[INT. AIRPLANE COCKPIT – NIGHT]
(We join a commercial flight in progress. Captain Michael Klein is piloting. He's in his late-40's, confident and, at the moment, looks a little bored. His first officer, Colin Black, keeps an eye on the controls.)
BLACK: Justine's already told me if I fly on our anniversary again, it'll be the last one.
KLEIN: There's the leading edge of that cold front. You think we're gonna top it at flight level three-fivezero?
BLACK: We should, but we might get a few bumps.
((NOTE: A two-way radio channel is tuned to Washington Center Air Traffic Control and the chatter will play softly in the background throughout the cockpit scenes. It's a constant stream of instructions to various flights.))
KLEIN: I've given up on finding my Justine.
BLACK: And yet you keep auditioning them.
KLEIN: Just playing the odds.
(The cockpit door intercom beeps.)
NICOLE (O.S.): It's Nicole.
(Black presses a button. A pretty flight attendant in her early 20's, Nicole, enters.
NICOLE: Okay. First casualty of the day. We've got a cranky doctor who missed his connection to London.
BLACK: (checks his watch) We're only thirty minutes behind schedule.
NICOLE: Well, he left himself a whopping fifteen minutes to change planes in Washington.
KLEIN: I'm not losing any sleep over that one.
NICOLE: You guys need anything up here?
(Klein turns to admire Nicole's lovely young figure.)
KLEIN: Ah… such a leading question.
BLACK: We're good.
(Nicole ignores Klein's flirtation and turns to exit. We move with her…)
[INT. AIRPLANE - FORWARD GALLEY – NIGHT]
(The cockpit door closes behind Nicole with a solid Thunk as it auto-locks. In a tracking shot, we follow Nicole as she pauses to chat with the other flight attendant in the forward galley, an older, more jaded woman named Lorraine.)
LORRAINE: You know you broke Michael's heart when you got engaged.
NICOLE: Hardly. He just flirts 'cause he's bored. Pilots don't have enough to do anymore.
LORRAINE: The cookies will be ready in a minute.
LORRAINE (CONT'D): I'll go round and pick up some trash.
(Lorraine moves into the cabin with a plastic bag and we track with her as she moves to…)
[INT. AIRPLANE - BUSINESS-CLASS – NIGHT]
(Lorraine enters and surveys her domain. There are about twelve people sitting in the large business class section, including Johnny (aisle seat) and Purdy (window seat). Some people are reading, working laptops, listening to earphones; several are asleep. She moves through, picking up drink cups and other trash. As she passes Johnny and Purdy, we stay with them… Johnny's looking at a schedule of events at a convention they're going to and is very uncomfortable with it all…)
PURDY: People want to hear what Johnny Smith has to say…
JOHNNY: About what, Gene? …I'm no public speaker…
PURDY: About the future. In troubled times like these, everyone wants to know there's hope…
JOHNNY: (with private irony) Boy, did you pick the wrong guy.
PURDY: Don't think of it as a convention. Think of it as another classroom. Thirty or thirty-thousand… it's all the same…
JOHNNY: (reading) You've got me scheduled to speak after Alan Greenspan…?
PURDY: Alan's been an old and dear friend to Faith Heritage.
PURDY (CONT'D): Be sure to shake his hand; it would be nice to know if the Fed will be lowering interest rates again… (Off Johnny's look) Kidding. I'm kidding.
(Johnny shifts uncomfortably.)
PURDY: Are you alright? You've been restless the entire flight.
JOHNNY: I'm fine, but whoever sat in this seat last was scared of flying.
(He realizes that he's gripping the arm rests with white knuckles.)
NICOLE: Chocolate chip cookie?
(They look up to see Nicole has arrived with the plate of cookies…)
PURDY: Ah, temptation. (Sighs) But no. Thank you.
JOHNNY: (nervous) Sure. How long 'till we land?
NICOLE: About an hour I think. Maybe a little less.
