A rugby team from Uruguay charters a plane to fly across the Andes. When the plane crashes, less than 25 people survive. Attempts to locate the plane are hampered by the remote location and bad weather, and soon hope is given up for finding anyone alive. After weeks without food, huddled in the hull of the aircraft, the passengers are faced with the choice of eating the dead, or dying themselves. The excellent cast of young performers, including Ethan Hawke, Vincent Spano and Illeana Douglas conveys the desperation and will to survive which lead to the eventual rescue of the survivors.