about Chuck's feelings when he finds Kelly married and with a child, but picture what her life was like for the last four years. It might seem cruel for her to have moved on, but when you think you've lost a loved one part of moving on and healing is dating again.
Okay...(pause as I crack my knuckles), I had a great response after my last movie reflection/also known as my first movie reflection, and that, is motivating. I have set myself a high standard so I hope not to disappoint. I'll start from the beginning of the movie, try my hand at relating events from the film to the course content and hope for a repeat performance.
After being buckled in to the seat once the plane ride gets rough, Chuck notices the watch Kelly gave him hours ago on the floor of the crashing plane, something moves him to unlock the belt and retrieve it. In true screenwriter's fashion, the explanation to this behavior is Chuck's deep, passionate love for Kelly. Nevertheless, the desire for that watch must be pretty strong for Chuck to rise above the chaos and out of the security of the buckled seat.
Skip ahead to the coconuts, that scene was accurate, they are ridiculously difficult to break open, only to then produce a ridiculously bitter milky substance. Chuck didn't seem to mind the taste due to Deficiency Motivation. It had likely been several hours since he had a drink of any sort and the severity of his thirst (a biological state) combined with the lack of other options made the coconut milk moment look like a Pepsi-Cola commercial.
We observe an example of the Psychological Need when Chuck opens a birthday package washed up to shore and meets his new best friend, a volleyball. The kids watched the movie with me and had plenty of jokes about the crazy attachment Chuck developed with "Wilson" the volleyball. Thanks to this class (& that is NOT be brown nosing), I was able to express to them that his need for a companion may have actually been keeping him sane. The text describes that humans have a psychological need that involves a sense of autonomy and relatedness. Chuck treated Wilson like a person, but it was, in fact a volleyball. He didn't feel like it at the time, but he obviously had control it until the day it floated out of reach. He also needed Wilson to relate to him, so that he didn't feel like the only person in such a hopeless circumstance. He related to him and that changed the odds of survival from Chuck against the world to team Chuck and Wilson vs. Mother Nature and Father Time.
Shooting takes a break and Tom Hanks loses about 50 lbs before we see that Chuck has adapted to his surroundings and is now able to catch fish, build a fire and survive on the island with much less conflict. We learn that more than four years have passed since Chuck's plane crashed into the ocean. The watch has been a constant object of motivation for Chuck's survival. He kept it nearby and in his sight, after all it's the reason he removed the seat belt and did not sink the bottom of the ocean like the pilots who remained buckled. It is the reason he survived the crash and the reason he continues to survive.
What would a action/drama be without a little irony, I can't relate it to motivation, but did you happen to notice the catered food at his welcome home celebration? Seafood. There was even an automatic lighter sitting right there on the table. What once took him weeks to accomplish was now at the beck and call of his index finger.
One last link to the film and motivation. After he is home and has reconnected and re-parted with Kelly. He confides in his friend and co-worker with his take on the future. He says that he has "gotta keep breathing, because tomorrow the sun will and who knows what the tide will bring". This is the stuff that we're here to talk about. Motivation was just in part to thank for him making it off that island. He was incredibly knowledgeable in areas that aided his survival, obscenely skilled in medicine, architecture, engineering and more. Don't forget to include fate or luck or any other synonym. But to pick up your life, with nothing more than a jeep and a hefty settlement from FedEx Corporate, to not be swallowed up by regret or depression or post traumatic stress disorder, that requires pure motivation for life. The stuff movies are made of... including this one.
Chuck Noland, a FedEx systems engineer, is driven by the clock. We see this throughout the opening of the film and while he is on the island as well. “Let’s not commit the sin of turning our back on time,” was a common phrase muttered by this workaholic who later repents the life he was living before his days living as a cast away. It could be said that Noland represents our modern world and our race to get ahead. Getting stuck on an island for four years was the best thing to have happened to him. Being forced to reflect back on life as it was and change the direction he was headed in was a significant journey in his life. We see that when placed in an environment we are unfamiliar with without those electronic devices we find to be necessities—we turn on our “survival modes.” What matters to us now are shelter, food, water, and clothing to protect us from the elements. Noland’s experience was shaped by the fact that he survived the plane crash and then went on to survive beyond that trauma. The impact of the crash on his life would have been dramatically different if he had been saved shortly after the crash, but we see him getting back on a plane shortly after being rescued. We truly see that surviving was the easy part of this whole thing for him—living was the difficult part. A significant need of Noland’s was for social contact, and he satisfies this need by creating a friend out of a volleyball he names Wilson. Wilson provides the essential and necessary condition for him to maintain a level of sanity and well-being. By the fourth year he could have been in a state of acute depression, but Wilson was there for him to express and organize his feelings and form a coherent response to his environmental condition. The motivated brain was very much at work throughout the movie as hunger and thirst drive this man to eat raw fish and fight to open coconuts. The deprivation of nourishment to his body activates the biochemical agent release that stimulates the hypothalamus to create hunger. This man would do anything it took to feed himself and survive, and his adaptation to life on the island was clearly emotionally motivated by his desire to see his girlfriend again. He had power over nothing while on the island, but he felt an urge to stay alive despite his circumstances because tomorrow the sun will rise and who knows what the tide will bring in.
