Cast
Away (2000)
by William Broyles.
Third draft, March 13, 1998.
FADE IN:
EXT. MARFA, TEXAS - 1993 - WIDE - DAY
The Texas plains, horizon to horizon, nothing but the browns
and ochres of earth and the blue and violet of the sky. The
sheer scope of it sinks in: the blank slate of nature, the
absence of man. On the screen superimpose:
MARFA, TEXAS, 1993.
CREDITS BEGIN.
A plume of dust comes into frame. The dust is from a TRUCK,
orange and white and violet, with "FedEx" blazoned across the
side.
The truck turns into a collection of ramshackle World War II
era Quonset huts and outbuildings. Around the outbuildings
are large sculptures of wood and metal.
EXT. QUONSET HUT - DAY
The door is opened by a WOMAN in her late twenties. Hair
pulled back, casual, an artist. She hands the DRIVER a FedEx
BOX which is decorated with a drawing of two ANGEL WINGS.
The Driver has a hand-held computer; a portable printer
dangles from his belt.
The Driver scans the package with his hand-held computer,
prints out a label and sticks it on the Box, ready to go.
But something on the box catches her eye. She wants it back.
He glances at his watch. She draws RINGS around the Wings,
uniting them. She gives the box to the Driver, then hands
him a cup of coffee. They've done this before.
He takes a sip of the coffee, then runs for the truck. He
jumps in and heads back onto the plains.
EXT. FEDEX OFFICE - MIDLAND/ODESSA - NIGHT - HOURS LATER
The Driver jams the distinctive Angel Wing Box on top of a
dolly and loads it into a CONTAINER with clear plastic sides.
A female Loader slaps a large bar code label on the
container, scans it, then pulls the container across a belt
of rollers onto a larger truck. The doors of the truck
close. The latch slams down.
A forklift hoists the container to the cargo doors of a 737.
EXT. MEMPHIS AIRPORT SUPERHUB - NIGHT
The 737 lands.
EXT. SUPERHUB - NIGHT - MINUTES LATER
One of a seemingly endless line of FedEx planes, our 737
taxis to a gate at the FedEx SUPERHUB. The Hub is a vast
living organism -- loud, complex, overwhelming, as much a
symbol of modern life as was the factory in Modern Times.
Five thousand people work in a frenzy of interconnected
activity inside three vast hangers brightly lit. Hundreds of
forklifts and cargo-pullers dart about, their headlights
crisscrossing like a laser show.
Loaders quickly roll the container onto a FORKLIFT.
INT. MEMPHIS SUPERHUB - NIGHT
The forklift speeds inside one of the hangers to a LOADING
BELT, where our Box is spilled into a Mississippi River of
packages, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of them, all shapes and
sizes, from shoe boxes to engine blocks. Large mechanical
arms divert the immense flow of Workers at dozens of
stations. The packages surge and move.
The Workers place the packages label-side-up on new belts,
where they're scanned by laser readers. Picking up speed our
Box is shunted across the acres of interlocking belts.
The Box ends up in a much larger CONTAINER labeled CDG.
EXT. MEMPHIS SUPERHUB - NIGHT
A forklift lifts the Container to a door on a giant MD-11.
INT. GLOBAL OPERATIONS CENTER - NIGHT
A jumbled room jammed with computers and dominated by a HUGE
WALL GRAPHIC that charts hundreds of airplanes. An Operator
moves a yellow strip labeled Jumbo 12 across the board.
EXT. CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT - DAY
SERIES OF SHOTS
The giant place touches down in Paris. The Angel Wing Box
moves quickly on another belt and disappears into another
CONTAINER, which is loaded onto still another AIRPLANE.
EXT. ST. PETERSBURG AIRPORT, RUSSIA - NIGHT
The plane lands. The container is unloaded down a belt. We
see our Angel Box. Directly in front of it is a DENTED BOX.
INT. ST. PETERSBURG FEDEX OFFICE, RUSSIA
SERIES OF SHOTS
Night. The manic activity has come to a dead stop. Our two
Boxes sit on a table in a corner not far from a small
Christmas tree.
Daylight now. YURI, a Supervisor, saunters over, picks up
the Angel Box, sees an attractive co-worker, puts it down.
Night again. A cat walks by the table where our two Boxes
have come to rest.
EXT. ST. PETERSBURG FEDEX OFFICE - DAY
A FedEx truck pulls out of the warehouse. The walls of the
warehouse are covered with graffiti. The streets are slushy,
the buildings blanketed in snow.
EXT. ST. PETERSBURG - DAY
The Driver sits in the truck drinking tea. He takes a last
sip, sighs, gets out with the Angel Box. Walks slowly toward
an APARTMENT HOUSE.
EXT. ST. PETERSBURG APARTMENT HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER
A beautiful young RUSSIAN WOMAN opens the door. A young
AMERICAN MAN comes up behind her, signs the form and takes
the Angel Box. We see Christmas decorations inside. The
woman puts her arms around him as the door closes.
RUSSIAN WOMAN (O.S.)
(accented English)
It's pretty. Who is it from?
AMERICAN MAN (O.S.)
My wife.
We stay with the Driver as he ambles back toward the truck.
EXT. ST. PETERSBURG OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER
The Driver has just delivered the Dented Box to ALEKSEI,
Russian Businessman, who closes the door of a Czarist-era
building. Aleksei checks his watch, picks up the phone.
EXT. FEDEX OFFICES - MANILA - DAY
CHUCK NOLAND, early thirties, walks along a line of brightly
colored jitneys, each bearing the FedEx logo. With him is a
Filipino FedEx SUPERVISOR wearing a guayabera. Chuck
glistens with a thin layer of sweat.
CHUCK
My guess is we're talking fuel filters
here, Fernando. The gas is dirty, these
jitneys get in the mountains, their
engines cut out.
FERNANDO
That could lose us half an hour.
CHUCK
Easy. Each way.
His beeper goes off.
INT. FEDEX OFFICES - MANILA - DAY - MOMENTS LATER
Chuck is on the phone.