(Nicole hands Johnny a plate with a cookie on it. On this connection, ramp on his face… and we're in…)
[OMITTED]
[A VISION]
(Chaos. Johnny's in his seat, but the world seems to have tilted 45 degrees. The plane is going down. People scream in the background. Several passengers are groggy, pulled out of sleep by the emergency. Several feet away now, Nicole, is scared herself but moves down the aisle, helping them tighten their seat belts. {Note: she should not be in a matching shot in proximity to Johnny when we cut to the vision - as called for in an earlier draft - or it might look like continuous action and be confusing.} But, as the dive goes suddenly and violently steeper, the g-forces YANK Nicole, slamming her against the wall of the plane. Her neck snaps.)
[INT. AIRPLANE - BUSINESS-CLASS]
(And just like that, Johnny's back. Nicole still stands over him with her tray of cookies.)
NICOLE: Would you like milk with that?
(On Johnny’s stunned reaction…)
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
[INT. AIRPLANE - FORWARD GALLEY – NIGHT]
(Nicole returning, Lorraine is loading up more cookies…)
NICOLE: We've got a seat gripper in 3-B, poor guy.
(Lorraine grins sympathetically. They've seen it all before.)
[INT. AIRPLANE - BUSINESS-CLASS – NIGHT]
(Turbulence shakes the plane again. Johnny is spooked as he looks around, trying to get a sense for what's going to go wrong. Mid-conversation, urgent, sotto to avoid alarming other passengers…)
JOHNNY: All I know is it looked like we were going down.
PURDY: (mouth dry, shaken) But when you… you got on the plane… you didn't feel anything… one would think…
JOHNNY: …yeah, I should be the safest guy in the world to travel with. But you and I both know my abilities don't always work that way.
(Purdy looks for some way to explain this away…)
PURDY: You said you were picking up fear from the last passenger in the seat… maybe it's the paranoia you're feeling… the idea that something could happen… Or… or God forbid… you could be picking it up from a future flight…
JOHNNY: I saw the stewardess thrown against the wall and killed, Gene. It was this flight.
(Purdy's look is almost comical. This is a man who knows how to delegate. How to move masses with his words. But, at this moment… he's helpless. All he can say is…)
PURDY: When?
(Johnny doesn't know. Lorraine is walking by with another plate of cookies. Johnny quickly hands Purdy his cookie and stops Lorraine.)
JOHNNY: Excuse me. Could I get another cookie?
LORRAINE: Sure.
(As Lorraine hands Johnny a cookie, on their connection, we're back in…)
[THE CHAOTIC DIVE VISION - MAIN CABIN]
(As before, the plane is tilted alarmingly. People scream. But, Johnny isn't in his seat. He stands at the front of the main cabin next to Lorraine as she braces herself and instructs the passengers… (note: the earlier vision was in business class)…)
LORRAINE: Stay in your seats with your seat belts fastened!
(The scene freezes. Loose luggage, coffee cups, cell phones, etc. are suspended mid-air. Johnny takes in the panicked eyes and tightly-gripped hands of his fellow passengers. Johnny approaches the husky business suit GUY in 10B. He's bent over awkwardly with his head between his knees and his hands interlaced over his neck. Johnny reaches out to look at his watch. It reads: 10:54 PM.)
[JOHNNY]
(He snaps out of the vision and takes the cookie. Lorraine notices his shaky post-vision expression… tries to comfort him…)
LORRAINE: That's just normal turbulence. Nothing to worry about.
(And she moves on. Purdy looks to Johnny…)
JOHNNY: 10:54.
(Purdy looks at his own watch.)
PURDY: Forty-four minutes.
(A beat, then Purdy begins to unbuckle his seat belt… what else can they do?)
PURDY: We have to tell the pilot.
JOHNNY: You really think he's going to believe me?
PURDY: I'll vouch for you. We'll tell him about your track record…
JOHNNY: (sarcastic) Sure and we can show him one of the tabloids while we're at it… the Elvis cover ought to convince him to land the plane… (Beat) I need more, Gene… I need to know how and why… or who…
(Johnny turns to survey the passengers. In business class, we see professional-looking men and women. A young
Japanese family, all listening to headphones. A young kissy couple, probably on their honeymoon. One elderly man with a loosened bow tie around his neck snores softly. Beyond the mid-section, several faces are visible in the main cabin. Oblivious faces… or are they all oblivious?)
PURDY: You don't think someone on board would be planning something…
(Unfastening his seat belt, Johnny rises.)
