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A FedEx executive undergoes a physical and emotional transformation after crash landing on a deserted island. Noah Orent

Memphis-based FedEx operations executive Chuck Noland and grad student Kelly Frears have long dated and lived together, and despite each being the love of the other's life, have not gotten married because of their respective busy schedules, especially Chuck's as he is more often on business trips than he is at home. That marital status changes when on Christmas Day 1995 as Chuck is rushing off to catch yet another FedEx plane for a business trip, he gives Kelly a ring. That flight experiences technical difficulties, and goes down somewhere in the south Pacific. In a life raft, a relatively unharmed Chuck washes up on shore what he will learn is a deserted island, he unaware what has happened to any of his fellow flight mates, or the plane. However several of the packages on board for delivery do wash up on shore with him, those packages which he initially treats with respect. Chuck realizes that his priority is survival - which primarily means food, water, shelter and fire - and rescue. But survival is also in an emotional sense. To fulfill that emotional need, he has an heirloom pocket watch with Kelly's photo that she gave him as a Christmas present, and eventually opening the FedEx packages, a Wilson volleyball on which he paints a face and which he names Wilson. As time progresses, Chuck goes through a range of emotions, but if rescue is ever in the cards, he realizes that he has to find a way to get off the island, which is seemingly impossible in his circumstance due to the strong on shore surf he cannot get beyond without assistance. What Chuck may not fully realize is the longer he is not rescued, the harder it will be for him to return to his old life in its entirety if he ever is rescued. Although the thought of Kelly is what largely keeps him motivated to be rescued, Kelly, who probably believes him to be dead, may have moved on emotionally from him in the intervening time. Huggo

Flying from one country to another, troubleshooting problems and arranging package transfers all over the world, the driven but overworked and time-obsessed Federal Express executive, Chuck Noland, is living a hectic life. In 1995, against the backdrop of the impending New Year's Eve, an unforeseen complication forces Noland to leave his sad but understanding girlfriend, Kelly, behind, and catch a plane to Malaysia, only to end up marooned on an uncharted, uninhabited island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Suddenly, for the first time in a long while, Chuck has all the time in the world; however, bereft of the comforts of civilisation, tending to his fundamental needs now becomes a constant struggle. Now, Chuck, the only living soul on the islet, must summon up the strength to survive. But, can he resist despair, and maintain hope to stay alive? Nick Riganas

After FedEx systems engineer Chuck Noland is ripped out of his hasty life by the clock in a plane crash, he finds himself alone on the shores of a tropical island. First, frustration gets to him and then he realizes how little his chances are to ever get back to civilization. Four years later, Chuck has learned very well how to survive on his own: mending his dental health, catching fish with a spear, predicting the weather with a self-made calendar. A photograph of his girlfriend Kelly has kept his hopes alive all these years. Finally, Chuck takes the opportunity to take off for home: he sets off on a wooden raft with a sail that has washed ashore. Julian Reischl <julianreischl@mac.com>

Chuck Noland is a FedEx manager who demands that everything must be on time and travels the world to make sure punctuality is on top of everything else. He has a girlfriend, Kelly, with whom he is deeply in love with and family he hardly sees. When work intrudes on Christmas Eve, Chuck has a quick gift exchange in the car and kisses Kelly goodbye. He boards a delivery plane going overseas which gets caught in a horrendous storm and crashes into the Pacific. The sole survivor Chuck washes up on a remote island along with several FedEx packages that he must use for supplies. With limited luxury, he adapts to the island over the course of 1,500 nights. When Chuck finally sees his chance he rafts out on the ocean and fortunately is spotted. After a bittersweet welcome-back reception, Chuck finds Kelly has married another man and has children. But he is missing more than her. For all his life his objective was work. For four years, it was survival. Now Chuck is compelled to live. Donnel Hoffman