Cast Away Page #3

INT. FEDEX WAREHOUSE - ST. PETERSBURG - WEEK LATER

A big semi is being loaded with outgoing packages for the

airport run. Aleksei, Chuck, Lev and the office executives

watch as containers are rolled on.

LEV:

We've never got all the trucks in on

time. Never.

Chucks looks at the clock.

CHUCK:

Only one still left?

LEV:

Route six.

Aleksei points at the big semi.

ALEKSEI:

If we don't send it now we may miss the

connection in Paris.

The pressure in on. Chuck looks around at his team.

CHUCK:

(to Aleksei)

Give it five minutes.

EXT. FEDEX OFFICES - ST. PETERSBURG - MINUTES LATER

The last truck rolls in.

INT. FEDEX OFFICES - ST. PETERSBURG

The last truck enters and loading dock. A few loaders move

toward it. The executives all stand and watch. But not

Chuck. He's hands on.

CHUCK:

Let's go.

He heads toward the truck and begins pulling off packages.

All the other executives follow him.

INT. FEDEX OFFICES - ST. PETERSBURG - MINUTES LATER

Led by Chuck, who works like a man possessed, they sort the

packages.

CHUCK:

That's Bermuda. Bermuda is in the

Memphis thru container. No, Azores is

Europe.

He gestures at a closed container.

CHUCK:

The Paris container. Africa too. Japan

goes to Memphis.

Chuck is everywhere, setting the example. The whole office

is energized, working together.

INT. FEDEX OFFICES - ST. PETERSBURG - MINUTES LATER

They load the last container on the waiting truck. Chuck

pounds the truck on the side. Go.

The truck roars out of the loading dock.

Everyone takes a breath. They are happy, proud.

LEV:

We did it. All of them.

CHUCK:

Great job, everyone. Remember, work

together. We are like a hand...

They've heard this before. Lev holds up his hand just before

Chuck does.

LEV:

One finger, weak. All fingers working

together, strong.

This makes Chuck smile.

CHUCK:

You got it.

EXT. CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT - DAY

A FedEx MD-11 is being loaded with huge containers of

freight. Chuck goes up the gangway next to the forklifts.

INT. MD-11 - MOMENTS LATER

The pilots -- JACK and GWEN -- are going down their check

lists. Chuck sticks his head in the cockpit.

CHUCK:

I absolutely, positively, have to get to

Memphis overnight.

JACK:

Can't help you. Try UPS.

CHUCK:

Jack -- gotta be something wrong with our

physicals, you keep getting certified to

fly. Gwen, aren't you worried?

GWEN:

Terrified.

CHUCK:

We're on time, right?

JACK:

On time, Chuck.

Chuck hands Jack and Gwen small packages.

CHUCK:

Little present from the emerging

republics.

Another FedEx Road Warrior named STAN gets on. He and Chuck

are obviously old hands at this.

CHUCK:

What connects the world? What makes it

one?

(they ignore him)

We do. FedEx.

GWEN:

You are such a lifer.

STAN:

What do you expect, from the guy who

stole a kid's bicycle when his truck

broke down?

CHUCK:

Borrowed. I borrowed it.

The two of them strap in.

STAN:

How'd it go?

CHUCK:

Great. Terrific. The good guys won one

for a change.

He's finished a tough job. He's relaxed and on his way home.

But Stan's his boss, and Stan's got bad news.

STAN:

I had to bump your plane last night.

Chuck can't believe it.

CHUCK:

You what?

STAN:

It was fifteen minutes late.

The plane begins to taxi.

CHUCK:

I checked the weather, you had the jet

stream, you could have made it up.

STAN:

But I might not have.

CHUCK:

Jesus. I got it working... You have no

idea how hard it was... They're finally a

team...

STAN:

I'm touched.

CHUCK:

You f***ed us over.

STAN:

The point of FedEx, as I understand it,

is to make the damn connection.

CHUCK:

I was making a point.

STAN:

What? Let Paris hold its plane? Let

Memphis take care of it? Let somebody

down the line clean up your mess?

CHUCK:

Every person counts, every package

counts, that's my point.

STAN:

You know what your problem is? You just

see the packages in front of you. You

don't see the big picture.

CHUCK:

Baloney. I do see the damn "big

picture."

EXT. CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT - NIGHT

The MD-11 takes off.

INT. MD-11 - NIGHT

Chuck is focused on his PowerBook with the screen away from

us, Stan is doing tai chi amidst the FedEx containers. It

feels a little surreal, all those containers surrounding

them.

Stan comes over, looks at the image on the computer. It's a

sailboat with some technical specifications under it.

STAN:

I didn't know we had sailboats.

CHUCK:

It's a ketch Kelly and I had chartered.

STAN:

For all those vacation days you got

coming.

Chuck doesn't look up.

CHUCK:

And never take.

STAN:

Look, I'm sorry about your plane. But I

couldn't risk being late into Memphis.

CHUCK:

Forget it.

STAN:

You know General McLelland, he wouldn't

attack unless he had everything just

right. Finally Abe Lincoln came to him

and said, General, if you're not going to

use my army, could I borrow it for a

while? So he gave it to Grant and Grant

just said, let's go.

CHUCK:

I'm from Arkansas. Tell me a story with

Robert E. Lee in it and maybe I'll pay

attention.

STAN:

We're warriors, not desk jockeys. We've

got to be bold. You always want all your

ducks lined up. But nothing's 100

percent. It's always 60-40, maybe 51-49.

Hell, I'd take 40-60. Then roll the

dice.

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