Did You Know These Behind-The-Scenes Facts About "Cast Away"?

An Alternate Ending Featuring the FedEx Box

During the entirety of the film, Chuck refuses to open one particular FedEx package. Why? It's one of the most ambiguous endings in the history of cinema, and for what? In an alternate ending, Chuck decides to open the box on his 1,000th day on the island. All that's inside are two jars of salsa verde and a note from a wife to her husband: 

"You said our life was a prison. Dull. Boring. Empty. I can't begin to tell you how much that hurt. I don't want to lose you. I'm enclosing some salsa, the verde you like. Use it on your sticky rice and think of home. Then come home - to me. We'll find the spice in our lives again. Together. I love you. Always. Bettina."

Advertisement

Next Page →

The More You Know

  • The first American woman to go to medical school was admitted as a joke. Geneva Medical School thought it was joke when Elizabeth Blackwell applied to attend 1847. She graduated in 1849, started her own practice, and opened an infirmary for the poor.
  • The tongue is the only muscle in the body attached from one end.
  • Saint Patrick's Day began as a "feast day". To honor him, Christians could put aside their Lenten restrictions on food and alcohol consumption, which is why excessive drinking has become linked to the celebration.
  • The loudest animal on earth is the sperm whale.
Next Page →