CHUCK
So it finally turned up...
Chuck hesitates for a moment, then looks at his watch.
CHUCK
I'll catch the sweep tonight.
INT. FEDEX PLANE - NIGHT
Strapped into the jump seat behind the pilots, Chuck sleeps
with a mask over his eyes. On his lap are some travel
brochures. We see sailboats, we see the Florida keys.
EXT. ST. PETERSBURG FEDEX OFFICES - DAY
Christmas in Russia. Snow everywhere. Brightly colored
lights. Chucks gets out of a Volga with Aleksei. He has a
bag over his shoulder, the dented package under one arm.
INT. FEDEX OFFICES - DAY
The staff has assembled near the loading dock. Yuri the
station manager stands in front, occasionally catching the
eye of the attractive woman. Chuck displays the FedEx box.
CHUCK
It took this test package thirty-two
hours to get from Seattle to St.
Petersburg, a distance of nine thousand
miles. And then it took forty-one hours
to get from our warehouse in St.
Petersburg to here, a distance of,
what --
ALEKSEI
Six kilometers. Four miles.
CHUCK
So how are we going to get this place
shaped up?
There's a muttered chorus of answers.
CHUCK
There's only one way. We have to work
together. Every one of us depends on
everyone else. If one package is late,
we are all late. If one truck misses the
deadline, we all miss the deadline.
Let's start by taking a look around.
Chuck leads his team through the sorting area. Yuri squeezes
right next to him, ostentatiously carrying a clipboard.
Chuck stops.
CHUCK
Here, this table is too far from the
wall. Packages can slip down...like...
(pulls out a package from
behind a table)
...this.
He hefts the package, as if trying to guess what's inside.
CHUCK
What could be in here? Let's say one of
you sent it. Could be the closing papers
on your dacha, could be a toy for your
grandson's birthday, could be a kidney to
keep your mother alive. I don't think
you want your mother's kidney to end up
behind a table.
The Sorter shoves the table against the wall. Yuri says
something to the Translator.
TRANSLATOR
He says they have been very busy. It is
hard to get good employees. He is sure
you understand.
Wrong answer: Chuck glances sharply at Yuri. Aleksei
appears with a cellular phone.
ALEKSEI
Phone call. Malaysia.
Chuck takes the phone, opening his BAG as he does so.
CHUCK
Kamal? Right. I'm getting them.
He pulls out a set of blueprints and tacks them to a bulletin
board as he talks.
CHUCK
I'm looking at the blueprints of K.L.
right now. The belts are too small for
the sorters. Yeah, sometimes you never
see what's right in front of your face.
Look, it's --
Chuck keeps an eye on what is going on in the warehouse.
Then he notices something over by one of the trucks.
CHUCK
(to a loader)
Hold it! Hazardous material needs its
own container!
(back on the phone)
-- three in the afternoon there, right?
That gives you five hours until the sweep
comes through. Do the sort by hand
tonight, then put in a new feeder belt,
say a twenty-four incher. Yes, overtime
is authorized.
He hangs up the phone. He turns to the crew.
CHUCK
I'm going out on every route, I'm going
to work every job here, until I know
enough to help you. That's it.
The crew disperses back to work. Chuck and Aleksei walk
toward the office. They've done this before. Chuck lets a
corner of his command persona slip.
ALEKSEI
It's bad.
CHUCK
Worse than Warsaw.
ALEKSEI
Nobody remembers that.
CHUCK
The failures they remember. It's the
successes they forget.
EXT. ST. PETERSBURG - DAY - MOMENTS LATER
A FedEx truck pulls out of the FedEx office. Chuck is
inside. He notices the graffiti on the walls.
INT. TRUCK - MOMENTS LATER
Chuck rides next to LEV, the driver, a serious sort. The
Translator squats on some boxes between them, trying to keep
his balance.
CHUCK
You sorted your packages before you left.
None of the other drivers did.
The Translator and Lev exchange a few words.
TRANSLATOR
He says he wants to be organized. Do
packages in order.
Chuck looks at Lev with respect. Right answer.
CHUCK
So how come the other drivers haven't
left yet?
The Translator asks Lev, who looks at him as if he is crazy,
then snorts an answer. The Translator blushes.
TRANSLATOR
He says -- he is a very rude fellow --
CHUCK
Tell me exactly what he said.
TRANSLATOR
He says why don't his farts smell sweet?
Chuck grins. Lev shrugs and says something else.
TRANSLATOR
He says that's just the way it is.
CHUCK
Lev -- it's Lev, right? Listen, this is
FedEx. We don't have to accept the way
it is.
EXT. HOTEL - ST. PETERSBURG
A weary Chuck enters the hotel. In the sky above him we see
the Northern Lights. He doesn't even look up.
INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT - LATER
Chuck is watching CNN on the television, working his
PowerBook, and holding the phone.
CHUCK
No, keep trying. A circuit's bound to
open up.
He hangs up.
CHUCK
(to himself)
Those damn Northern Lights.
Just then the lights go off. For a moment everything is
darkness. Then a small light switches on. Chuck has a
headlamp on.
He gets up, heads into the bathroom. We stay in the bedroom.
After only a moment, the light reemerges. It heads over to
his bag. We go with it.
Chuck takes out a roll of toilet paper. The guy is prepared
for anything. He goes into the bathroom, closes the door.
The lights come back on just as the phone rings.
We hear scuffling sounds on the other side of the door.
Chuck charges out, holding up his pants.
Grabs the phone.
CHUCK
Hello? Great. Try it.
He waits. We hear an ANSWERING MACHINE.
KELLY (V.O.)
This is Kelly, leave me a message and
I'll call you back soon as I can.
This is not what Chuck wanted to hear.
CHUCK
Kelly, damn, look, this is Chuck. I'm
going to be a little late. Well, more
than a little. I had to go to Russia.
Couldn't be helped. Could you call and
cancel the trip? Look, we'll sail the
Keys in March. It's better then anyway.