JOHNNY: I'm gonna go for a little walk.
(Note: assume the cane is stowed in overhead compartment and he gets it out during the time cut.)
[INT. AIRPLANE - MAIN CABIN – NIGHT]
(Johnny is walking down the aisle in the main cabin, appearing to stretch his legs, casually touching aisle seats on both sides of him as though to help maintain his balance. As he touches the seats, his eyes and our camera glance at… Looking for a clue, a vision, anything. Three on one side of the aisle. Three on the other. Then the next row, the same thing... some passengers he might see: A beautiful blonde woman tries to keep her toddler girl from whacking the morose elderly man on the other side of her. A trio of college girls eye Johnny back speculatively. An obese businessman is squeezed between two elderly women who obviously want to sit together. They whisper (out of earshot) obliviously over the miserable man.)
JOHNNY: Is getting nothing… continues his walk…
(And then as he reaches the next row and touches both aisle seats…)
[A JOHNNY FLASH - A HOLSTERED GUN HIDDEN UNDER A SHIRT]
(Someone in this row has a gun.)
[RESUME]
(Johnny reacts, pauses in his walk, studies the passengers in the row. A greasy-haired guy wearing a collegiate sweatshirt, a 20- something brunette woman (Kelly Park) with a colorful 70's style sweater and an older blue-collar man who keeps checking his watch. Johnny looks on the other side of the aisle and sees a man in his 40's with olive skin and dark expressive brown eyes. He holds Johnny's gaze longer than is comfortable. Johnny walks back to business-class.)
[INT. AIRPLANE - BUSINESS-CLASS]
(Johnny returns to his seat. Purdy gives him a questioning look. Always sotto, with a concern for raising fears among other passengers :)
JOHNNY: Someone in row 26 has a gun.
PURDY: How could they get it past the screening devices…? You're certain…?
(Johnny nods, sure. Purdy takes that in. He's recovered from the shock by now. He's scared to death but this is a man who's at his best in a crisis. And this certainly qualifies.)
PURDY: All right. I think I should speak to the pilot first. I have a certain credibility, I think, and I can be very convincing when I need to be.
(As he rises, Johnny moves to let him out…)
PURDY (CONT'D): I'll call you when I need you.
(Johnny nods. Purdy walks to the forward galley.)
[INT. AIRPLANE - FORWARD GALLEY]
(Lorraine is cleaning up dishes as Purdy enters.)
PURDY: Excuse me, Miss, I was wondering if it's possible for me to speak to the Captain for just a moment?
LORRAINE: I'm sorry… but under the new security precautions, once the flight is underway, the Captain doesn't…
PURDY: To be quite honest, I have a concern about the plane.
LORRAINE: A concern?
PURDY: It's really quite urgent.
LORRAINE: …Perhaps it's something I can help you with…
PURDY: (overlapping, impatient) Miss, I don't mean to be rude… your name is…?
LORRAINE: Lorraine Newberry.
PURDY: Lorraine, I'm Gene Purdy, the head of Faith Heritage Alliance…
LORRAINE: Yes, of course, Reverend, I know who you are but our regulations…
PURDY: I have information that someone on this flight has managed to bring a gun on board. The lives of every passenger are in imminent danger, Lorraine. Believe me: neither of us has time to stand on ceremony. Get me the Captain.
(Off her reaction…)
[INT. AIRPLANE – COCKPIT]
(Captain Klein turns to Lorraine as the cockpit door opens and she enters.)
KLEIN: What's up?
LORRAINE: A passenger needs to speak to you. He says someone on board has a gun.
(Klein reacts, looks at her…)
LORRAINE: He's not a kook - he's that Reverend Gene Purdy from television.
(Klein exchanges a concerned look with his co-pilot.)
BLACK: Go on. I got it.
(Klein undoes his seat belt and follows Lorraine out.)
[INT. AIRPLANE - FORWARD GALLEY]
(Klein steps out to greet Purdy. Generally brisk dialogue, again keeping in mind that they don't want to scare passengers :)
KLEIN: I'm Captain Klein. What's this about a gun?
PURDY: Yes, someone in row 26.
KLEIN: (to Lorraine) Get me the passenger manifest.
