Cast Away
Tom Hanks and William Broyles Jr
Prior to the disaster, during the beginning of the movie, we come to our first example of the grief of the loss of love with the relationship between the protagonist Chuck Nolad and his girlfriend Kelly Frears. We are introduced to Chuck Noland, a man overly obsessed with his work, and his fed-up girlfriend Kelly Frears. Due to some work setbacks, Chuck calls Kelly to cancel their trip together.
He contemplated his life while talking to Wilson. It is then that he realizes what he had; as the saying goes, you never appreciate what you have until you lose it. His personified volleyball friend Wilson along with his memories of Kelly and his love for her, kept him tethered to sanity. We see some evident symbolism and foreshadowing to the loss he will experience once rescued when Wilson, “the past he loved," began floating out to open sea. Though he desperately tries to save him he has to choose between the raft, his only chance of survival, or Wilson.
This package represents hope in general but specifically of survival and starting a new life after coming to terms with the past. In the last scene of “Cast Away,” after all events, we see Chuck driving up to a ranch, where we once again see the entrance, with the exclusion of the name Dick, alluding to a divorce, another example of losing love. No one is home so Chuck leaves the package with a note saying it saved his life. He drives away but later runs into a crossroad, symbolizing a choice. A lady then drives past gives him directions and drives off, but we see the wings painted on her truck. The movie ends with Chuck staring at the road she took, alluding to his final choice. This symbolizes the last phase of acceptance of the loss of love, moving on. It is suggested Chuck and Bettina will become something more than just strangers; completing the cycle for both.