I'll be back before Christmas. I
promise. I think. I mean, I will. I,
uh --
He's stumbling over whether to say I love you.
CHUCK
I miss you.
He gently hangs up the phone.
INT. FEDEX OFFICES - ST. PETERSBURG - SERIES OF SHOTS
A surprised Yuri stands with the attractive assistant as
Chuck takes his clipboard away.
An even more surprised Lev stands by his truck as Chuck hands
the clipboard to him.
Chuck and the loaders clean off the graffiti.
Working alongside the sorters as the packages come in, Chuck
points out how to organize the inflow.
Chuck and Lev go over large maps of St. Petersburg with the
drivers.
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 fucked 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.
CHUCK
That's why you're a gambling man.
STAN
That's why I'm running foreign and you're
not. That's why you're not married and I
am.
CHUCK
For the third time.
STAN
Take the plunge, admit your mistakes,
move on to tomorrow. That's FedEx,
that's women, that's life.
Stan is so outrageous, Chuck can't help but laugh.
CHUCK
You are one sick fucker.
STAN
I'm trying to help you here. There's
Warsaw, there's this --
CHUCK
This was nothing like Warsaw. I held the
truck then minutes, it's not that big a
deal.
But apparently it is.
STAN
Look, that kids' bike, that's a guy
who'll do what it takes to get there on
time. Live up to your legend, that's all
I'm saying.
Chuck reaches in his pocket, pulls out a bill.
CHUCK
A hundred rubles St. Petersburg hits 95
percent in a month.
STAN
Ninety five percent? Just give me the
money now.
CHUCK
Talk is cheap. Are we on or not?
STAN
We're on.
Chuck closes the PowerBook.
CHUCK
Let's go off-line.
They both take out their Valium -- the price they pay for
being such road warriors.
CHUCK
Two Valium...
Stan puts on his Walkman.
STAN
And the Stones. Got to be.
It's their ritual. Chuck puts headphones from his Walkman
over his ears, puts a mask over his eyes and leans his head
back onto the headrest. We hear the Rolling Stones.
EXT. MEMPHIS AIRPORT - NIGHT - WIDE
The MD-11 arrives at its gate. The cargo doors open.
Forklifts and a gangway roll up to the side.
INT. MD-11 - NIGHT
Stan stands smiling over Chuck.
STAN
Chuck. Wake up Chuck.
Chuck pulls off the mask, takes out the earplugs. He manages
a groggy grin.
STAN
You gotta do your own delivery from here.
INT. SUPERHUB - NIGHT
Chuck walks through the extraordinary nexus of speeding
packages that intersect in intricate paths above and around
him. This is the beating center of the FedEx world, the
crossroads, the deep core where everything connects. In his
still-drugged state it all seems weirdly psychedelic. A
Christmas tree goes by, then a huge plastic Santa Claus, both
with shipping labels.
EXT. CHICKASAW GARDENS - MEMPHIS - NIGHT
Chuck's car pulls into the driveway of a small cottage in an
older Memphis neighborhood. The radio is playing the news.
INT. CHUCK'S HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER
Chuck drops his briefcase and his bag. The place is a jumble
of clothes, papers, books, etc. In the living room is a tank
of tropical fish. The water looks a little green. No
bubbles are coming from the filter.
Uh oh.
Chuck walks to the tank. He tightens a piece of tape that
holds the power cord onto the filter, taps the filter with
his finger, once, twice...the bubbles start again.
CHUCK
Damn thing.
But for a couple of fish floating on top of the tank it's too
late.
Chuck gets out his scoop and slowly skims them off.
CHUCK
Sorry, I'm really sorry.
EXT. CHUCK'S HOUSE - BACK YARD
Chuck digs a small hole in the back yard with a large kitchen
spoon.
Drops the dead fish in.
Fills the hole.
INT. CHUCK'S HOUSE - LATER
The CD is playing. Chuck lies in bed, switches on the TV.
This is no good. He doesn't care how late it is, he's going
to find Kelly.
EXT. MEMPHIS - NIGHT - LATER
Chuck drives in his car through the streets of Memphis.
EXT. UNIVERSITY - NIGHT
Chuck pulls up to a lab building at Memphis State.
INT. LAB - NIGHT
Two doctoral candidates are playing Doom on their computers
when Chuck walks in.
CHUCK
You seen Kelly Frears?
One of them gestures toward a door.
GUY
Xerox machine.
INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT
Chuck makes his way in the semi-darkness past rack after rack
of specimens in bottles.
Ahead of him we see the flashing green light of a Xerox
machine.
INT. XEROX ROOM
The light goes off. KELLY leans over the machine, bangs on
it.
KELLY
Sonofabitch!
CHUCK
Hey, be nice to it, it'll be nice to you.
Surprised, Kelly turns to greet Chuck.
KELLY
Chuck! You're back!
She leaps into his arms.
KELLY
Your eyes are puffy. Did you take Valium
again?
CHUCK
You smell like formaldehyde.
Kelly looks over at the Xerox.
KELLY
My last chapter's in there, and the damn
machine's jammed.
CHUCK
Let's take a look.
He lifts up the cover.
KELLY
How was Russia?
CHUCK
Cold.
KELLY
Don't overwhelm me with details, you know
how I hate that. Did you get it fixed?
CHUCK
I thought I did.
He pries up one feeder, then another.
CHUCK
Got to follow the paper path here.
KELLY
Chuck, forget the Xerox. So Russia
didn't turn out well?
But Chuck doesn't want to talk. He's focused on the machine.
CHUCK
Used to you could fix these yourself.
She pulls him out of the machine. He has toner on his
fingers.
KELLY
Chuck.
CHUCK
What do you want me to say? That I
thought I'd done a great job but it all
turned to shit? That I might as well
have gone sailing for all the good I did?
KELLY
Yeah, tell me. Tell me all of it.
He suddenly looks really tired.
KELLY
You don't even know what time it is.
What day it is.
He turns to the Xerox in frustration.
CHUCK
And I can't fix this damn machine.
