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IMDb > Castaway (1986)
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Overview

User Rating:
5.8/10   1,104 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 12% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Nicolas Roeg
Writers:
Lucy Irvine (book)
Allan Scott (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Castaway on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
11 September 1987 (USA) more
Genre:
Adventure | Drama more
Plot:
Middle-aged Gerald Kingsland advertises in a London paper for a female companion to spend a year with him on a desert island... more | add synopsis
User Comments:
Nicolas Roeg's twisted island love story more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Oliver Reed ... Gerald Kingsland

Amanda Donohoe ... Lucy Irvine
Georgina Hale ... Sister Saint Margaret
Frances Barber ... Sister Saint Winifred
Tony Rickards ... Jason

Todd Rippon ... Rod
John Sessions ... Man in Pub
Virginia Hey ... Janice
Sorel Johnson ... Lara
Len Peihopa ... Ronald
Paul Reynolds ... Mike Kingsland
Sean Hamilton ... Geoffrey Kingsland
Sarah Harper ... Swimming Teacher
Stephen Jenn ... Shop Manager
Joseph Blatchley ... Registrar
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Additional Details

Runtime:
117 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Fujicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Company:
Cannon Group more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
UK singer Kate Bush was initially asked to star in the film, but she was put-off by the sexual material of the screenplay. Instead she provided a song. more
Movie Connections:
Features The Pumpkin Eater (1964) more

FAQ

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8 out of 10 people found the following comment useful:-
Nicolas Roeg's twisted island love story, 21 January 2005
7/10
Author: didi-5 from United Kingdom

This film by Nicolas Roeg builds on the unusual titles of his past career (Don't Look Now; Walkabout; Performance) and adapts Lucy Irvine's book of her real-life experiences as a Girl Friday on a desert island.

Amanda Donohoe reaches career-grabbing perfection as Irvine, the girl who answers an ad from lonely middle-aged businessman Gerald (a multi-faceted role for Oliver Reed) and goes to live with him in the tropical sun for a year. Roeg's film requires Donohoe to appear nude or semi-nude much of the time but it doesn't seem gratuitous. Not surprisingly it helped her gain other roles in the remainder of the decade as a ballsy, sexy siren.

As a two-hander for most of its running time, 'Castaway' depends on the performances of its two leads - they have to be convincing, they have to be compelling, and they have to have chemistry. It isn't a match made in heaven - but as Gerald and Lucy learn to live with each other despite the obvious problems, the viewer is drawn in with them.

Oliver Reed is excellent as Gerald, a complex character who goes from bluster and rage to sweetness and sensitivity. It was something of a comeback role as the first part of the 1980s hadn't given him roles of any great depth to work with (neither did many films after this one), and he does well within the confines of Lucy Irvine's reminiscences.

I particularly like the ending. Fact or fantasy? But it rounds off this atmospheric film beautifully.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Castaway (1986)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
I have it on DVD Lord_Heath
where can I find real pics of them on the Island? jamiesonsam
Would you want to be castaway with Oliver Reed? dontloseit
The best British film of the 1980s? Picnic-3
Would you want to be castaway with Oliver Reed? dontloseit
at last its on UK TV! mike.mail
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Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Adventure section IMDb UK section Add this title to MyMovies

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