Cast Away turned out to be a better movie than I had expected. It was a little long, but I was continually astonished at the things Chuck went through to stay alive. While watching it, i kept asking myself what I would be doing in his situation. I decided I would have been in denial for a long time and kept trying to find some kind of civilization. I found it odd that around the 2nd day of his stay on the island there was a ship in the distance. The only time he saw a ship was on the 2nd day? out of 5 years?! I then decided that, after I had made fire, I would Line the entire beach with a fire until someone saw me. I kept thinking of things that i would've done. I know for a fact I would not have left the island to float on the ocean. Also, how skilled must one be to get a fish on a spear in the middle of the ocean? Impressive. While he was floating, he lost his only sanity, Wilson. I probably would've done the same thing and created something that I could talk to. I also wanted to bring up how random it was (and convenient for him) to find ice skates. I know if I were stuck on an island I wouln't have been that lucky. I was a little upset with the ending of this movie, however. I wanted things to work out, and at one point I thought they were going to, but the movie abruptly stops-- I never got to find out what was in the package, if he went back to that farm house with the wings, if his old girlfirend ever came back to him? It was a good movie that made me put myself in Chuck's shoes-- but lets just hope I dont get put in that situation when i'm flying over seas next year(I've already decided to sneak in matches and an inflatable raft in my carry on)
“Cast Away” was a great movie that showed how the human spirit can overcome even the most difficult situations. This movie is about Chuck who works for FedEx and when he was on a flight the plane crashed. He was the only survivor and was stranded on a deserted island. Chuck was able to adapt to the environment in order to survive. He was able to make fire, catch fish, and make a shelter for himself. He even created a friend from a “Wilson” volleyball. I think that the ability for Chuck to create a friend was one of the contributing factors in keeping him sane and alive. The ultimate reason that Chuck was able to survive was his girlfriend, Kelly, back home. Just before he left Kelly gave him a pocket watch with her picture in it. Chuck was able to hold onto the pocket watch and looked at Kelly’s picture often. He not only survived he was able to escape from the island. He was able to build a raft from trees, and made rope from tree bark. He used half a port a potty that had washed up on shore as a sail. Although Kelly was his driving factor in keeping him alive, once he was able to make it off of the island Kelly had moved on with her life because of how much time had passed. She had married and had a daughter. Toward the end Chuck told his friend that “he lost her all over again.”
It is hard to believe someone could survive for over 4 years on a deserted island by themselves. At one point Chuck thought about suicide, but he tested it out, and the tree limb that he was going to use broke during the test. It not working forced him to forge on in surviving.
Like with the first movie we watched, March of the Penguins, Castaway is a story of survival. The incredible motivation displayed by the character Chuck is not an everyday kind of drive. For the years that Chuck was stranded on the island, his drive was the most basic of all—the drive for survival. The whole time I was watching the movie I was thinking to myself, “I think I would just let myself die, what’s the point of living another day?” A pretty morbid thought, but when you are living with no companions (other than a volleyball) and no prospects of being saved, I think my outlook on life would be pretty bleak. It is only Chuck’s determination to live, to see his fiancé again, that seems to be keeping him alive. He learns to adapt to his new environment through practice and persistence, like learning to fish and finding a friend in a most unlikely medium. However, Chuck’s day-to-day existence depended on the three most basic aspects of survival—food, water, and shelter. A person can live a very long life if these three things are met. It’s the human connections and other unnecessary things in life that make that a long, happy life. I think Wilson was Chuck’s attempt to find some sort of normalcy on the island.
