Cast Away Page #23

And that's the point, isn't it? We are social animals. No

man is an island.

KELLY:

This is so unfair.

CHUCK:

That's what I told the fish I caught.

But I ate them anyway.

And the laughter comes again. Kelly grins, embarrassed, a

little worried.

KELLY:

You okay?

CHUCK:

Great. Really.

She stares at his face, reaches out, touches it again, this

time with great tenderness.

He nods, her touch feels so good.

A wave of emotion comes over her: pity? love?

KELLY:

What will you do?

CHUCK:

I don't know. I really don't know.

We hear a distant beep-beep, discrete as a car horn can be.

KELLY:

I've got to get back to Memphis.

Hannah's babysitter has finals.

CHUCK:

It means a lot...that you came.

KELLY:

I had to come. To be sure you were okay.

They hold each other. For a long time.

KELLY:

I love you, Chuck.

CHUCK:

You too.

KELLY:

I'm so glad you're alive.

Chuck grins.

CHUCK:

You too.

Then she heads for the waiting car. Chuck stands by his

raft, watching her go.

INT. FEDEX PLANE - NIGHT

Chuck and Stan ride on the plane. Chuck is coming down off

his survival high. He has the Angel Wing FedEx package with

him.

STAN:

When I first showed up, I thought you'd

lost your f***ing marbles.

CHUCK:

I never thought it would end. Then it

did. It was so great to be saved, I

couldn't stop laughing.

Stan pulls a flask out of his bag.

STAN:

You need a drink.

Stan takes two glasses from his bag, rests them on a FedEx

container, and pours the whiskey.

CHUCK:

For years my only drinking buddy was a

soccer ball. Wilson.

Stan hoists his glass.

STAN:

To Wilson.

CHUCK:

To Wilson.

Now's when Stan gets to the question he's been wanting to

ask, that Kelly wanted to know, that we all want to know.

STAN:

So, what's it all about?

Chuck stares at him.

STAN:

You've been over the line and you came

back. You've been saved, hallelujah!

CHUCK:

Hallelujah.

Stan looks over at him.

STAN:

I'm serious. The burning bush, the big

picture, the words in neon...

CHUCK:

What's it all about? It's about being so

thirsty you'd crush a fish's backbone to

suck out the spinal fluid -- that's what

it's about.

Stan sits back, repulsed but relieved.

STAN:

Do what it takes. That's what I always

told you.

He pours another drink.

STAN:

To life. F*** 'em if they can't take a

joke.

CHUCK:

To life.

STAN:

That's all there is.

CHUCK:

Believe me I know.

He takes a sip of his drink, just savoring it, thinking.

CHUCK:

But it's not being bold or being in the

game or rolling the dice.

All those things Stan used to tell him.

CHUCK:

When I was going crazy, on the raft, I'd

argue with myself about everything.

Because everything had a price. To get

anything -- a sip of water, a little

corner of shade, an hour's sleep -- I had

to let go of something else. And then I

could never get it back.

He thinks some more.

CHUCK:

You don't win or lose. You win and lose.

He looks out the window.

CHUCK:

You win and lose.

And Chuck has. Big time.

EXT. MEMPHIS AIRPORT - NIGHT

A FedEx MD-11 lands.

EXT. MEMPHIS SUPERHUB - MOMENTS LATER

The MD-11 taxis up. As usual, the SuperHub is a frenzy of

activity. A loading crew stands ready, forklifts poised.

Even this plane carries packages.

PHIL STEELE, the chairman of FedEx, Leslie, Becca, Dick, and

other executives wait on a special podium near the gangway.

Everyone looks different -- older, a mustache here, a

thickening around the belly there.

Behind a barrier a cluster of cameras film the scene.

The plane cuts its engine. The stairs are rolled out.

Forklifts and gangways move forward. Cargo doors open.

Chuck appears in the door. He holds the FedEx Package and a

small travel bag.

Chuck blinks against the lights and the glare. Stan is right

by him. Everyone bursts into APPLAUSE AND CHEERING.

After four years of total solitude this is completely

overwhelming.

STAN:

Smile.

Chuck smiles.

STAN:

Wave.

And Chuck waves. He's overwhelmed by all the input. Stan

steers Chuck down the steps as the cheers continue.

At the bottom of the steps Roger steps forward. The two

brothers embrace each other. After a moment Roger

disengages. Mary gives Chuck a hug.

MARY:

Oh Chuck --

CHUCK:

Where's Mom?

ROGER:

Waiting for you. At the farm. This was

too much --

He looks around at the crowds.

CHUCK:

Tell me about it.

Stan nudges Chuck. Time to go to the podium.

ROGER:

Glad you made it, big brother.

Stan and Chuck head for the podium. All the loaders and

operators and package scanners begin to applaud. Chuck

smiles, then laughs, getting into the emotion. He keeps up

an almost indecipherable babble underneath the cheering.

Occasionally he sees someone he knows.

CHUCK:

Wow. Thank you. Great. Thank you.

Hey, Rasheed, how you doing? Thank you

all.

EXT. SUPERHUB - WIDE

Chuck makes his triumphant way through this amazing

collection of cheering people like Moses parting the Red Sea.

EXT. SUPERHUB - PLATFORM

With a big smile Phil Steele holds out his hand to Chuck.

STEELE:

Welcome home.

He steps to the microphone and addresses the SuperHub.

STEELE:

This is an extraordinary moment. And it

should be marked in an extraordinary way.

With something we have never done since

this company was founded.

(pause)

Stop the line!

EXT. SUPERHUB - SERIES OF SHOTS

All over the SuperHub, belts come to a halt. Forklifts stop.

Tracking stations shut down. The vast flow of packages is

suddenly still. The incredible din of activity is suddenly

quiet. The stillness and the silence are unexpected and

palpable. Thousands of workers stop as well, staring either

up at Chuck directly or at his image on video screens. We

hear Phil's voice piped in.

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