TOM HANKS STARS IN THE THEATRICAL BLOCKBUSTER "CAST AWAY," ON THE "ABC SATURDAY MOVIE OF THE WEEK," SEPTEMBER 25

Academy Award-Winner Helen Hunt Also Stars in the Three-Hour Robert Zemeckis Directed Feature

Tom Hanks stars in the theatrical blockbuster "Cast Away," for which he received an Academy Award nomination as Best Actor in a Leading Role. The feature airs as the "ABC Saturday Movie of the Week," SEPTEMBER 25 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network (Rebroadcast. OAD: 1/5/04). Academy Award-winner Helen Hunt ("As Good as It Gets") also stars in the critically acclaimed adventure/drama directed by Robert Zemeckis (Oscar winner for "Forrest Gump"). The three-hour presentation will air in HDTV format with 5.1-channel surround and with video description.

In "Cast Away," Hanks ("Saving Private Ryan," "Forrest Gump," "Philadelphia," "Big") stars as a "Type-A personality" executive named Tom Noland who flies around the world solving problems for his shipping company. A taskmaster and devotee of time management, he squeezes in a rushed Christmas Eve dinner with his fiancie (Helen Hunt, "What Women Want," "Pay It Forward"), before he is called away to a company crisis in the South Pacific. Before boarding his flight, he gives her a surprise gift that appears to be an engagement ring, and he promises to return for New Year's.

Noland's flight suffers a catastrophic explosion over the Pacific and crashes into the sea. He emerges as the sole survivor and begins a remarkable, modern-day Robinson Crusoe existence on an uninhabited island where time - which he valued so highly - is now meaningless. Faced with absolute isolation, he must quickly learn survival skills to save both his live and his sanity.

"Cast Away" stars Tom Hanks as Tom Noland, Helen Hunt as Kelly Frears, Paul Sanchez ("Navy SEALS," "Platoon") as Ramon, Peterson's FedEx driver; Lari White as Bettina Peterson, Leonid Citer as Fyodor, Chris Noth (TV's "Sex and the City") as Jerry Lovett, DDS; David Allen Brooks as Dick Peterson, Velena Papovic as beautiful Russian woman with Peterson, Valentina Ananyina as Russian Babushka and Semion Suradikov as Nicolai.

The 2000 release was directed by Robert Zemeckis (Academy Award winner for "Forrest Gump"; "What Lies Beneath," "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and the writer and director of the "Back to the Future" series). The screenplay was written by William Broyles Jr. (co-writer of Oscar nominated "Apollo 13"; "Unfaithful," "Planet of the Apes"). The film is a production of 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks SKG, ImageMovers and Playtone. (CLOSED-CAPTIONED)

"CAST AWAY" IN HDTV:
The ABC Television Network's HDTV broadcast of "Cast Away" will air in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1-channel surround sound and with video description.

This film carries a TV-PG,V parental guideline.