She looks at him.
KELLY
Come on.
INT. KELLY'S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER
A tiny cubicle with a door. She closes it, takes some paper
towels out of the desk, wipes his fingers.
KELLY
We're on the deck of the ketch, the air's
soft, the water's clear as crystal...
She licks the last bit of toner off his fingers.
CHUCK
That's carcinogenic.
She ignores that, stays with the fantasy.
KELLY
We're covered with suntan lotion and
sweat. Our skin is so hot, it's
glowing...
And she comes closer to him.
KELLY
We could take a swim.
She's really close now.
CHUCK
On the other hand we could not take a
swim...
They squiggle themselves onto the desk.
INT. LAB - NIGHT
Someone kicks the door shut. Now the figures are in
silhouette, lit by the light in the office.
And then the light goes out.
EXT. FEDEX OFFICES - NEXT MORNING
A nondescript office park near the airport. No sign.
Chuck's car screeches into the parking lot. He jumps out,
glances at this watch, and heads for the building at a run.
INT. EXECUTIVE CONFERENCE ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
A large room dominated by an animated MAP OF THE WORLD.
Lights at various locations blink and flash. Above the map
are a large Sign saying "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" and two
huge digital Clocks -- one keeping time, the other a
countdown clock for that day's package sort at the SuperHub.
The operations team of FedEx sits around a large table. Each
has on a headset. BECCA TWIGG, the business-like senior vice
president of Operations, addresses questions to a man --
COLIN PARKER-BOWLES, the European operations manager -- on a
LARGE TV SCREEN in front of her. "London" is superimposed on
the screen.
BECCA
So why was Milan late, Colin?
COLIN
One of the race horses coming from
Ireland got colic and had to be off-
loaded in Brussels. That put the Jumbo
15, six hours late into Charles De
Gaulle. Customs had difficulty locating
the dutiable items...
Colin continues as Chuck, out of breath, slips under the
screen and heads for the one remaining vacant seat -- across
from Stan. Next to Stan is MAYNARD GRAHAM, an MBA systems
man. Becca addresses a question over to Stan.
BECCA
Stan, can we get P&A down to work with
Milan customs?
STAN
We're already on it.
BECCA
Good. And let's look at our live animal
policy. I don't think the income stream
justifies delaying IP product, especially
at Christmas.
Colin disappears. A red light goes on. Becca pushes a
button. Another face comes on the screen. "Oakland" appears
under the face.
BECCA
Stand by, Benson, we're still wrapping up
foreign.
She turns pointedly to Chuck.
BECCA
Chuck, thanks for joining us. Status?
Chuck swallows nervously, tries to talk matter-of-factly.
CHUCK
Becca, as you know St. Petersburg was
consistently running late by six to ten
hours -- sometimes a full day or more. I
replaced the station manager. We
identified inefficiencies and worked out
a quality improvement plan I believe can
be met.
MAYNARD
You replaced the station manager with a
driver. A local with no knowledge of our
systems.
BECCA
Shouldn't you have brought in someone
from Memphis? Russia is priority one.
MAYNARD
James Pottinger is available.
The process is being ripped out of Chuck's hands. He
struggles to get an answer.
STAN
He's a numbers cruncher. Chuck's done
all the right things here...
Stan is doing his best to back up Chuck.
CHUCK
Jim's a terrific financial man, no
question. But we can't always parachute
in from Memphis. We've got to build up
our local staff.
MAYNARD
We've got to improve foreign on-time,
that's what we've got to do. If this new
guy's so good, how come the very first
plane he sent missed the connection in
Paris?
Maynard knows how to go for the jugular. Everyone looks at
Chuck.
CHUCK
We're building a new team here. We got
every package on the truck for the first
time ever. Success is the best teacher.
MAYNARD
I don't call missing the plane a success.
Everyone looks at Chuck.
EXT. KELLY'S HOUSE - DAY - LATE THAT AFTERNOON
Chuck lugs a big package up to the door, knocks on it. Kelly
opens the door.
KELLY
Merry Christmas eve.
CHUCK
Not if you work for FedEx.
INT. KELLY'S HOUSE - DAY
Chuck enters as they keep talking. Her house is cozy but
also where she works. There's a computer, specimen jars, and
some terrariums with frogs inside. A Christmas tree with
packages under it.
KELLY
You break four million packages last
night?
In the b.g. one of the packages by the Christmas tree is
starting to shake on its own.
CHUCK
Four four. A record.
KELLY
You don't seem too happy about it.
CHUCK
Ah, the staff meeting could have gone
better.
KELLY
Let me guess, Russia came up?
Chuck's attention goes to the tree.
CHUCK
One of those packages just moved.
The package turns over, something darts out. It's a puppy,
with a bow around its neck.
KELLY
Merry Christmas.
Chuck bends down to see the puppy.
CHUCK
Hey, look at you.
KELLY
I figure, if we could take care of a
puppy, we could, you know, take care
of --
A baby, she wants to say, but that's going a little fast so
she catches herself. Chuck picks the puppy up.
CHUCK
He is a cute thing.
KELLY
He's your cute thing.
CHUCK
I can't even keep fish alive.
KELLY
A puppy's got a little more personality
than a fish.
CHUCK
And for you --
Chuck hands over his present.
KELLY
So do good things come in large packages?
Kelly opens Chuck's present -- a very large box.
It's a piece of luggage.
CHUCK
You know, for when you travel.
KELLY
For when I travel?
She can't believe it. It's the exact opposite of what she
wanted.
KELLY
You should have got me something that
shows you want us to be together, not
apart.
Chuck is flummoxed. Women read so much into things.
CHUCK
I wasn't sending a message. I though
you'd like it.
Chuck's beeper goes off.
KELLY
You should have got me a ring.
He checks the number.
CHUCK
I have to go. I'm on call for overflow
down at the Hub.
KELLY
A ring. I wanted a ring.
CHUCK
You did?
She nods. What to do?
CHUCK
Look, I love the puppy. I love you. But
I have to go.
