Finding a Friend in Unexpected Circumstances

If you are looking for a story that illustrates humanity's deep-seeded need for relationships, you could do far worse than the 2000 film, Cast Away, starring Tom Hanks. The protagonist, Chuck Noland, survives a plane crash, and unlike many tales set on deserted islands, the film strips away any romantic notions of such an ordeal.

Noland faces constant challenges, not just in surviving, finding food and shelter, but just as difficult is the challenge of coping with the emotional strain of being cut off from other people.

As his solitude takes its toll, Chuck…