December 14, 2000. Copyright, 2000, Graphic News. All rights reserved HANKS PLAYS ROBINSON CRUSOE By Mark Samms STARS: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Viveka Davis, Valerie Wildman DIRECTOR: Robert Zemeckis LONDON, December 14, 2000, Graphic News: THIS TALE of a modern-day Robinson Crusoe is already being tipped for Oscars next March, with Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Contact, Back to the Future) attracting most of the attention. The movie is a typical product of the two men, who share a devotion to detail that is a by-word in the industry. So determined were they to produce a realistic evocation of a man stranded for a long time on a deserted island, that they took a yearÕs break in filming to allow Hanks to lose 40 lbs and grow a dense beard. The premise of the movie is simple. Hanks plays a Federal Express inspector whose job takes him all over the world. A plane crash then leaves him washed up on a remote island. He has to learn the art of survival in an alien and hostile environment, before being rescued after more than four years. He then has to learn all over again to adapt to civilization, while attempting to rebuild his relationship with his fiancee (Hunt). The comparative scarcity of dialogue means the movie relies on the skills of the director and the star - neither of whom are found wanting. AND ANOTHER THING: During the yearÕs break in filming, Robert Zemeckis directed the psychological thriller What Lies Beneath, one of the unexpected box-office successes of the year. /ENDS RELEASE DATES: December 22: United States January 11: Argentina, Germany January 12: UK, Sweden January 17: France January 18: Netherlands January 19: Denmark Sources: www.imdb.com; www.upcomingmovies.com