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Castaway

Castaway

Adventure · Romance · Drama · 1986

Middle-aged Gerald Kingsland advertises in a London paper for a female companion to spend a year with him on a desert island. Young Lucy Irving takes a chance on contacting him, but once on the island, things prove a lot less idyllic than in the movies. Gradually, it becomes clear that it is Lucy who has the desire and the strength to try and see the year through.

Movie details

Castaway

“One Year on a Deserted Tropical Island. 'Wife' 20-30 needed to accompany man 35+. Write to Box 775 with details and evening phone number.”

1986 Adventure · Romance · Drama 1h 57m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.3 / 10

Community rating

Middle-aged Gerald Kingsland advertises in a London paper for a female companion to spend a year with him on a desert island. Young Lucy Irving takes a chance on contacting him, but once on the island, things prove a lot less idyllic than in the movies. Gradually, it becomes clear that it is Lucy who has the desire and the strength to try and see the year through.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Castaway?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Nicolas Roeg

Written by

Allan Scott · Lucy Irvine

Oliver Reed

Oliver Reed

Gerald Kingsland

Amanda Donohoe

Amanda Donohoe

Lucy Irvine

Georgina Hale

Georgina Hale

Sister Saint Margaret

Frances Barber

Frances Barber

Sister Saint Winifred

Tony Rickards

Tony Rickards

Jason

Todd Rippon

Todd Rippon

Rod

John Sessions

John Sessions

Man in Pub

Court is in session

Put Castaway on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.