This movie also deals a lot with emotional aspects. The loneliness alone would be enough to drive someone crazy. This is why when we finally see him “make friends” with Wilson it is so touching. This is also why it is so heartbreaking when Wilson drifts off into the ocean. It is also heartbreaking when Chuck finally is rescued and comes back to his former life, and his fiancé is already married to someone else and has a whole new life. This was the woman Chuck clung to for emotional support while on the island, and it was so sad that it seemed like she gave up so easily on him. I saw this movie when I was younger and I hated it then because I thought it was so boring, but after watching it again I’ve gained more respect for the subtlety of the message.
I agree with comment above, that like the previous movie, Castaway was a depiction of an organism's will to survive. It's this unbelievable drive to live against all odds that I find pretty remarkable. It truly goes to show human nature's amazing ability to adapt to their environment, no matter how much we may have been conditioned to act one way or the other. The influence of antecedents/contextual factors play such a key role in our behaviors and this was displayed throughout the movie. Chuck's resourcefulness, whether it was finding food, water, or shelter (three of our most basic human needs)was motivated by his drive to live. Earlier in the movie, his seemingly sole motivation was his employment at FedEx. This job overshadowed every other important aspect of his life it seemed to me, even his fiance Kelly. He was psychologically motivated to achieve and be the best he could be--and running the company as efficiently as possible. This drive while stemmed a bit while on the island, still proved to be motivation in form of the lone FedEx box he did not open. This box, with the angel wings on it, was his symbolic representation for hope.
Also, while physiologically Chuck proved to be in pretty good condition, psychologically he was struggling socially. He clung to the picture of Kelly, looking at it everyday for hope and inspiration. Wilson, the volleyball, also was a direct result of his maladaptive social behaviors as he was longing for relatedness. He was emotionally longing for a companion to talk to and keep him company. As was seen on the scene with the raft, psychologically, Wilson was immensely important to him. It may be strange to think about or watch on a movie like Castaway, but this action is a reaction or behavioral consequence to the environment in which he was placed. It is a natural social need and he met this need by creating Wilson, as crazy as it may appear.
Overall, this is a pretty decent movie depicting the psychological and physiological study of a man reacting upon the basic physical and social needs most of us take for granted. Thanks Chuck.
Has anyone else ever played the game where you pretend to be on a deserted island and you have to think of any three items you can take to help ensure your survival? I remember playing that as a kid and always choosing things like a helicopter, fuel for it, and a pilot. So I wasn’t the most creative kid, but I was practical.
I really liked this movie because it displayed a few characteristics about humans that are universal. The fist would be resourcefulness. If we were put in that situation and wanted to live, couldn’t we all do what needed to be done? Couldn’t we all use the intrinsic motivation to get back to our family and friends as strength? Isn’t being put in that situation enough to make us think outside of the box. Wouldn’t the basic need to survive motivate us to see things differently? A branch becomes a spear for fishing. A giant leave can be used to protect you from the rain and sun. Simple instruments are used to create fire. Who could nock their own tooth out with an ice skate? And all of this is because it’s necessary. How many modern day things do we really need in order to survive? Are there any?
The other human trait that I loved seeing was the need for intimacy or society. Wilson. Enough said. In order to obtain his need for intimacy, for someone to talk to, for someone to relate to, Chuck creates an imaginary friend – like many of us did as kids. Wilson is just a beach ball with blood smeared on it to form a simple face. But he became a friend to Chuck. He kept him sane. And I think everyone was a little choked up when Wilson floated away form the raft, and Chuck couldn’t save him.
I have seen this movie a few times in the past, but I have not seen it (until now) durring my college career. Now that I have taken the bulk of my psychology classes, I see this movie completely differently. Now when watching this I was thinking about his isolation and how he can survive with no human contact for so long. I was also thinking about his motivations to stay alive when so many things were working against him.
As far as the isolation aspect goes, I think that Wilson was key in keeping Chuck alive and (somewhat) sane. Wilson provided companionship when there was no one else to talk to. Chuck was able to have someone to talk to and express his feelings and frustrations with, even if he was just a volleyball. Some people would probably say that talking to a volleyball and calling it your best friend for 4 years is probably not the healthiest thing to do, but in Chuck's situation it was actually probably the smartest and best thing for him to do. I think that Wilson was probably a big motivator for him to survive, because at least he felt like he had someone there with him or someone that he needed to support. I thought one of the sadedest parts of the whole movie was when Wilson floated away and Chuck was unable to save him. I feel like Chuck relied on Wilson for so long and that now that Wilson was gone, it was going to be that much harder to survive. I also feel like Chuck lost the best friend that he had in that 4 years. I wonder if Chuck ever misses (I know this sounds crazy-because it's a volleyball) Wilson after he gets home safely? Having 'someone' as a friend for that long has to have some type of emotional attatchment, even if its an object?
