Hollywood story
So, if you see similarities to a certain basketball-carrying bearded Tom Hanks character, then you’re not mistaken. The Hollywood film Castaway, although different in plot, and fiction, does share some similar themes with Alvarenga’s true story of ordeal and survival.
The biggest similarity between the two tales is that of loneliness and isolation and the toll it can take on our mental health. Both Alvarenga and Hanks’ characters found it hard to reintegrate into civilization. However, I think you’ll agree, that in this case, the truth is much stranger than the fiction.