(As she does…)
KLEIN (CONT'D): (to Purdy) You saw this gun?
PURDY: No. But my colleague did. In a manner of speaking.
(Klein throws him a look…)
KLEIN: 'Manner of speaking'?
PURDY: (full of confidence) I'm travelling with a man named Johnny Smith. Perhaps you've heard of him.
(Klein hasn't. Lorraine hands the captain the list of passenger names and seats.)
PURDY: (disappointed but pushes ahead vigorously) No. Well. That's… too bad. You see, he has sort of a 'second sight'.
(And now Klein does a take… glances at Lorraine… Purdy signals Johnny through the curtain to come forward… Klein looks over the manifest…)
PURDY: Johnny's really quite remarkable… he's helped the police with several major cases…
(Klein is unimpressed. As Johnny arrives…)
PURDY: John Smith, Captain Klein.
(Klein glances ever so briefly away from the manifest, acknowledges Johnny, wondering how the hell he ever got into this situation.)
KLEIN: (to Johnny) And… what was it exactly you… 'Saw'?
JOHNNY: I couldn't tell which passenger it was but I got a vision of…
KLEIN: (reacts) A vision.
PURDY: He has psychic visions. If you recall the Markoff kidnapping…
KLEIN: (to Johnny, re: the list of names) Was one of the people in that row a Korean woman?
JOHNNY: Yes, there was a Korean woman on the left side of…
KLEIN: She's an air marshal, Mr. Smith. You're not supposed to know that. And I don't know how you do. But there's nothing to worry about.
(He hands the manifest back to Lorraine…)
JOHNNY: Sir, no, I… there is something to worry about. (Beat, off Klein's reaction) I saw this plane go into a dive at 10:54 tonight.
(Klein glances incredulously at Lorraine…)
KLEIN: I thought this was about a gun…
PURDY: He was trying to find a cause for the dive before we came to you which led him to the gun…
KLEIN: Are you both aware that it's a felony to disrupt a commercial flight…
JOHNNY: Sir, we have less than forty minutes to figure out what is going to go wrong with this plane.
KLEIN: Nothing is going to go wrong with this… (Interrupts himself) Whether I believe that you have 'visions' or not, Mr. Smith, on this plane, I deal in facts. Not bad feelings. (Stares at him a beat, barely holding on to his composure) We're experiencing turbulence this evening.
KLEIN (CONT'D): Maybe it could cause an abrupt change in altitude that might look like a dive. But it's my responsibility to prevent that so… I'd better return to the cockpit and I'd like you both to return to your seats. Now.
(Johnny exchanges a desperate look with Purdy, but Klein isn't asking. Purdy and Johnny head back to their seats. We stay with Klein as he turns to Lorraine.)
KLEIN: Thanks a lot.
LORRAINE: Don't shoot the messenger. I didn't know.
KLEIN: (one last dark glance at Johnny) Keep an eye on him.
(We track with Klein back into the…)
[INT. AIRPLANE – COCKPIT]
(Klein eases back into his seat. Klein is very low key about the whole thing.)
BLACK: Somebody got the jitters?
KLEIN: You could say that. We have a self-proclaimed psychic with the unlikely name of John Smith. Has a bad feeling about the flight.
(Black reacts, takes this a bit more seriously than Klein.)
BLACK: John Smith? I saw something about him on the news. He's supposed to be the real deal.
KLEIN: So is the monster in Loch Ness.
BLACK: Hey, I've seen photographs of that thing.
KLEIN: Why my plane? Last week, the magicians' convention. This week, psychics. Put Tom Jones and a couple of showgirls back there and we'll have a Vegas revue.
[INT. AIRPLANE - BUSINESS-CLASS]
(Johnny and Purdy ease back into their seats. Always sotto…)
PURDY: You know, he could be right. It might just be turbulence. You saw a dive, but you didn't see a crash.
(Johnny is thinking carefully about what he saw.)