KELLY
You can't go now.
CHUCK
I have to.
KELLY
You want to.
Chuck picks up the puppy.
CHUCK
What should we call him? Or is it her?
How about Jango?
Kelly is having one of those moments when everything comes
clear.
KELLY
This isn't working out.
CHUCK
We're a little emotional here. It's
Christmas, maybe we're over-reacting.
KELLY
"We're" not over-reacting.
CHUCK
Could you watch Jango?
KELLY
No.
CHUCK
I can't take him to work.
He hands her the puppy.
CHUCK
We'll talk about it when I come back.
It'll all be fine. Really.
This is not a happy woman he is leaving behind.
EXT. KELLY'S HOUSE - HOUSE LATER
It's dark now. Chuck returns. The stars are putting on an
amazing show, but he doesn't notice as he heads for the door.
INT. KELLY'S HOUSE - MINUTES LATER
Chuck enters. The tree and the presents under it are gone.
CHUCK
Kelly? Kelly?
No answer, nothing but the sound of Jango, who begins yelping
in the kitchen.
INT. KELLY'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER
Chuck picks up Jango, who is barricaded in the kitchen with
some food, some water, and some wet newspapers.
CHUCK
There. There. Easy now.
EXT. KELLY'S HOUSE - BACK YARD - NIGHT - MINUTES LATER
Holding Jango, Chuck walks out into the back yard.
CHUCK
Kelly?
A fire still smolders. The packages have burned. The tree
is a blackened mess.
Chuck stares at it.
EXT. CHUCK'S HOUSE - NEXT MORNING
Chuck gets into his car, puts Jango on the front seat next to
him. Pulls out of the driveway.
EXT. ARKANSAS HIGHWAY - DAY
Chuck is in his car, with the dog on his lap.
EXT. FARM HOUSE - DAY
Chuck's car drives up to a typical Arkansas farm house. His
MOM is setting some Christmas tree lights around the door.
Chuck gets out of the car. There's a large wet spot on the
front of his pants.
MOM
What happened to your pants?
CHUCK
Mom, meet Jango.
Chuck displays the puppy.
EXT. FARM HOUSE - SHED - DAY
Chuck works on an old tractor in the shed. Some small legs
appear in his vision, then a small face. This is AMANDA, his
niece.
AMANDA
Dinner's ready.
INT. FARM HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY
Around the table are Chuck's brother ROGER, his wife MARY,
Amanda, and her TWO BROTHERS. Mom brings in the turkey,
places it on the table, sits down. They all hold hands and
bow their heads.
MOM
Chuck?
Chuck hesitates just a moment.
CHUCK
Bless us O Lord, and these thy gifts,
which we are about to receive, from thou
bounty, through Christ the Lord. Amen.
ROGER
Let's eat.
EXT. FARM HOUSE - LATER THAT DAY
The children burst out the door, shrieking, chased by Jango.
INT. FARM HOUSE - DAY
The grown-ups are cleaning up after Christmas dinner. The
scene moves between the table, the kitchen counter, and the
refrigerator. It's an old-fashioned kitchen, simply
furnished.
MARY
How's Kelly?
CHUCK
Great.
ROGER
Thought you were going to bring her.
CHUCK
So did I.
MOM
It seemed like she had such a good time
last time.
CHUCK
It's nothing you did, Mom, believe me.
MARY
Jennifer's still down at the post office.
And she's still got that crush on you.
ROGER
And she's still got those --
MARY
Roger.
ROGER
You should have stuck around.
This is an old, sore subject.
CHUCK
Look, I help take care of the place. You
got my check, didn't you Mom?
MOM
That new roof, that's your doing.
ROGER
You're just allergic to farming, that's
what dad said. Can't stand to be alone.
Can't stand to be in one place. Can't
stand the sight of...blood.
He drops the turkey giblets into the trash.
MARY
Roger's going to put chickens in here.
Chuck can't believe this.
CHUCK
Come on Roger, this is dad all over
again. You already did beefalo,
chinchillas, and what was that, ostrich?
They chased Mom around the yard, sprained
her hip.
Mom goes to the freezer and takes out some frozen
strawberries.
MOM
It wasn't that bad, dear.
MARY
You can't make a living out of this
place. We tried.
CHUCK
But chickens?
ROGER
Sixty three pounds consumed per capita,
up from twenty seven in 1960. Going to
pass beef. Chicken's global. No
religious taboos. You don't see your
Hindus and your Muslims boycotting
poultry.
CHUCK
True enough. No sacred chickens nowhere,
so far as I know.
MOM
Roger's working at Tyson's now.
Mom mashes the block of frozen strawberries with a fork to
separate the strawberries from the ice.
CHUCK
Really?
ROGER
Come on down to the plant. It's state of
the art. We're doing for chickens what
FedEx did for the delivery business.
CHUCK
Just don't count 'em before they hatch.
Roger grins at him. This is just how they are.
ROGER
I'll try to remember that.
MOM
Dessert.
They all sit down. Mom brings the slushy frozen strawberries
to the table, squirts on some Reddi-whip. Looks pointedly at
Chuck.
MOM
Speaking of hatching, I could sure use
some more grandchildren.
Not a timely topic with Chuck.
CHUCK
Mom, this is a farm. We've got real
strawberries growing outside, we've got
real cream.
MOM
Oh no, the prodigal son's home. We bring
out the store bought.
Chuck takes a bite, winces a little as the cold strawberries
hit his teeth.
EXT. MOM'S HOUSE - LATER THAT DAY
Chuck fixes the drain pipe while Mom prunes the rose bushes
around the porch.
CHUCK
Maybe I should take a few days off.
Roger's working now, you could use some
help around here...
MOM
Don't you even think about it.
CHUCK
The place is falling apart.
MOM
I'm doing fine.
She looks pointedly at Chuck.
CHUCK
Doing great, Mom, don't worry about me.
MOM
There's settled folks, and there's
nomads. You're just not a settled folk.
You never belonged here.
Chuck finishes the drain pipe. Gives it a thunk with his
finger.
