Summary
- The mystery package in Cast Away was revealed to contain salsa, but the movie never shows its contents.
- The unopened package becomes a symbol of hope for Chuck, representing his longing to return to his old life.
- The presence of FedEx in the movie, though initially seeming like product placement, becomes an essential part of the story and enhances the overall narrative.
The mystery of what was in the package in Cast Away has kept fans guessing for decades, perhaps not realizing the answer has already been revealed. Cast Away is an Oscar-nominated survival story in which Tom Hanks plays Chuck Noland, a FedEx worker who narrowly survives a plane crash only to find himself alone on an island for years as he fights for his life. However, while Chuck has a few FedEx packages he uses to help his situation, there is one package he leaves unopened for his entire journey.
Though Cast Away was inspired by real tales and the ending sees Chuck finally escape the island while bringing the package with him. The movie ends with him delivering it to its original sender, but the contents of the box are never shown in the movie. The meaning of the box and why it is never opened has its own deeper meanings in the movie with the point never being about what is inside. However, for those who are still curious, the answer to the mystery of what was in the package from Cast Away has been answered.
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The FedEx Package In Cast Away Contained Salsa
The Movie's Script Reveals The Secret
Though the Robert Zemeckis movie purposely leaves the tantalizing question of what is inside the mystery packed in Cast Away, the movie's script gives a very definitive answer even though it was never meant to be seen. According to Cast Away’s script, the package contains salsa, which is meant to "spice up" the relationship it pertains to. However, none of that information made it into the movie itself.
Knowing what was inside the package makes it even more clear the movie did the right thing by not revealing the truth. Learning that it was salsa after all that time would have been a letdown. However, it would have provided some relief for anyone wondering if there was a vital item that could have saved Chuck sooner.
Why Chuck Nolan Never Opens The FedEx Package
Did The Package Save Chuck's Life?
Though Chuck goes through the rest of the FedEx boxes and finds useful things for his survival, the unopened box becomes the most important item to him on that island. He's able to look at the box and ire the wings, wondering about what's in it. Not opening it throughout the course of Cast Away gives him hope that one day, he'll be able to return to his old, conventional life within society.
In his mind, he may eventually get the chance to thank the sender for what they thought was just a small piece of art to decorate the package with for fun, but that ultimately helped keep him alive through his agonizing time on the island. In essence, returning the box gives him one of his few senses of purpose.
What The Unopened FedEx Package In Cast Away Really Means
The Package Helps Chuck's Journey On And Off The Island
Despite moments of profound loss and despair, Cast Away is a hopeful film. The FedEx package, and the way Chuck leaves it unopened, depict it as a vague sort of beacon of hope. Though his time isolated on the island is lonely and painful, the thought that there is, in fact, a world to return to keeps him moving forward. He has to make the best out of his awful circumstances in the present, but although he is alone, the box is a reminder that other humans still exist — and another version of life does too. There are other people out there to stay alive for.
In fact, the package is such a powerful symbol for him, that it continues to help him once he is rescued. Chuck was also motivated by wanting to return to his girlfriend, Kelly (Helen Hunt). In the end, the happy reunion is not as he expected as life has moved on without him and Kelly has started a family with someone else. Instead of falling into despair, Chuck continues to carry that hope of moving forward which the unopened package taught him.
The Cast Away FedEx Package Was Unplanned Product Placement
FedEx's Big Role Makes Its Presence Less Distracting
Having such a well-recognized and huge corporation featured prominently in a Hollywood movie makes it seem like a blatant and off-putting bit of product placement. The package in Cast Away proves that this was an essential part of the story and not something frivolously thrown in to appease the business side of things. Product placement can be very jarring in movies and, when noticeable, can take the audience right out of the story in an unpleasant way. Ironically, with Cast Away being such a big part of the story, it avoids that issue.
Having Chuck work for FedEx helped get the story moving and made sense for the character. However, it is the arrival of the package that Chuck refuses to open that makes FedEx a key part of Cast Away. The movie makes this package matter, and therefore, the fact that it is FedEx no longer matters. It is a sign that real-world products can be used in movies while still enhancing the story rather than acting solely as a commercial.