JOHNNY: The plane was tilted. People were screaming…
(Johnny closes his eyes and tries to concentrate… in recent weeks, he's just beginning to learn how to reach out for a vision (like he did in scars when he touched the podium)… it's a sign that deep within himself he has the ability to harness his power… but it isn't easy for him so this should not come too quickly… maybe he reaches down to the floor first, eyes closed… and gets nothing… then tries again, reaching up to the console above him and tries again – He touches the air vent that blows cooling air on passengers’ faces and this time on his touch…)
[AND SUDDENLY WE'RE BACK IN THE VISION]
(The plane's going down. Johnny's in his seat. Around him, people scream. Cell phones, coffee cups and pieces of loose luggage fly through the air. As before, Lorraine is in the main cabin as she braces herself and instructs the passengers…)
LORRAINE: Stay in your seats with your seat belts fastened! Please remain calm.
LORRAINE (CONT'D): If oxygen is needed, the mask will drop. Please remember to put your own mask on before helping others around you.
(Johnny calmly (as calmly as he can under the circumstances) looks around the plane. There's no sign of structural damage. He looks at the cockpit door -- it's closed and secured. Johnny frowns. Finally, he turns to Purdy, whose eyes are closed as he prays. Johnny reaches across him and looks out the window.)
[JOHNNY'S POV: THE ENGINE EXPLODES AND PIECES OF IT RIP A HOLE IN THE SIDE OF THE PLANE WITH CONCUSSIVE FORCE.]
(Johnny turns and watches in horror as the cabin starts depressurizing and oxygen masks fall. Flames from the burning wing roar into the plane and are just as quickly sucked back out. But none of that matters as Johnny watches… The hole in the side of the main cabin expanding. Rows of seats filled with screaming passengers are sucked out …and just as Johnny is about to fly out himself…)
[RESUME JOHNNY]
PURDY: Johnny?
JOHNNY: I think we can rule out turbulence.
END OF ACT ONE
ACT TWO
[INT. AIRPLANE - BUSINESS-CLASS – NIGHT]
(As before… During the following, Purdy runs a credit card through the air phone…)
JOHNNY: I've got to get the Captain to check the right engine. Is that port or starboard?
PURDY: Starboard… I think.
(As Johnny rises, Purdy dials the phone…)
JOHNNY: Who are you calling?
PURDY: Going straight to the top -- Martin Ghent, CEO of Trans-Colony.
JOHNNY: You know him?
PURDY: No. But as you like to say, I know people who know people who know him. I'm almost certain he's a member of the Harvard Club.
(Johnny acknowledges, moves to the front…)
[INT. AIRPLANE - FORWARD GALLEY]
(Johnny enters from the cabin. Lorraine and Nicole are prepping hot towels. They are not happy to see Johnny.)
LORRAINE: Mr. Smith. Would you please return to your seat?
JOHNNY: One of our engines is going to explode.
(She stares at him. Christ, we've got a genuine problem with this guy.)
JOHNNY: The starboard engine. (Double checking, pointing) That is starboard?
NICOLE: (shaken) Yes…
JOHNNY: I have to tell the captain.
(Lorraine has had enough of this.)
LORRAINE: I have to go to the main cabin, but I'll be right back.
(Lorraine gives Nicole a "watch him" look. She heads for the rear of the plane. Nicole looks at Johnny worried…)
NICOLE: I read about what you did last May… that graduation party, the fire.
JOHNNY: (impatient) Then, please, help me, tell them to take me seriously.
(Nicole's mind is racing as she figures something out.)
NICOLE: It happens when you touch people. (Realizing) You saw something before... when I gave you your cookie. Didn't you? About me.
(Johnny hesitates… and that hesitation chills Nicole to the bone; she talks to him as though she's pleading with the grim reaper…)
NICOLE: I just got engaged. I'm getting married in June.
JOHNNY: Nothing has to happen. We can change things. But we have to convince the captain to…
(He moves toward the cockpit door… she grabs his arm to stop him…)
[A VISION FLASH]
(Changes her lovely hand in the blink of an eye. Now it's a charred post-crash hand sticking out from under a piece of burned wreckage. Even the beautiful diamond engagement ring is the same.)
[RESUME - JOHNNY REACTS]
(And she can tell he saw something… her eyes fill with fear…)
NICOLE: The door is locked from the inside. I'm sorry. You can't go in there.
FEMALE VOICE (O.S.): Mr. Smith?
(Johnny turns to see that Lorraine has brought the young woman in the 70's-style sweater forward. Her name is Kelly Park.)