One of the biggest motivators that Chuck experienced was Drive. Once he realized that he was really in this situtaion for surivial, his natural instincts kicked in. This probably hightened his senses and helped him see things that he normally wouldn't have been able to (seeing weapons to spear fish to eat, shelter options, escape options, etc). His natural instincts are also what helped him motivate himself to go and get the food and build a good shelter and try to find a way to get home.
One of the things that I thought was strange was that he didn't open the last package (and it really bothered me that we never got to see what was inside!). Obviously, I think this was a service of loyalty to his job, but at the same time if it was something that could have saved his life or made it a little bit easier to surive, I know that I would have opened it. Maybe because he has worked for this company for so long it is engrained in him that the package needs to be delivered safely to it's intended recipiant. But I was curious as to what motivated him to keep that package safe and unopened? Of course it is some type of intrinsic motivation, but that motivation had to be so strong that it had to over power extrinsic motivations, as well as instinct, drive, and other intrinsic motivations.
I had never seen Cast Away before. I had heard about the difficulties he overcomes by being resourceful and using his surroundings; however, I didn't realize the extent of his motivation to survive. Watching the movie, I'm not sure I would have the motivation or knowledge to survive in those conditions. I am accustomed to getting food from the fridge or driving to the store. When I'm thirsty, I get water from the faucet or fridge.
At the beginning of the movie, he was so motivated to perform his job well and perfect. I felt there was strain on his personal relationships, especially with his girlfriend, Kelly. However, after the the plane crash, he realized how fortunate he was and how much he took for granted. He was extrinsically motivated to get home. He stayed alive by being creative, driven, and resourceful. He shows his competence and will to live by collecting rain water, eating bugs, creating shelter, etc. Also, to fulfill his psychological need of social interaction he sparked up a relationship with a volleyball he names, Wilson, and his picture of Kelly.
After 4 years of living on the island, he decides to take matters into his own hands. He decides to challenge his environment by making a raft and setting sail with Wilson. On their adventure, Chuck has to make a difficult decision -- save Wilson or stay on the raft. He felt powerless and emotionally empty because he lost his companion. It reminded me of a child losing their favorite blanket or stuffed animal. We become attached to our companions and it can be difficult to function without that safety net.
I have seen the movie Cast Away previous to this class however this time around I feel as though I saw things in a new light. We are people are motivated by many different things. We seek companionship, we develop goals and plans, and we are motivated by our jobs and relationships. Before Chuck boards the plane he has all of these motivational factors in check. however, once he lands on that island his life is questioned. What is he living for? What is the purpose for breathing? In the end of the movie he reflects on all these things. While he is on the island he receives some motivation from his girlfriend Kelly. He still has her picture from his Christmas present. HE is motivated by survival. He loses his goals, his control, and his sense of companionship. Therefore, Wilson plays a key role is what made him continue to fight to live. When he finally gets a fire going he is motivated to start a life on the island in the hope of survival. When he starts the processes of the boat this gives him something to shoot for. This becomes his goal, his job, his sense of control. This movie is a good representation of the motive of humans portrayed in a dramatic way. These motives are represented in all of our lives but the way Chuck experienced them were on a more simplistic level. He learned to appreciate the little things in life. This is illustrated when he arrives home and looks at the crab legs on the table, or the light switch. In the end when he is trying to figure out which road to take he ends up choosing the one the girl went down. That represents that although we are lost sometimes, as chuck was when he finally came home, there is always something that is there to give us the little motivation we need.
I cannot say that this is my new favorite movie, but this is a strong movie. Tom Hanks is the perfect actor for this role, hands down.
The whole time I was watching this movie I kept thinking, what would I do? I am also a big fan of LOST so I was comparing the "stranded on an island" scenarios. I know that I would be motivated to find food, water, etc but would I actually be able to. Would that be inevitable because they are such dire needs in order for my survival.
