In 1995, Chuck Noland, a systems analyst executive, travels the world resolving productivity problems at FedEx depots. He lives with his girlfriend Kelly Frears in Memphis, Tennessee, but his workaholism often interferes with their relationship. During a family Christmas dinner, Chuck is summoned to resolve a work problem in Malaysia. The FedEx cargo plane he is on gets caught in a strong storm and comes crashing down into the Pacific Ocean. Chuck is the only one who survives and escapes with an inflatable life raft, though the raft's emergency locator transmitter is ripped off. The next day, he washes up on an uncharted and uninhabited island.