Format: Film

Released: 2000

Screenplay By: William Broyles Jr.

Directed By: Robert Zemeckis

Run Time: 137 minutes

Character: Chuck Noland

New Role: A plane crash survivor on a deserted island

Plot summary of the 2000 survival drama film Cast Away continues below…

Story Structure Analysis: Cast Away

DRAMATIC PHASE ONE: THE SETUP

All of the main characters are introduced. The story world and its mechanics are established. Foundations are laid for the main throughline, subplots and central conflict.

ACT ONE: DEALING WITH AN IMPERFECT SITUATION

A character in an Imperfect Situation faces Oppressive Opposition as he pursues an Initial Goal. But when there is a Disturbance to his routine, he faces a Dilemma regarding his situation and must assume a New Role.

Workaholic systems analyst Chuck Nolan (the imperfect situation) puts his work before his relationship and battles against time (oppressive opposition) as he tries to keep FedEx working smoothly (initial goal). But when he’s called away on business on Christmas (the disturbance), his plane crashes in the Pacific Ocean (the dilemma) leaving Chuck the sole survivor on an uninhabited island (the new role).

The Imperfect Situation: Chuck Noland is a workaholic who frequently travels away from his girlfriend and has been holding off on marrying her.

Initial Goal: Keep FedEx running like clockwork.

Oppressive Opposition: Chuck’s greatest enemy is time. The clock is always ticking and he makes his living by ensuring efficiency. He’s been putting off proposing to his girlfriend despite how much they love each other.

Turning Point Catalyst – The Disturbance: 13 minutes (9.4%) – Chuck gets called away to Malaysia by FedEx during Christmas dinner. He and Kelly exchange gifts when they arrive at the airport, culminating in him giving her a ring box. He tells her they’ll open it on New Year’s when he gets back.

Turning Point One – The Dilemma: 20 minutes (14.5%) – The plane Chuck is on crashes into the ocean killing everyone else on board. Chuck escapes the sinking plane in a life raft and washes ashore on a small island.

The New Role: A plane crash survivor on a deserted island.

Act Run Time: 31 minutes (22.6%)

ACT TWO: LEARNING THE RULES OF AN UNFAMILIAR SITUATION

The character Learns the Rules of an Unfamiliar Situation and faces Incidental Opposition in pursuit of a Transitional Goal. But when he receives a Reality Check, he makes a Commitment to his New Role.

Act Start Time: 31 minutes (22.6%)

Marooned on a deserted island (the unfamiliar situation), with no survival supplies or training (incidental opposition), Chuck tries to figure out where he is and how to get back to civilization (transitional goal). But when he learns how isolated the island is and finds the corpse of one of his fellow passengers (the reality check), Chuck buries his former colleague and contemplates how to get home to the woman he loves (the commitment).

The Unfamiliar Situation: Chuck finds himself marooned on a deserted island in the middle of the Pacific.

Transitional Goal: Figure out where he is and what to do next.

Incidental Opposition: Chuck is scared by noises in the darkness. He draws a HELP sign into the sand only to find the tide has washed it away in the morning. He struggles to open coconuts and feed himself.

Turning Point Catalyst – The Reality Check: 45 minutes (32.8%) – Chuck climbs to the summit of the mountain and surveys the island. He realizes he is just a small blip in a vast ocean with little likelihood of ever being found. He spots a body awash on the shore and runs to pull it from the water. It’s the pilot, Al, or rather his corpse, which Chuck robs of anything useful.

Turning Point Two – The Commitment: 48 minutes (35%) – Chuck buries Al’s body and says a few words. He spends his second night on the island looking at the picture of Kelly with his flashlight.

Act Run Time: 20 minutes (14.5%)

DRAMATIC PHASE TWO: CONFRONTATION

The character is thrown in the middle of the Central Conflict and is placed at direct odds with the forces of antagonism. He undergoes a series of successes and failures as he works toward resolving the main throughline.

ACT THREE: STUMBLING INTO THE CENTRAL CONFLICT

The character stumbles into the Central Conflict and faces Intentional Opposition in pursuit of a False Goal. But when there is a grave Turn of events, he has a Moment of Truth.

Act Start Time: 51 minutes (37.2%)

Chuck struggles to maintain his will to survive (the central conflict), despite his lack of control over his fate and anything that happens (intentional opposition) as he learns how to survive on the island (false goal). But when he calculates the low probability of being rescued, he spends four years on the island (the turn), before the tide washes in a sail (the moment of truth).

The Central Conflict: Chuck vs. his own will to survive and his lack of control over his situation.

False Goal: Learn how to survive on the island.