CHUCK
Come on inside, Mom. You've had a long
day.
INT. FARM HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT
In his boyhood room, we see Chuck's laptop, which is hooked
up to the internet FedEx homepage. All around him are models
of boats and planes, maps, pictures of far-off places. The
room of a boy who always fantasized about getting away.
Chuck is beside it, slumped down on the desk. Asleep.
EXT. FARM HOUSE - DAY
His mom waves to him as Chuck drives away.
INT. FEDEX OFFICE - LATER THAT DAY
Chuck enters his office, on the go. His assistant LESLIE is
waiting for him.
CHUCK
I need the latest PDRs on St. Petersburg.
LESLIE
And how was your Christmas?
CHUCK
Terrific. Yours?
She nods, used to this.
CHUCK
And get me in to the dentist. My tooth's
acting up.
Stan enters.
STAN
Malaysia's tanking. We're meeting in ten
in operations.
CHUCK
Right.
(to Leslie)
Get me everything on Indonesia, New
Guinea, all the way to Australia.
INT. OPERATIONS ROOM - MINUTES LATER
Chuck, Leslie, Stan and another executive from the meeting
named DICK are gathered around the TV screen. A squawk box
is on the table.
CHUCK
Kamal? Kamal? Can you hear us?
The box squawks. The TV screen rolls an imperfect image.
DICK
Can't we get this working?
A Technician is fiddling with the TV set.
TECHNICIAN
Trying.
CHUCK
Kamal, you're breaking up. Can you hear
us?
VOICE (SQUAWK BOX)
Kamal is not here.
CHUCK
Who is this? Where is Kamal?
VOICE (SQUAWK BOX)
It is Ibrim, I, I am a sorter.
CHUCK
What's going on down there?
VOICE (SQUAWK BOX)
Kamal is not here. We are very defused.
CHUCK
Who's in charge then, where is Chinn?
The squawk box hums and crackles. Nothing. Chuck turns to
the Technician.
STAN
We got Telex, e-mail?
TECHNICIAN
Sure. Just not getting any answers.
Chuck turns to Leslie.
CHUCK
When's the next Jumbo?
LESLIE
The regular flight is scheduled for oh
three hundred tomorrow.
CHUCK
Anything else?
LESLIE
There's a sweep leaving Memphis in an
hour, goes through Sydney.
STAN
Maybe you should get your ducks lined up
first.
Chuck looks over at Stan.
CHUCK
Call Operations. Get me on it.
And Stan is impressed.
EXT. CHUCK'S HOUSE - DAY
Chuck leaves with his bag over his shoulder and the puppy
under his arm.
EXT. KELLY'S HOUSE - DAY - MINUTES LATER
Kelly opens the door. Chuck is there with the puppy.
KELLY
That's your dog.
CHUCK
It's our dog. It belongs to us.
KELLY
There isn't any us.
CHUCK
Yes there is.
Kelly can't stay mad.
KELLY
I'm sorry about the presents. I got a
little carried away.
CHUCK
No, it was great. Maybe a little
overkill --
KELLY
I burned the Christmas tree.
She's half-laughing, half-wanting-to-cry.
KELLY
Why didn't you come over, get mad at me,
tell me what a stupid bitch I was.
CHUCK
I guess I hadn't thought through how I
felt.
KELLY
What, you were going to come over the
next day all calm and say, Kelly that
really made me mad? Don't tell me you're
mad. Be mad. Be who you are right now.
CHUCK
Look, we'll do our trip as soon as I get
back.
KELLY
Don't even start.
And then it hits her.
KELLY
Get back? From where?
CHUCK
Malaysia. They're holding the sweep.
She stares at him for a long moment, then at the puppy.
KELLY
Give him to me.
He hands her the dog.
KELLY
Chuck, you're breaking my heart.
CHUCK
A week, max. Okay? Okay?
KELLY
Go on. We'll be fine. I'll feed Jango
to the frogs.
She kisses the puppy.
INT. FEDEX PLANE - NIGHT
Chuck enters the cockpit, where two different pilots are
going through their checklists. Chuck repeats his familiar
patter.
CHUCK
Al -- gotta be something wrong with our
physicals, you keep getting certified to
fly. John, aren't you worried?
JOHN
I disconnected his controls. He only
thinks he's flying.
Chuck settles into his seat.
CHUCK
You're on your way home, Al?
Al has an Australian accent.
AL
Right. Down home, down under.
CHUCK
We're on time, right?
AL
On time, Chuck.
INT. FEDEX PLANE - NIGHT - HOURS LATER
Settled into the jump seat, Chuck finishes up his notes on
his PowerBook and begins his flight ritual.
He puts in his ear plugs and takes out his Valium. He
swallows one, then thinks, and swallows two more. Then he
turns on his Walkman to the Rolling Stones, puts the mask
over his eyes, and, as usual, goes to sleep.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. FEDEX PLANE - NIGHT
The plane is SHAKING badly. HEAR frantic, garbled radio
talk. Chuck stirs, struggles to his feet, drowsy and
drugged.
INT. FEDEX PLANE - CHUCK'S POV
Everything is hazy, out of focus, as it was in his earlier
drugged condition. But this is real haze. SMOKE. And the
cabin also TWISTS and TILTS.
Chuck tries to steady himself against the wall. This is
nightmarish. Is this really happening?
INT. FEDEX PLANE - CHUCK'S POV - COCKPIT
The pilots wrestle with the controls. They have their life
jackets on. John glances back at Chuck, his face floating in
a cloud of fear.
INT. FEDEX PLANE - MOMENTS LATER
Chuck struggles to put on his life jacket. The plane is
VIBRATING VIOLENTLY. He can't get the straps straight. He
is KNOCKED against one wall, then another, then to the floor.
Chuck tries to blow on the mouth tubes for his life jacket.
Can't do it! Puff. Puff. Shit! John motions frantically
for Chuck to pull on the automatic inflators on his jacket.
Chuck fumbles for them.
