Week 4

Three Great Actors

The three actors in Cast Away that most people remembered were Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland, Helen Hunt as Kelley Frears and Lari White as Bettina Peterson. Tom Hanks is considered a “star” actor in this film, ”A star is a distinctive screen persona who is well known and popular with the moviegoing public, often to the point that some avid movie fans become deeply curious about the actor’s private life” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014, section 5.5). Helen Hunt is also a well-recognized “star” that has appeared in over 90 films. As for Lari White, she has been credited for her appearance as actress in five films and in Cast Away, she appears as a wild card. Her “bit part” in castaway makes it a bit difficult to really determine the type of actor she really is. This type of character is involved in the movie in really small parts with not much to say, but her role is unforgettable (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014, section 5.5).

Tom Hanks is the type of actor that is well known by many moviegoers. He has received credit in producing 46 films, credit for acting in 74 films, and has directed 8 films. Some of those films include Apollo 13 (1995), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Cast Away (2000), and The Da Vinci Code (2006) to name a few, according to his biography in the IMBd movie site (Tom Hanks, 2014). This is a star that is well known by many that he even made a difference in at Capitol Hill in 1995. The lawmakers at Capitol Hill were discussing the possibility of shutting down the international space station and with Tom Hanks pitch to continue with the space station, the lawmakers voted to 299 to 126 to keep the program running (Stone, 1995). His performance and realism acting in all his appearances have made him famous on screen and off, with a personality so magnetic that people become interested not only in his movies but also in his personal life (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014, section 5.5).

http://movieclips.com/Mtuz-cast-away-movie-youre-the-love-of-my-life/

Helen Hunt, another very well-known actor in Hollywood, is also considered a star my moviegoers. This is a star that began her acting career as early as eight years old. Her reputation is just as glorious as Tom Hanks and has produced 3 films, received credit for actress in 93 films and directed 5 films. Movies in which moviegoers’ have experienced her realism acting include films such as Twister (1996), As Good as it Gets (1997), Cast Away (2000), A Good Woman (2004), and many more as readers can see by  visiting her biography at IMBd (Helen Hunt, 2014). Fans may not find Helen Hunt in front of lawmakers at Capitol Hill, but they will find her at the beach doing some surfing. Hunt loves surfing and is in the process of directing and starring in a film where she gets the chance to demonstrate her passion for surfing (Rendon, 2014). In this film, viewers will get a chance to see her realism acting as they did in Cast Away and her role as Chuck’s loving and caring girlfriend.

Lari White, appears in Cast Away (2000) in a very brief scene at the start of the film and again at the very end as she provides Tom Hanks with directions that remind the viewer that life has many paths that a person can take, it is just a matter of deciding. Her biggest line is, “Well, that’s 83 South. And this road here will hook you up with I-40 East. If you turn right, that’ll take you to Amarillo, Flagstaff, California. And if you head back that direction, you’ll find a whole lot of nothing all the way to Canada” Cast Away (2000). White also appears in Country Stong (2010) as a hair stylist. With her short appearances, it is difficult to understand what her acting style really is, but in Cast Away (2000) one would see her as stylized acting.

http://movieclips.com/WSTp2-cast-away-movie-stuck-at-a-crossroads/

Tom Hanks is an actor that can be placed in the same category of realism acting in most of his films. “A guy stranded on an island without Tom Hanks is not a movie. With another actor, [the movie Cast Away] would gross $40 million. With Tom Hanks it grossed $200 million. There’s no way to replace that kind of star power” (Elberse, 2007, p. 102).  His performance was brilliant and his show of resiliency to one day make it back to civilization was incredible. This type of performance will always place Tom Hanks in the same category of being a “Star” actor.

References:

Elberse, A. (2007). The Power of Stars: Do Star Actors Drive the Success of Movies?. Journal of Marketing, 71(4), 102-120.

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Helen Hunt. (2014). Retrieved October 6, 2014, from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000166/?ref_=tt_ov_st

Rendon, C. (2014, July 1). Helen Hunt, 51, proves age is just a number as she shows off sensational bikini body after another surf session in Maui. Retrieved October 6, 2014, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2677279/Helen-Hunt-51-proves-age-just-number-shows-sensational-bikini-body-surf-session-Maui.html

Stone, R. (1995). Tom Hanks: NASA’s secret weapon. Science, 269 (5224), 623.

Tom Hanks. (2014). Retrieved October 6, 2014, from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000158/?ref_=nmbio_bio_nm