Intentional Opposition: Chuck’s will to live is challenged by fate, nature and the island.

Turning Point Catalyst – The Turn: 74 minutes (54%): Chuck draws out a map of where he is and where they think he is and calculates he’s lost in a 500,000 square mile area. He realizes he will never be found. When his abscess tooth becomes unbearable, Chuck does oral surgery with an ice skate blade. Four years pass on the island.

Turning Point Three – The Moment of Truth: 79 minutes (57.6%): Chuck is now a master of the island, throwing a spear to catch a fish and eating it raw. One day, a large piece of plastic from a portajohn washes up outside his cave. He realizes it just might work as a sail.

Act Run Time: 28 minutes (20.4%)

ACT FOUR: IMPLEMENTING A DOOMED PLAN

The character implements a Doomed Plan and faces Self-Inflicted Opposition in pursuit of a Penultimate Goal. But when an unthinkable Lowpoint occurs, he pulls himself together and discovers a Newfound Resolve.

Act Start Time: 84 minutes (61.3%)

Chuck builds a raft and uses the plastic as a sail (the doomed plan), leaving the relative safety of land (self-inflicted opposition) to escape the island (penultimate goal). But when Wilson is lost to the sea and the raft begins to fall apart (the lowpoint), Chuck is spotted by a container ship and rescued (the newfound resolve).

The Doomed Plan: Chuck fashions a raft and uses the sail to escape the island, but loses Wilson in the process.

Penultimate Goal: Escape the island and live or die on his own terms.

Self-Inflicted Opposition: Chuck could theoretically stay on the island. Instead, he chooses to take his chances at sea in a self-made raft.

Turning Point Catalyst – The Lowpoint: 100 minutes (72.9%) – While Chuck is asleep, the beam supporting Wilson breaks and the ball begins to float away. Wilson is too far out by the time Chuck wakes up and he is unable to rescue him. Chuck weeps. The raft slowly continues to fall apart.

Turning Point Four – The Newfound Resolve: 105 minutes (76.6%) – Chuck is awoken by a passing freight ship. They miraculously spot him and bring him onboard.

Act Run Time: 28 minutes (20.4%)

DRAMATIC PHASE THREE: RESOLUTION

The character and the forces of antagonism engage in a final confrontation to resolve the Central Conflict. The main throughline and all additional subplots are resolved. The new status quo is established.

ACT FIVE: TRYING A LONGSHOT

The character tries a Longshot and faces Ultimate Opposition while trying to accomplish the Ultimate Goal. But just when it seems All is Lost, he makes a Final Push against the forces of antagonism and either succeeds or fails.

Act Start Time: 107 minutes (78.1%)

Chuck tries to reconnect with Kelly (the longshot) after the entire world has declared him dead (ultimate opposition) as he tries to rediscover his place in society (ultimate goal). But when he learns Kelly is now married with children (all is lost), he drives to her house to confess his love and say goodbye (the final push).

The Longshot: Chuck attempts to reconnect with Kelly and continue his life with her after all these years.

Ultimate Goal: Rediscover his place in society.

Ultimate Opposition: Chuck discovers the world has moved on without him in his absence. Kelly, the thought of whom helped keep him alive, has married and has a child. He’s been declared legally dead.

Turning Point Catalyst – All is Lost: 110 minutes (58.8%) – Kelly doesn’t show up and instead Chuck is visited by her husband. He sees her out the window and that she is too emotional to come in. After the hotel party celebrating his return, Chuck marvels over the spread they had for him and the simple conveniences everyone takes for granted. He sleeps on the floor looking at Kelly’s picture the same way he did in the cave.

Turning Point Five – The Final Push: 116 minutes (84.7%) – Chuck takes a cab to Kelly’s house. Before he can knock she comes to the door and lets him in. She gives him the keys to their old car. He tells her he doesn’t know what he’ll do now. She kisses him goodbye, but as he goes to leave she calls after him and he reverses back. They passionately embrace and she confesses that he is the love of her life. He tells her she has to go home. Chuck goes to see Stan and tells him about his experience on the island and his failed suicide attempt.

Act Run Time: 25 minutes (18.2%)

ACT SIX: LIVING IN A NEW SITUATION

Having accomplished (or failed to have accomplished) the Ultimate Goal, the character is shown living in a New Situation.

Act Start Time: 132 minutes (96.3%)

Chuck sets out in search of his new life (the new situation).

The New Situation: Chuck drives the open road to deliver the package that saved his life. In doing so, he discovers new hope he will find a new path when he unwittingly meets the woman who sent the angel wing package.

Act Run Time: 5 minutes (3.6%)

Six Act Structure.

Story Structure Simplified.