4. Goodbye Wilson - Cast Away
Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Cast Away is essentially a modern-day Robinson Crusoe, and it produces some of the actor's best work. In fact, it's yet another well-picked movie by Tom Hanks, since his performance grabbed him another Oscar nomination and a win at the Golden Globes. Like many of his other films, Cast Away was both a critical and commercial success, scoring over £268 million in worldwide box office sales. But the success of the film was solely on the actor's shoulders from his incredible performance of FedEx employee Chuck Noland. Stranded on a desert island, Chuck Noland has to learn to fend for himself in order to survive. But when remnants of the plane wash onto the shore, Chuck finds a slew of useful items in packages for his continued survival, and one of those is Wilson the volleyball. If any actor could make us feel like a simple volleyball was a real person, it's unequivocally Tom Hanks. And it's what makes the loss of Wilson such a memorable and heart-breaking scene. After a number of years on the island, Chuck takes his chances out on the sea. He makes a sturdy raft, adding a sail that also provides shelter, and straps Wilson securely on board. But through all the days at sea, Wilson becomes dislodged and floats farther away from the raft. At this point, Hanks gives a remarkable performance. He screams, searching for Wilson in a horrid panic, until he finds him bobbing along the sea, a considerable distance from him. He jumps into the water, pulling the raft's rope with him, and continues to shout his name. Hanks plays Chuck at a complete loss - he's losing him to Mother Nature herself reminding us that Wilson isn't just a volleyball, he's a life companion. Once again, Tom Hanks proves why he's such a talent.