KELLY: I'm Special Agent Park. Lorraine told me about your concerns.
JOHNNY: I'm trying to warn this crew about a legitimate problem.
KELLY: I'm sure it seems very legitimate to you, but these people have jobs to do and you're making that difficult.
(Kelly's eyes dart to Johnny's cane. She's sizing him up as if ready to restrain him.)
KELLY: You'll be sitting with me for the rest of the flight.
JOHNNY: Listen to me, if we don't…
KELLY: (steel-eyed) If you don't come with me, right now, I will have to take restraining action. And I assure you I'm fully capable of using any force necessary.
(He studies her a beat…)
KELLY: Let's not do anything that might get other passengers upset.
(She gives him a hard look and Johnny knows he has no choice… he gives a knowing look to Nicole…)
JOHNNY: The starboard engine. Get him to check it.
(Kelly starts to lead Johnny towards the rear of the plane.)
[INT. BUSINESS CLASS – CONTINUOUS]
(We track with them. As we pass Johnny's row, we stay on Purdy. He's still on the phone as he watches Johnny being led past. Their eyes connect.)
PURDY: (into phone) No, he can't call me back… because I'm on one of his planes; yes, there's a bit of a problem…
(The camera eases away from Purdy back to the front galley. Nicole still stands watching Johnny being led away. A beat on Nicole's eyes…)
[INT. AIRPLANE - REAR GALLEY]
(Kelly has led Johnny to the small rear area of the plane. Besides the galley and bathroom, there are two jump seats and an emergency door. (Note, several back rows of the cabin are unoccupied which will allow the action to go unnoticed back here.) Still, they will keep their voices down…)
KELLY: Are you on any medication, Mr. Smith?
JOHNNY: No.
KELLY: Any history of mental illness?
JOHNNY: No.
KELLY: Ever been convicted of a crime?
JOHNNY: No, I haven't. Look, I am a rational person. I'm a teacher. I don't cause trouble. But, when you know the world will turn upside down in… (Looks at watch) …thirty-two minutes (running time check), it's hard to play by the normal rules. What can I do to convince you…?
KELLY: Would you put your cane down please?
[INT. AIRPLANE – COCKPIT]
(Klein reaches up and adjusts a control dial as they maneuver through some bumpy weather.)
BLACK: You want to try a different altitude? The SAT's dropped three degrees in the last minute.
KLEIN: Not yet. We'll see if the chop gets any worse.
(The cockpit intercom buzzes.)
NICOLE: (on intercom) It's Nicole.
(Black lets Nicole in. Klein turns to her.)
KLEIN: Things quiet down back there?
NICOLE: Lorraine had to call the air marshal. Mr. Smith had another vision. He said that the starboard engine is going to explode.
(Klein doesn't look happy, but he's resigned.)
BLACK: What do you think, Mike? Run an instrument check?
KLEIN: The engines are running fine.
NICOLE: I've read about this guy… he…
KLEIN: Yes, I'm sure he loves to be in the headlines. As in: 'Pilot Makes Emergency Landing Based on Psychic Prediction'…
BLACK: Just the opposite. I heard he hates publicity.
NICOLE: So did I.
KLEIN: And yet you both know this shy fellow's name.
NICOLE: Michael…
KLEIN: (dismissing her) Thank-you, Nicole. We'll handle it.
(Black darts a look at Nicole. She knows her cue to leave…)
KLEIN: (to Black) Check with Washington Center about our place in the stack.
(As Black keys his radio mic…)
[INT. AIRPLANE - REAR GALLEY – NIGHT]
(As before.)
KELLY: I'm going to pat you down.
JOHNNY: I came through security.
KELLY: A lot of people do, Mr. Smith. I like defining security on my own terms.
(Johnny sets his cane down and lets Kelly pat him down, starting at his ankles. As she touches him, we hear a DZ
WHOOSH effect and Johnny's face indicates he's getting a vision off her touch (but we don't see what they are).)
JOHNNY: Why'd you drop out of Brown?
KELLY: (startled) What?
(She pauses in her pat down…)
JOHNNY: You dropped out of school. Why?
KELLY: Is this some kind of act you do… like at parties?