Huge palettes shift and groan, one BREAKS FREE, banging
violently against the side of the plane, spilling out its
boxes. Then it swings and KNOCKS Chuck on the head! He goes
down!
INT. GLOBAL OPERATIONS CENTER - MOMENTS LATER
A CONTROLLER mans the global operations desk. His SUPERVISOR
stands behind him, sipping some coffee. The mood is eerily
calm. An assistant moves Plane Locator Cards on a giant
board.
CONTROLLER
Jumbo 14 is overdue in Sector K.
SUPERVISOR
Where are they?
Another CONTROLLER tracks a giant computer screen.
CONTROLLER 2
Somewhere east of Port Moresby. Guam is
getting a signal but no location. Maybe
the GPS is out.
The signal flashes, but is strangely still compared to the
others, which are moving.
EXT. FEDEX PLANE - NIGHT
The giant plane PLUMMETS down from the sky.
INT. FEDEX PLANE - NIGHT
Chuck is semi-conscious and bleeding from the head. John
pulls the inflators on Chuck's life jacket, which fills with
a WHOOSH!, sending Chuck's arms out to the sides. Al
struggles with the LIFE RAFT. It's all blurred, frantic,
terrifying.
EXT. PACIFIC - NIGHT - MOMENTS LATER
The plane hits the ocean with a CRASH and a WAVE of water.
INT. GLOBAL OPERATIONS CENTER - MOMENTS LATER
The Controller is speaking mechanically into the microphone.
CONTROLLER
Guam, I need a fix on Jumbo 14.
EXT. PACIFIC - NIGHT
Shrouded with fog and surrounded by debris, the tail of the
big plane slowly SINKS beneath the angry, storm-driven waves.
EXT. PACIFIC - DAY
A life raft is tossed on dark, storm-driven seas. Inside it,
semi-conscious, Chuck hangs on.
EXT. PACIFIC - NIGHT
We catch glimpses of the yellow lift raft in the dark as the
storm continues.
EXT. BEACH - EARLY MORNING
The storm has ended. Waves lap gently on a beach cut like a
scallop out of a rocky shore. On the beach we see scattered
FEDEX BOXES. And we see, face-down, half-buried in sand, a
MAN IN A SUIT and a life jacket.
Chuck.
The tide gently rocks him, laps at his face. He chokes.
Slowly he gets to his knees. Vomits seawater, big heaves.
He rolls over, sits down. Dazed. Still confused. Where am
I? What happened?
Chuck's first instinct is to check the time. He looks at his
watch, taps it in frustration.
Then he looks around, and we look with him.
CHUCK'S POV - BEACH
The fog has thinned. We can see palm groves and mangrove
thickets leading back into a thickly wooded valley climbing
up a steep, rocky hillside. The rocks on the opposite point
end in a barren ridge. Clouds hide the top of the hill.
ON CHUCK
as he takes in his surroundings. He licks his lips. He's
thirsty. But something he sees is even more important. We
stay with him as he WALKS. He comes to a FEDEX PACKAGE in
the sand, picks it up, brushes off the sand, walks farther.
He picks up another package.
EXT. BEACH - WIDE
Chuck walks down the beach, picking up FedEx packages,
leaving a trail of footprints in the sand. Ahead of him we
notice a package decorated with ANGEL WINGS.
EXT. BEACH - LATER THAT MORNING
Chuck has made a neat stack of FedEx boxes under some palm
trees at the rim of the beach. He examines the Angel Wing
drawing with passing curiosity, then puts it on the stack.
Chuck takes off his life jacket, sits down in the shade,
makes himself comfortable, and waits.
EXT. BEACH - SUNSET
Chuck is still waiting. He's a systems man, and the system
isn't working.
CHUCK
All right, guys. I'm here. Check the
GPS, get moving.
EXT. BEACH - NIGHT
The full moon shines a ghostly light on the beach. Trees
cast moon-shadows on the sand. Chuck seems very, very alone.
We HEAR from the dark thickets a STRANGE NOISE. Rustling in
the leaves. Something crashing in the trees, or is it a
wave? A jolt of adrenaline courses through Chuck's body. He
lurches to his feet.
We HEAR the noises again. Chuck edges toward the rocks at
the barb of the hook. Keeping his eye on the thicket, he
bends down and picks up a stone. His first weapon.
In the rocks he finds a piece of driftwood. He picks it up
in his other hand. He backs between two rocks and stands
facing the thicket, every sense alert. A cloud passes over
the moon. The shadow streaks across Chuck's anxious face.
EXT. BEACH - MORNING
The morning TIDE is coming in. We follow the tide as it laps
amidst the rocks and finds Chuck, staring out to sea. The
empty sea.
CHUCK
Where the fuck are you?
But now he is really thirsty. We WALK with Chuck up the
beach.
Beneath the palms he sees a couple of coconuts. He picks one
of them up and studies it. It's heavy, almost the size of a
volleyball. How to get in it?
He throws it down on a rock. The coconut just bounces off.
He wedges the coconut between two rocks, then throws a rock
down on it. It bounces off. He throws down a bigger rock.
It smashes on the rocks and chips. Chuck picks up the rock.
OW! Where the rock had chipped the edge is sharp. It cuts
him.
CHUCK
Sonofabitch.
The blood stains the rock a bright red. Chuck sucks on his
finger, then he gets an idea -- the same idea primitive man
first got when he discovered stone tools.
He picks up the rock, test the edge. Sharp -- really sharp.
He throws another rock down, but it doesn't break. He picks
up another rock and strikes the first one. Then again,
harder. And again. A large flake shoots off. This edge is
even sharper.
He has a knife.
OPENING THE COCONUT - SERIES OF SHOTS
Chuck uses the stone knife to saw at the coconut. No luck.
Chuck clumsily sharpens a stick with the sharp rock.
Chuck brings the sharpened stick down hard on the coconut,
but the stick slides off, sending the coconut rolling away.
