Cast Away

Question: Ton Hanks spends 4 years on the island, subsisting on nothing more than rainwater, coconuts, and fish. It's not shown, but possibly he might have caught some birds, too. He lost weight on that diet, but wouldn't the lack of certain vitamins and nutrients given him scurvy, pellagra, beri-beri to the point of death? (Scurvy takes just a few weeks to set in.).

Answer: Scurvy is prevented by Vitamin C, middle aged coconuts have Vitamin C in them, so that's scurvy prevented. Pellagra is mainly caused by malnutrition, but a diet consisting of fish, water and coconuts would be enough to prevent that, because middle aged coconuts also have vitamins A and B. Beri Beri is a result of a lack of vitamin B and thiamin, Fish have vitamin B necessary to keep Beri Beri at bay.

GalahadFairlight

Question: At the end when Tom Hanks is going over the map and the woman drives up, where exactly is the crossroads location?

Answer: The credits mention Canadian, TX. Canadian is on Hwy 83 in the Texas panhandle. The directions given mention Hwy 83 south and I-40 east. I-40 is roughly 30 miles or so south of Canadian on 83. Texas road signs are visible at the intersection. The ranch, a bed and breakfast and museum are at 9760 County Road 5, Canadian, TX. It looks like the crossroads was actually filmed maybe eight or ten miles south at the intersection of Z and 5.

Answer: Somewhere in the Great Plains, you heard the Woman's vague directions, "Whole lotta nothing 'till you get to Canada", and from the looks of things, it's not important anyway, the generic nature seems to be a plot device.

dizzyd

She also mentions that the next town heading west is Amarillo, so probably close to there.

raywest

True enough, but "close" is a relative term in the Great Plains, like I said, the location is broad and generic.

dizzyd

Question: Why did Chuck and Kelly not get back together at the end? Yes I know she's with that other guy but they still have feelings for each other. She didn't move on by choice, she had to move on because she thought he was dead.

Answer: She hadn't seen Chuck in years, she's married to another man, and had a child with him. Just because she still cares for Chuck (and maybe wishes things had turned out differently), doesn't mean she doesn't love her husband or wants to leave him.

Brian Katcher

And if I recall, they didn't meet because the new husband told her that Chuck didn't want to see her.

Ssiscool

Chuck and Kelly didn't reunite at the FedEx hub because Kelly was too overwhelmed emotionally. The man she truly loved is lost to her, and she knows she cannot hurt her current husband by tearing their family apart for her own desires.

raywest

Answer: Jack and Kelly were going to be engaged around New years. So no commitment yet, whereas she was married and had a daughter with new relationship.

That would be Chuck and Kelly, not "Jack."

raywest

Question: On the front of the ship that rescues Tom Hanks, there is a symbol in white. What does that symbol mean?

Answer: I think you're referring to the symbol that looks like a "5" without the top line. It represents the fact the ship has a bulbous bow and its shape. That way tug boats bringing the ship on are aware, since it may be underwater and not visible.

Bishop73

Question: Why did Chuck stand up and then spend ages looking at the part of the toilet that had washed up?

Answer: By that time, Chuck had been on the island for four years and was becoming somewhat mentally unstable. When he first sees the toilet wall section washed up against the rocks, he approaches defensively, spear in hand, as if it's something dangerous. He seems to snap back to reality and gradually surmises it is not only benign, but potentially useful. His mind then begins working out he can adapt it as a sail to escape the island.

raywest

Answer: He couldn't believe it, of all the things to wash ashore it was a toilet. So far everything else he found could be used in a certain way, but a toilet. I didn't see the movie at the theaters but I bet the audiences were roaring with laughter.

I saw it in the theater and no-one laughed...it wasn't funny. Chuck is seeing the first man-made object he's seen in years, and he's stunned...and maybe he's getting the idea of using it as a sail.

Brian Katcher

It wasn't the actual toilet. It was just the partial wall section of the plastic enclosure for an outdoor portable toilet.

raywest

Question: How many times does Chuck get injured while stranded on the island?

Answer: 4.

Continuity mistake: When Chuck first goes over and sees the cave, it changes the camera angle and the sunlight is significantly dimmer and more orange, indicating a sunset.

More mistakes in Cast Away

Chuck Noland: You wouldn't have a match by any chance would you?

More quotes from Cast Away

Trivia: Production was shut down for a year, to give Tom Hanks enough time to lose weight and grow out his "castaway" beard. During that time, director Robert Zemeckis used the same crew members to help film "What Lies Beneath."

Cubs Fan

More trivia for Cast Away

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