Chuck Nolan (Tom Hanks) is a troubleshooter for Federal Express, and the film begins with him showing their Moscow (Russia) staff how FedEx does business. After returning to Memphis (FedEx home base) and visiting his girlfriend Kelly (Helen Hunt), he is again called away to an Asian destination. He is able to ride in the "jump seats" of a FedEx jumbo jet crossing the Pacific Ocean, and is the only passenger.
During a fierce storm, the plane is blown off-course and ultimately crashes into the ocean. Noland is the only survivor, and is washed ashore on a small island. Chuck tries to escape from the island, but due to strong waves, he is unable to leave, and injures himself in the process. Chuck explores the island, and soon recovers a number of FedEx packages that wash ashore, as well as the body of one of the pilots. Chuck gives him a proper burial, and then opens the packages. Several of the items he makes use of for other purposes (the sharp end of an ice skate he uses as an axe). One of them, with a painting of angel wings on it, he leaves unopened. While trying to make fire from rubbing wood together, Chuck cuts his hand. In a fury, he grabs a Wilson volleyball that was in one package, and throws it. The bloody handprint left on the ball, he fashions into a type of face, and uses it as a companion in his isolataion.
Shortly thereafter, Chuck does learn to make fire, and soon is able to spear fish in the waters off the beach. In a small cave, chuck sets up his new home. One evening, he plots out the plane's direction, as well as how far it veered off course when they crashed. He estimates that if the search and rescue team did look for the downed cargo plane, they'd search an area the size of Texas...making him doubt he'll be found.
4 years pass on the island, and Chuck continues to survive day to day. His weight has pared down considerably, and his hair has grown out. One day, he comes across 2 plastic walls of a broken port-a-potty. Getting an idea, Chuck decides to build a raft with the port-a-potty's walls acting as a sail. He chops down a number of trees, ties them together with video tape (from one of the packages), as well as other materials. Biding his time for the proper weather, Chuck also brings Wilson aboard along with the angel-wings package, and due to the sails, is able to make it past the waves, escaping the island. Chuck sails for some time. During one event, Wilson ends up floating away. When faced with either losing Wilson or losing the raft, Chuck lets Wilson go, but is pained by his decision. Finally, just when it seems all hope is lost, Chuck is rescued by a cargo ship.
After returning home, Chuck is saddened to find that Kelly is married. Eventually, he meets with her, and after a tedious chat, they finally admit how much they still love each other, but admit that they have to let the other go.
Chuck then sets out to start his life anew. Taking the angel wings FedEx package, he goes to Texas to return it. Finding no one at the farm where it came from, he leaves it at the door. Driving down the road, he comes to a 4-way road, unsure where to go. A woman in a pick-up truck stops to give him directions, and as she pulls away, Chuck sees the same angel wings painted on the tail of the truck. Chuck watches her go, and the film ends with him deciding which way to go.
