Free Download: Why the Script Works – CAST AWAY

Free Download: Why the Script Works - Cast Away

How do you write a screenplay that has just one location and one character throughout the majority of the pages and still manage to keep the story compelling and engaging for an audience or script reader? Enter Cast Away. // It’s hard to believe that this film — reuniting Forrest Gump‘s Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis — debuted almost twenty years ago. Written by William Broyles Jr. (Apollo 13, Entrapment, The Polar Express, Jarhead, and Flags of our Fathers), the film tells the story of a FedEx executive that must transform himself physically and emotionally after his FedEx plane crashes into the ocean and then strands him on a deserted island where he’s forced to survive. // The script is a perfect example of a high concept drama. It’s not a thriller. It’s not an action-adventure flick. It’s not horror. The script engages us by focusing less on the adventure of being a castaway, and more on the psychological ramifications. // It’s drama meets high concept. And it’s amazing. Here we will analyze lessons that Cast Away can teach us about writing high concept drama — or any type of genre. These lessons collectively offer screenwriters ways in which they can add more depth to their characters and stories.