I do not believe that Chuck would have survived for four years on that island if it wouldn't have been for his companion and best friend, Wilson. Food was scarse, being rescued was a slim chance, that is enough to drive anyone crazy. I think a strong message in the movie is companionship and social interaction. I think if someone is kept in isolation for so long by themselves they will start to loose it. Luckily for Chuck he did have Wilson, it gave him someone to talk to and someone/thing to relate to share the experience of four years trapped on an island.
I was amazed at how well adapted to his environment he became. Granted it is a movie, but Id like to think that would really happen...(I guess it would have to).
I found the concept of time in this movie interesting. Before the island we see Chuck giving a speech about how time is so critical. He work for Fedex, so of course timing is important. On the island he even began to keep track of time. He was able to create a calendar and track the days. It is a different kind of time, but he still was keeping track for his own sake. I thought it was neat that he collected the packages and tried to save them. Then to see them in the end as kind of a closure he was able to return a package and was on his way to deliver more. This shows even more that he is a dedicated man to his job, to Kelly, and to his own survival. (all important things to be dedicated to).
This is a movie that leaves you feeling like you shouldn't take your everyday "things" for granted.
My favorite line of the entire movie, which I believe set the tone of the movie, was "They never tell you that coconut milk is a natural diuretic." I was most impressed by Chuck's ability to think coherently, when most people would have gone into shock or gone crazy.
I think that the movie did a good job at demonstrating the physiological needs. When Chuck washed up on the island he was most focused on satisfying his thirst, as opposed to his hunger. He did not try to eat the coconut, he was focused solely on drinking the 'milk' inside the coconut. Eventually he did focus on his hunger, but that came secondarily. Out of necessity, he learned how to spear fish quickly and efficiently to satisfy his need of food.
Another part of the movie that relates to the text is the social needs, most specifically affiliation. Affiliation was defined as "establishing, maintaining, or restoring a positive, affective relationship with another person or persons." In Cast Away, because there were no other people on the island Chuck was forced to form a bond with an inanimate object - aka Wilson. He needed someone to talk to, to bounce ideas off of, so he created a glorified imaginary friend in a volleyball. Considering he was on the island for four years, this reaction seems reasonable to me. I would have gone crazier far earlier than he did if I were in his shoes. In addition, his love for Kelly motivated him to keep breathing. The affiliation he felt toward Kelly kept him from attempting to kill himself (at least after he tested the rope the first time).
In the end, I was a little disappointed by them leaving him in the middle of the road just looking around. I wished there was some closure for his character. I know that he stated that he would just keep breathing because you never know what is coming in with the next tide. While that statement is probably inspirational, I found it a little depressing. After watching the movie for 2 1/2 hours I really wanted a happier ending, as opposed to a thinking end.
In the movie, Tom Hanks’ character Chuck is obviously posed with the greatest challenge of his life – to struggle to keep himself alive on a totally uninhabited island. With the remnants of the airplane, a life-saving volleyball, and his own learned resourcefulness, Chuck is able to survive on that island for a grand total of four long years. His bond with that volleyball becomes so poignant throughout the movie, and their “conversations” and “interactions” allow him to channel his sanity through that relationship. Not only did this plane crash present Chuck with basic survival strategies, he was forced to lead a life with no other distractions, as shown in his frantic, chaotic life before the crash. I think about this situation a lot actually; would I be able to survive life on an island? After I ponder that question, a sudden surge of unnecessary fear overwhelms me, as if I will get stranded somewhere within the next week. I realize how dependent we as humans living an industrialized lifestyle have become to technology. It’s as if all that basic survival knowledge has escaped us, in some aspect or another. However, it’s difficult to infer that for many empirical deficiencies, but also because I have never been exposed to that scenario before. I’m sure some biological drive would kick in and I would learn the way of the island, and come to grips with what needs to be taken care of in order to survive. Since he unfortunately lost his marriage with his wife over the four years he was missing, Chuck was able to start a whole new life with four unforgettable years under his belt, even if that was completely out of his control.
This movie was very depressing for me. I cannot imagine what I would be like on a island for 4 years. Chuck had a great deal of motivation when it came to living. I know he states that he wanted to kill himself at one point, but I didn't really see a sense of total depression, I suppose because I knew that he wasn't going to kill himself. Throughout the movie, there are different levels and conditions of torture that motivate Chuck. This first is his motivation for water, then shelter, food, etc. He develops from being motivated for basic physiological needs to then other needs such as fire, and friendship. Wilson is a key part of this movie, he plays the role of some sort of interaction for Chuck on this island so that he doesn't lose all sense of himself. I think that if Chuck wouldn't have had Wilson he would have lost all sense of reality much earlier on.