(She continues her pat down…)
JOHNNY: You don't believe in psychic abilities, do you?
KELLY: I'm not paid to be open-minded.
JOHNNY: I can prove to you that I…
(Again a DZ WHOOSH sound on her touch… Johnny's head turns to look at her…)
[POV - RAMP TO A ST. CHRISTOPHER MEDAL ON A CHAIN AROUND HER NECK]
(Move to her face… curious, irritated, on guard…)
KELLY: What?
JOHNNY: Your St. Christopher medal. May I see it?
KELLY: No.
JOHNNY: I just want to hold the medal.
KELLY: Mr. Smith, sit down.
(He doesn't sit.)
JOHNNY: (a bluff) Let me hold it or I'll start yelling that the plane is going to crash.
(She stares at him.)
KELLY: What happened to, "I'm a rational person; I don't cause trouble"?
(He holds out his hand for the medal.)
JOHNNY: I'm not asking for much.
(Her eyes say: Okay, fine. She unsnaps the necklace and hands him the medal… again the DZ WHOOSH sound as it touches his hand… Johnny’s face shows the strain of a difficult vision… The medal is clamped so tightly in his right hand that the cords in his wrist stand out… and then his eyes penetrate hers… she reacts, unsettled…)
KELLY: Can I have it back now?
(Johnny doesn't give it back… begin a slow push to an extreme closeup of his face… (Note: the following dialogue is taken almost verbatim from the book, which we like to do when we can: see page 157, signet edition.))
JOHNNY: It's your sister's medallion. You gave it to her. Her name was Anne but everyone called her Terry. Your older sister. You loved her. You almost worshipped the ground she walked on.
(Kelly's eyes narrow… her mouth goes dry… we continue the slow push to the ECU of Johnny as his voice gets softer, younger… (Note: softly in the background, we hear, as Johnny is hearing, the actual voice of the teenage Kelly saying the same words so in fact, Johnny is talking in unison with her.))
JOHNNY (CONT'D): (as young Kelly to her older sister) "It's for when you cross Lisbon Street against the lights, Terry. Or when you're out parking with one of those guys from E.L. Don't forget, Terry… don't forget…"
KELLY: (whisper) Stop it.
((Note: All of her lines should overlap his.) The slow push is incredibly close on Johnny…)
JOHNNY (CONT'D): (normal voice) It was speed, wasn't it? Then meth.
JOHNNY (CONT'D): She tried calling you the night she died, but you didn't call her back 'cause you had midterms. You've always blamed yourself…
KELLY: Please.
JOHNNY (CONT'D): She was wearing the medal when they found her. She'd worn the medal ten years. She remembered you, Kelly. She never forgot. Never forgot…
KELLY: Shut up!
(She grabs the medallion back and slams Johnny against the wall… As she pulls out handcuffs from her belt and cuffs Johnny's hands in front of him.)
JOHNNY: In less than thirty minutes (running time check), every passenger on board this plane is going to die. How many brothers and sisters do you think they have waiting for them to get home, Kelly…?
(She turns away from him, her face flushed… her mind working…)
JOHNNY: We still have a chance, Kelly. We still have a chance to save them.
(She looks at him, then back ahead… but her mind is racing…)
[OMITTED]
[INT. AIRPLANE – COCKPIT]
(Captain Klein's on the radio.)
KLEIN: Yes, Mr. Ghent. I understand.
(Klein listens to the voice on the other end.)
KLEIN: Alright. I'll hear him out. No problem. Thank you. Goodbye.
(Klein's polite "company voice" disappears the moment he hangs the phone up.)
KLEIN: Un-frigging-believable.
(Klein removes his seat belt and headset and walks out.)
[INT. AIRPLANE - BUSINESS-CLASS]
(Captain Klein stalks past Purdy giving him a look as he passes towards the rear galley. Purdy watches him go, hopes… a few passengers glance over but go back to their own personal activities…)
[INT. AIRPLANE - REAR GALLEY]
(Kelly's mind is still working when Klein arrives. Johnny and Kelly stand…)
KLEIN: Mr. Smith, I've been instructed by the CEO of this airline to treat you with courtesy and listen to what you have to say. (Terse) You have three minutes.