Chuck positions the stick, pointed end up, in a hole, then
SLAMS the coconut down hard on it. Success! The green nut
of the coconut splits. The brown inner nut is free! He
smashes the nut with a rock, but -- OW! -- he hits his hand!
Chuck licks his fingers, but he is so thirsty there's no more
saliva. He smashes again. The shell breaks to smithereens.
Coconut milk splashes everywhere.
CHUCK
That was smart, really smart.
Rotating a nut along its axis and carefully moving his
fingers out of the way, he SMASHES the nut again. The shell
splits! The precious liquid splashes out. Left inside is a
swallow or two, which Chuck laps up eagerly. The milky white
liquid dribbles down his face.
CHUCK
Ahhh.
EXT. BEACH - SUNRISE
Chuck squints at the ocean. His sunburn is bad -- his lips
are cracked. A stack of broken coconut shells is beside him.
No one's there -- again.
CHUCK
Maybe the GPS malfunctioned. That Korean
airliner did.
Clouds scud in front of the sun. Beyond the reef the waves
are high and churning. Chuck can see them pound onto the
reef.
CHUCK
Okay, do the math. Maybe they know where
you are within, say 500 miles. That's a
circle with an area of, uh, pi r squared.
So, uh, 250,000 times three point one
four, that's about 800,000 square miles.
Three times the size of Texas.
This sinks in. Then Chuck gets an idea.
CHUCK
They could use a satellite.
But even that doesn't give him much hope.
CHUCK
Say each satellite photo is 30 feet
square, that's uh...fuck it...billions
and billions of photos.
That sinks in.
CHUCK
Aw, someone will come.
EXT. BEACH - NIGHT
Chuck sleeps by the coconuts. The tide is coming in. Chuck
stirs, gets up, staggers over to a palm tree to relieve
himself.
He stares idly out at the moonlight on the waves. Then not
so idly. Something's out there, something floating on the
tide.
CHUCK
What the hell?
EXT. BEACH - MOMENTS LATER
Chuck splashes into the gentle surf, reaches the dark object.
It's a body. Chuck turns it over. It's Al, one of the
pilots, his face gray and waterlogged and very dead.
CHUCK
Oh Jesus.
EXT. BEACH - MOMENTS LATER
Chuck drags the body up on the beach and then collapses,
exhausted. He sits by it, staring at it.
CHUCK
I'm so sorry, Al. So sorry.
EXT. BEACH - MORNING
Chuck has almost finished a grave in the sand back of the
palm trees. He's been digging with a piece of driftwood
sharpened with his stone knife.
He drags the body into the pit. Stares down at it. That
could be me.
CHUCK
Got to cover Al up.
He wants to say more, can't. He scoops some sand over the
body.
CHUCK
Got to cover Al up.
He scoops in some more sand. It's eerily like burying the
tropical fish in his back yard.
EXT. BEACH - LATER
With a rock Chuck hammers a crude driftwood marker into the
sand.
EXT. BEACH - LATER THAT DAY
As Chuck sits on the beach, he half-sings, half-talks "Yellow
Submarine" very quietly to himself.
CHUCK
We all live in a yellow submarine, yellow
submarine...
He looks over at the deep woods and down to the rocky point.
Comes to a decision. He takes a drink of coconut, picks up
his club and a coconut, sticks the stone knife in his pants.
He's ready to go.
EXT. BEACH - DAY - MOMENTS LATER
Chuck climbs over the rocks and disappears out of sight.
He's still half-singing to himself.
CHUCK
Yellow submarine. We all live in a
yellow submarine...
EXT. ISLAND - DAY - MOMENTS LATER
Chuck's way is blocked by rocks and jungle. He hesitates.
He picks up a rock and THROWS IT to scare away all those bad
things. It crashes into the ferns and palm trees. He takes
a step into the jungle.
EXT. JUNGLE - MINUTES LATER
Chuck struggles through a dense thicket beneath a jungle
canopy. Vines and creepers reach out toward him. There is
no path, nothing to show him where to go.
EXT. JUNGLE - HALF HOUR LATER
Chuck climbs through a tangle of vines and ferns. He takes a
drink from the coconut he is carrying. The last drink.
CHUCK
Bad idea. Should have saved some.
He throws away the husk. He looks up, but the only sunlight
reaching him is dappled from the canopy above him.
EXT. ISLAND - MOMENTS LATER
Chuck emerges onto a ridge that leads to a summit. He climbs
across a rocky lava field covered with scrub lichen and low
ferns, soil dark as coffee beans, his way crossed by steep
gullies that cut like dark fingers into the lava.
The lava field narrows, forcing Chuck closer to the sea. He
passes a series of CAVES, their mouths dark and mysterious
and scary. He gives them a wide berth.
EXT. ISLAND - CLIFF - MOMENTS LATER
The land narrows to a ledge that stretches across a high
cliff perched over the ocean. Beyond this rock bridge the
path smoothes out to a summit.
Chuck stares at the narrow bridge, then down at the waves
breaking on the rocks far below. To get any view, he will
have to cross the bridge. He's thirsty. The late afternoon
sun is hot.
CHUCK
Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, h
 相关链接
关注该文章的人还关注
最新发布的文章资料
- 10-07
- 10-07
- 10-07
- 10-07
- 10-07
已有 3位对此文章感兴趣的网友发表了看法 
* 如果因您不良评论或重复评论导致评论被删，您将会被扣掉一定数额的金币。
* 您必须遵守《全国人大常委会关于维护互联网安全的决定》及中华人民共和国其他有关法律法规。
* 承担一切因您的行为而直接或间接导致的民事或刑事法律责任。
* 您发表的文章仅代表个人观点，与大耳朵网站无关。
* 大耳朵评论管理人员有权保留或删除其管辖评论中的任意内容。
* 您在大耳朵网评论系统发表的作品，大耳朵网有权在网站内转载或引用。
* 参与本评论即表明您已经阅读并接受上述条款。
 影视剧本  高瞻远瞩 放眼全球
 | 推荐资源 |  | |
| 文章资料目录导航 | | |
|
本文属阅读资料，没有听力
