Cast Away Structure

Cast Away is an Escape story where the antagonist is the isolation of Chuck's island and the surrounding vastness of the Pacific Ocean. Like his other notable writing credit, Apollo 13, William Broyles script is delineated into distinct sequences, each defined either by geographic location or specific purpose in the story development and progression. Castaway is also a prototypical example of Foreshadowing usage as a way of creating continuity and resolution (such as Chuck's conversation with his friend about the cancer death of his friend's wife,  driving across Texas with a new Wilson soccer ball in the passenger seat and the recurrent 'Spread Wings' motiff). Note how Act III is actually composed of two sections: Chuck's experiences drifting in the Pacific Ocean and Chuck's encounter with Kelly.