This movie also illustrates the survival skills that can be developed if you are motivated enough to do so. You have a totally different perspective of the FedEx gifts when he is opening them. Instead of thinking, "who would want that ugly dress?" I was thinking "Ooo he can use that as a net!" It goes to show how differently you would have to look at your environment, I cannot imagine what it would be like to go back to "the real world" after living in isolation for 4 years. I think at least a little part of me would want to go back to that island.
I saw this movie several years ago and thought it was decent. I have heard many people, including my roomate while I was watching it, express disinterest saying that the movie is "boring" and "pointless." From a cinimatic view, the movie may be somewhat "boring" but when I watched it for this class I found myself more interested in it because I couldn't help to keep thinking if I would too be motivated to act in similar ways if I were in his shoes. People think his psychological attachment to Wilson is weird and immature, but my response to that is "you would probably do the same thing if you went that long without human contact." The volleyball was an important part of him surviving on the island as it provided the psychological need of relatedness in a place where no such thing existed.
As for physiological needs, I thought Chuck did quite well as he was able to keep himself alive for several years. As I was watching the movie I wondered how long I would be able to survive finding my own food and water. Not only did Chuck learn to be resourceful, I was amazed at his motivation to continue to surivive (except for the partail attempt to commit suicide). It's hard to imagine how people act in situations such as this, but one could assume that over time the environment would get the best of you and giving up could be a plausable action.
As for the unopened box, as several people have commented on, it's hard to say what really motivated him to not open it. I agree that from a Hollywood standpoint it added mystery and suspense to the movie, but I think in real life most people would have had no problem opening it. It's only practical to use all of the supplies you have avialable to you; therefore it would have been valuable to open it.
Overall, the movie is quite eye opening. An experience such as this isn't something I would wish upon my worst enemy, at the same time it's interesting to see how people act in unique situations such as this. This movie illustrated a way in which our natural instincts will fulfill our basic needs as human beings in one of the rarest environments and situations known to man.
I have always enjoyed the film Cast Away and have seen it several time before watching it for this assignment, although I had never taken a deeper look at the movie as I did this time. While watching this movie with the intent to relate it to class material, I saw so much more than I ever had before. Chuck seems to be the average good guy, who works hard and seems to have things going for him, until of course his plan goes down and is stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere by himself. I was always impressed in the way he was resourceful on the island, but now I see it as him fulfilling his physiological needs of thirst, hunger, well being and survival. When he happened to make his 'friend' Wilson, I had always thought it was in a way just cute, but now it see it as a need. Chuck had a social need that needed to me met and it was done by having a companion in Wilson, even if it was always a one sided conversation. I am still amazed however, that he didn't go crazy without someone to actually interact with on a deeper level. On the surface you could say he was a little crazy for talking to a ball like it was a person, but you have to admit that isn't all that bad, considering his situation. I would like to think I would be able to last and survive if put in that situation, and with my outdoor background I very well may survive. I would be able to find shelter and food and keep myself alive, but I don't know if I would be able to keep myself sane for that long without anyone else. It is hard for me to spend the weekend by myself without others to interact with, I'm not so sure I would last four years, but then again if we are talking life or death who knows?
I'd also seen this movie before, but got a lot more out of it this time. There are so many examples of physiological motivation in the movie! Even though Chuch had never been in a situation like this before, he instinctively knew what he needed to do to survive. He met his immediate needs first, and then was able to focus on other things once those needs were met.
This movie is a huge illustration about how much a person can endure. Like many of you have said, it's hard to imagine yourself in his shoes. I know that I can hardly imagine what I would do in a situation like that, but I'm sure Chuck didn't know either. It's only when in that situation of survival do some behaviors surface in order to stay alive.
The movie was really entertaining to watch and also a good way to see human survival techniques. Unlike March of the Penguins, we can better relate as fellow humans to Chuck's situations and survival techniques compared to those of the penguins.
In seeing this movie, after reading chapter 3 in our book has placed a whole new prospective on how our body tells us about the needs that have to be met. I for some reason when analyzing any movie I have trouble seeing it any other way, than how my mind has gone off and interpreted it. Now in saying this, I believe that at the beginning Chuck plays a crucial part in the main reasons for the plane crash. The reason I say this is in regards to our bodily functions, chaos and our system is always trying to keep us in a homeostatic state. Chuck’s life at the beginning of the film is extremely over worked and his motivation was to be on top of everything and kind of chaotic, and in connection to our bodies, it is like when we are over worked and in need of a break, we out of nowhere get sick and it usually last for a good while. This plane crash was nature’s ways of saying hey you need a reality check, and well he got one for 4 years.
