Cast Away ending explained: All about Chuck's survival story and escape from the deserted island

Destiny had other plans for Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) in Cast Away, better, to be more precise. But what comes easy doesn't last; what lasts doesn't come easy. He didn't realize that until the very end, but he did pass whatever the tests life threw his way.

The film's ending was a new beginning for Chuck. When he faced the camera right at the end, he found his love for life. Sad we never got a sequel to it that could've told us a romantic story as how Chuck and Bettina Peterson (Lari White) came together. Well, we cannot do anything but think of this fantastical ending in our minds.

Interestingly, Cast Away kept giving us subtle hints to this end, which obviously one cannot simply take a peek at and come to this conclusion. It's the moment when Bettina is properly introduced that instantly gives room for a barrage of thoughts to flock into our brains. But we can assure you if you haven't seen the Robert Zemeckis movie, it will all make sense.

Those angel wings were a beacon of hope in Cast Away

Imagine you've boarded a flight that's supposed to drop you in Malaysia but ends up crashing mid-air, dropping you on a deserted island. Essentially, that's what happened with Chuck in Cast Away. All that's left is him and packages from FedEx, the company he's a systems engineer at in the film.

He didn't initially realize the island would be his home for the next four years, but he did eventually. He may not be a survival specialist like Bear Grylls, but he sure isn't someone like Forrest Gump in this one. Though Gump could've survived this easily given his military training.

So Chuck opens FedEx packages to find something that could be of help. But he never opens this one parcel having a pair of angel wings printed on it. That might have reminded him of guardian angels protecting him; in a way, he was right. How? That we'll see in a minute.

He finds one volleyball among the packages that became his only companion, much like Swiss Army Man's Manny, which he addresses as Wilson the Volleyball. Anyway, he is rescued eventually and keeps that angel wings package with him. He didn't realize those angel wings would save him from what was coming.

The universe works in strange ways but it all works out in the end

This is going to be a long ride so behold. Cast Away didn't have an ambiguous ending but was very clear. There's this one quote with disputed origins that fits just right in here,

"Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end."

To that end, everything turns out to be okay in Cast Away at the end.

Now we will see how those angel wings were the key to his destiny. You see, Chuck's relationship with Kelly (Helen Hunt) isn't really well. That's primarily owing to his demanding work and not any toxicity between them. They sure love each other without a shadow of a doubt.

But when Chuck was lost in the crash, he was presumed dead by her and his friends. So she marries Jerry (Chris Noth), a dentist Chuck met during an appointment before he ended up with Wilson the Volleyball. And then Kelly has a daughter with Jerry.

Of course, all of it is hard but Chuck understands she cannot simply leave her family. That's the last time they meet before parting ways. Now he's alone and needs to pull himself together. Now that he's about to start a new life, he decided to return the angel wings package to its address.

He did that as it belongs to a ranch in Texas where we see the same logo on the entrance. Later, while he stands near a crossroad, figuring out where to go, he meets Bettina, who is passing from there, and explains to him which road leads to where. Fans can notice an instant chemistry during this scene that makes Chuck sort of happy.

As she leaves, he notices the angel wings on the back of her truck. He then stands in the middle of the crossroads and finally turns his face to the camera, telling the fans he has chosen the path he will walk; that would be the one going to Bettina.

Interestingly, subtle hints are placed by the Cast Away creators that start making sense at this moment. First off is the same crossroad and ranch that appear in the beginning of Cast Away. This is where the package is being picked and we see she is sending it to Dick, probably her husband. The names can be seen on an arch at the ranch's entrance.

We see the parcel reaching Dick in Russia, who is donning a cowboy hat and is with a woman. He eventually sends it back unopened. When Chuck is entering the ranch, fans will see for a brief moment that Dick's name from the arch has been removed.

Now all that remains are a couple of people who lost their partners, and in a way, Bettina saved Chuck's life. What more do they need in life other than each other?

What's in the box?

We assure you, it's not Tracy Mills in there. But fans might want to know what possibly could be inside that parcel. It wasn't revealed in the film but Cast Away's third draft has the answer.

Chuck decides to open it and there are a couple of bottles of salsa and a note that reads,

"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."

And there's more to that in the script, which gives Chuck and Bettina a chance to bond over their experiences.