Did you know that Wilson, the volleyball from Castaway, won an acting award for best inanimate object? It wasn’t an Academy Award, Golden Globe, or a BAFTA, but it was an award nonetheless.
Entertainment industry award ceremonies try their best to be fun and entertaining. They normally include segments of song and dance and light comedy. But between the entertaining parts is a rather dull award ceremony. You know the deal. Best actors, best picture, best something that we’ve never heard of. If it weren’t for the scantily clad stars displaying their fashion process, no one would tune in. But in 2000 the 6th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards added a little surprise for everyone. They added a one off award for best inanimate object.
That year there were no shortages of great movies, and Castaway was one of them. Although it failed to win any really significant awards, such as an Oscar for best movie or best actor, it was still one of the best movies released that year. It just happened to be competing against a better film in Gladiator. It also lacked a strong ensemble cast, with the majority of Castaway centering on Tom Hank’s character and the volleyball, Wilson. This really restricted the films ability to contest a multitude of acting categories. But the Critics’ Choice Awards took care of that by creating an honour for the films breakout star, Wilson the volleyball , Tom Hanks best friend on the deserted island.
If you’ve seen the film you may recall that Wilson didn’t say or do anything. His entire performance was reliant on the performance given by Hanks. Without any doubt at all, he delivered a stellar performance, and this can be judged by how well people have judged Wilson’s role. Wilson’s performance was memorable, and he was loved by fans and critics alike.
Wilson obviously won the award for best inanimate object. He was also the first and final recipient of the award, with the category of best inanimate object being cast aside.
