Tuesday, February 26, 2008

The Incredible Tom Hanks

I have been re-watching a number of Tom Hanks films recently. Castaway....Terminal....Ladykillers....Joe vs. the Volcano. What an amazing and diverse body of work this man has created!

At the end of Castaway, Hank's character deals with re-entry into society after his five year isolation. His inability to recapture that which was lost through his absence (primarily a fiance) weighs heavily on him. He recalls a moment on the island when he had given up and engaged in a failed attempt to take his own life:

I couldn't even kill myself the way I wanted to. I had power over nothing.

That's when this feeling came over me like a warm blanket. I knew somehow I had to stay alive, though there was no reason to hope and all my logic said that I would never see this place again. So that's what I did. I stayed alive. I kept breathing.

Then one day that logic was proven all wrong because the tide came in and brought me a sail. And now....here I am. I'm back. And I've lost her all over again. I'm so sad that I don't have Kelly, but I'm so grateful she was with me on that island.

And I know what I have to do now. I gotta keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring...

5 comments:

Jessie said...

He's one of my favorites, too, as is one of his movies "you've got mail" which my blog is named from...

That is a good quote. Good to think about and remember!

Anonymous said...

Tom Hanks has come a million miles since his 80's sitcom, "Bosom Buddies"! Does anybody else remember watching it? And "Big" is one of my favorites of his-so clever!

Lori Waggoner said...

I really DON'T like Meg Ryan, so it's hard for me to like any movie with her in it. She's in Joe vs. Volcano too, but I like it in spite of her. I haven't seen "You've Got Mail" since it first came out...maybe I should give it another try.

I really like "That Thing You Do" too, which isn't nearly as philosophical as these others, but a great deal of fun!

Lori Waggoner said...

I don't remember his sitcom, nor have I seen "Big." But thanks for giving me something else to do!!!

jennifer h said...

OK. Tom Hanks is pretty great. I agree with Jessie that you should give "You've Got Mail" a try. Then, for one more thing to do, watch the movie it was a remake of, "The Shop Around the Corner." If you like old classics, it's a great one.