While this reality check has created some real motivational issues for survival for him. I personally think that it has changed what he use to perceive as being on the list of being a priority. I am pretty sure that now he will not take a flight during a storm, and work so much, but appreciate life and its smaller components. Because after all he lived off of nothing while on this island. His thoughts on staying alive by keeping his needs met where his only priority. His love for Kelly motivated him was replaced by Wilson. His attachment to this volleyball took the place for any human contact. His motivation for food, changed when he was able to heat up his food, which gave him a better option. The living areas and drinking options changed as well as his motivation when his knowledge grew. So sometimes we need a reality check, but being alone would not be one that I would pick to smack me in the face.
I had never seen the movie Cast Away before this assignment. I knew the general idea of the movie, however I was still shocked with how many different things the movie depicted him having to learn on his own. In the very beginning of the movie he had cut his feet, so he took off his shirt and made shoes in order to protect them from any further damage. Small things like that would be extremely beneficial, and I never would have thought of any of them.
The movie depicts clear extrinsic motivation, which is the need or desire to do something in order to receive a reward or to avoid and aversive consequence. An example of this is when he went out into the water and pulled the dead pilot from the rocks. Once on land he proceeded to take off the pilots shoes and all other things that could have helped him in the means of his survival. In any other situation he would not have wanted to search a dead body; in fact, in this situation he most likely was not happy about having to search the body. However, in order to avoid aversive conditions that could be avoided if he searched the pilot, he did just that. Another example is when he went fishing and ripped open the fish with his bare hands and proceeded to eat it raw. I doubt that was something he really wanted to do. However, to avoid the consequence of starving if he didn't eat, he had to eat the raw fish.
His need to have a his friend, Wilson, around at all times so that he could talk to him goes into both psychological and social needs. Wilson made him feel as though he was not alone. He had someone (or something) so converse with. He felt less crazy because he had someone to talk to, even if it does seem crazy to talk to a volleyball.
I am glad that I saw this movie. It definitely ties directly into the book and the things we have learned, and are continuing to learn. It also made me even more grateful for the life and surroundings I am blessed with.
This movie shows an amazing array of motivational and emotional components. Chuck is a man who lives his life by the clock. He is tied down to technology until he is cast onto an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with no food, no wilderness training, only unopened FedEx packages and a will to live. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is important in showing us where Chuck is at before, during and after his time on the island. Before he goes to the island he is at the aesthetic level, during his time on the island he is at the first level simply needing to meet his physiological needs on a daily basis and when he returns he has achieved self-actualization. Chuck’s life on the island is a teeter-totter between life and death, hope and hopelessness, the known and the unknown and he must balance it any way he can, that is where Wilson, Kelly, and the winged package help him. One of the most fascinating parts of the movie to me is when Chuck buries Al (the pilot) fully clothed minus a flashlight and his shoes. He could have stripped the body bare and used the clothes in productive manner yet he was not so removed from civilization to do degrade the human body in such a way. He gave Al the best burial he could provide with the limited resources. Additionally, Chuck proves to be ever resourceful and adaptive in an unfamiliar and unforgiving environment (e.g. cracking a coconut, fishing). Ultimately, Cast Away explores the physical and emotional effects of a 20th century man being forced into a situation that could be found thousands of years ago (except not in isolation) and returning to the 20th century knowing that life will never be the same and neither is he.
Yet again, another good movie for motivation and emotion. I have never seen this movie before, but I knew a little about it going into it just from reading previous blog posts before I watched it. It amazes me how an individual such as Chuck had the motivation and emotional stability to survive and go back to his long lost lover Kelly. After reading chapter 3 and 4 it definitely gave me an understanding of the movie and its role in motivation and emotion.
His need to survive definitely played a huge role in the movie. He was motivated to go out and catch and eat a tiny baby fish raw. (I would not have the will power or the motivation to do such a thing). He was also motivated to start a fire for the sake of S.O.S. and for the sake of warmth and cooking food. His emotions also kept him going, because he talked to Wilson "the volleyball" who was his "friend" as he saw it in his eyes. It definitely kept him sane to have a "person" he could talk to.
Another thing that amazed me in the movie was how at one point Chuck had a crab in his hand and didn't even eat it, because it was nasty. That meant that he wasn't quite yet on the verge of starvation, because I believe if you are on the verge of starvation you would probably eat anything in sight. He definitely proved that he had the will-power, and motiviation to keep him alive for four years. All in all Cast Away showed viewers the movitational and emotional aspects of being stranded on an island, and that anyone can survive if they put their mind to it, and let go of fear.
This is a movie I have seen before, but only parts of it, so I really enjoyed watching the whole thing. In the movie, us the viewers, were the ones who were there first hand who saw what happened to Chuck in the movie. The time that mattered obviously was when he was on the island, trying to figure out how to survive. But what I really liked in the movie, was how he actually struggled, trying to find a way to make it through everyday, despite his getting injured, being hungry, and emotionally processing that he was alone on an island. Can you imagine what that was like? When I lived in Chile this summer, it was hard enough trying to adapt to another language, city, and culture. I can't imagine being by myself, I am such a people person, I would let alone go crazy without someone else to talk to.
It was so fun to see the character be motivated on his last straw to make a fire, go fishing, bury one of the pilots, climb a mountain, and more. The excitement on his face when he finally made fire was priceless. Obviously, when he returned to the United States, he was going through a shock. There were so many emotions going through his head and the best the others could say was that they were glad he was home. Did they not realize the things they gave him in the hotel were like giving him the world. He had to find his food, make clothing, rope, shelter, and fire. But within the plane and hotel room, there was a table full of seafood, a lighter, towels, running water, clothes, shelter, and anything else he needed and more. He was obviously noticing how much he really had in his life, he had nothing on the island and survived, and coming back to an old life where he felt like he had everything but no one, that would be tough.
I'm also really proud of the character, his motivation to survive was amazing. I definitely couldn't imagine fighting for my life like that, and hopefully never have to experience that. He let go of fear, wants, socializing, and lived his life. He had something in the back of his mind telling him to keep trying, that is the most powerful gift or possession we as humans can possess.
I had seen this movie right after it came out and i did not really like it. After seeing it again i noticed so many more things and i actually enjoyed it much more. I do not think i would be able to survive on an island for very long like Chuck did though. I have very few skill like him.
This movie does a good job of showing just how far a human will go to survive and what a person needs to survive. I think to a point everyone has some instincts on how to survive, but Chuck seemed to have more than i would have had! I don't think i would have been spearing fish or making a raft. He uses the resources he has very well to survive, he makes a blade from the ice skate to open the coconut.
He fulfills his social needs with Wilson. This shows how important this need is. It gave him someone to talk to and share his ideas with, so he did not feel as though he was alone on the island. He even had arguements with with Wilson, which i found funny. I think as long as he had Wilson to talk to he felt like he had a chance of getting back to the real world.
I had seen Cast Away with Tom Hanks before but I never watched it to the extent as I did when I watched it for this class, where I was looking for certain behaviors and key concepts from class. The first thing I noticed was Tom Hank's character, Chuck, showed all basic physiological needs such as hunger and thirst. I also noticed a need for affiliation, a social need, when he made the volleyball into a face and named him Wilson, with whom he talks to and makes his companion throughout the rest of the movie. I noticed things watching this movie this time like all the basic instincts Chuck had and how as the movie progressed he learned how to live more efficiently as each day passes. He eventually learned how to make fire, which he used to cook his food and keep warm. He used his hands to make shelter and make tools which he used to make his boat and also for getting food. It was very clear what his motive or incentive for doing all this was, to survive. You would have to have a strong motivation in order to survive in this kind of situation. His love for his wife, Kelly, was a very big incentive for him to survive and get off the island to be with her again. I thought this movie did a very good job at showing motivation and drive.
I think this is a great movie. I've always wondered if I could do what Chuck did in this film, and hopefully I will never have to find out. This film shows many ideas from the book. Obviously, hunger and thirst are major issues for Chuck. He must learn how to eat and drink safely, without running out of resources. He learns to spear fish and catch rain water. Another major theme in this film is Chuck's social needs. The first time I saw this film, years ago, I thought it was absurd and crazy that this guy started talking to a volleyball and thought it was talking back. After reading the textbook, and learning a lot about human needs, I've realized that the need for social interaction is real and Chuck created Wilson in order to fulfill that need. The fact that this behavior stops when he has real people to talk to shows that he didn't just go crazy like I had first assumed.