(Johnny doesn't waste any time.)
JOHNNY: I need you to check the starboard engine.
KLEIN: Yes, I just did a computer diagnostic of the entire system at the request of my boss. The computer says the plane is fine.
(Johnny takes that in a beat…)
JOHNNY: Isn't it possible that the computer… (Could be wrong?)
KLEIN: (overlapping) …this is the most modern safety technology known to man. You can't expect me to ignore it based on your…
JOHNNY: (overlapping) Captain, the plane will dive at 10:54. The starboard engine will explode.
(A look at Kelly as her mind continues to work.)
JOHNNY (CONT'D): Could a bomb of some kind have been planted before we…
KELLY: The security sweep on the ground is incredibly thorough these days.
JOHNNY: Then what else might cause…
KLEIN: (just to get this over with) I suppose a bird strike or other obstruction in flight could damage an engine, but these things are rarely catastrophic.
JOHNNY: Tonight, something will be.
(Klein studies Johnny, he's done what he promised his boss… but he's still trying to mend fences…)
KELLY: Captain, perhaps we should consider landing early…
(Klein gives her a sharp look. This is not what he wants to hear from the air marshal who's supposed to have a level head. She modifies her suggestion on the fly…)
KELLY: …If only to remove Mr. Smith from the plane.
KLEIN: We're about to begin our descent into the Washington area anyway. (To Johnny) I promise you I'll do everything in my power to get us down safely…
(He looks at the cuffs… sighs…)
KLEIN: I'm sorry about these.
(He touches the handcuffs and as he does…)
[INSIDE THE COCKPIT.]
(One pilot sits in the left chair. The grim unblinking face of Captain Klein. Behind him, Johnny in omniscient vision presence watches :)
KLEIN: God forgive me.
(Klein's right hand pushes both throttles forward full force. Johnny reacts as the plane goes into the dive… We rapid dolly back out of the cockpit and down the aisle, as the action we've seen once before replays: pieces of the engine pierce the side of the plane, oxygen masks fall. (Note: Johnny cannot be in his seat with Purdy as previously scripted because he has changed the future and would now be in the rear galley - you can, however, find him watching in omniscient vision presence again if you wish). A fireball shoots into the hole in the side of the plane… and is just as quickly sucked back out. This is a catastrophic depressurization. And then people scream as rows of seats are sucked out.)
[JOHNNY]
(Snaps out of the vision and looks at Klein in horror. Johnny struggles to process the new information. It's a whole new ball game. In continuous action from pre-vision (which is a standard rule, by the way) Klein studies him… senses something just happened, just wants to get out of there…)
KLEIN: Mr. Ghent asked me to convey his apologies for the discomfort you've experienced. As a token of our sincere regret, you'll be receiving a free mileage upgrade coupon for future travel on Trans-Colony.
(He knows how ridiculous that sounds under the circumstances.)
JOHNNY: I won't be needing it.
(They lock eyes for a long beat and then the Captain moves back toward the cockpit. Johnny reacts, but it is on Kelly's face that we…)
END OF ACT TWO
ACT THREE
[INT. AIRPLANE - COCKPIT – NIGHT]
(The plane lurches as they pass through some turbulence. Black points to the right engine control dials.)
BLACK: E-Per's good. N1 is good. N2 is okay. Oil quantity and oil pressure check.
(Black presses a test button and the lights all across the board light up.)
BLACK: No caution lights.
KLEIN: Good.
BLACK: I have to admit. I was getting a little nervous.
(The plane shifts slightly.)
BLACK: That wasn't turbulence.
KLEIN: (checking) The auto-pilot is just acting up. Keep an eye on it.
WASHINGTON CENTER: (on radio) TCA 2413, holding instructions.
KLEIN: (gets a pencil) Go ahead, Washington.
WASHINGTON CENTER: (on radio) You are cleared to Bonzo intersection to hold northwest, right-hand turns. Flight level one-nine-zero. Twenty nautical mile legs approved. Expected further clearance oh-four-hundred.
KLEIN: TCA 2413, cleared to Bonzo, right turns, twenty nautical mile legs. Flight level one-nine-zero. EFC oh-four-hundred.
(Klein keys his mic off. Black looks at him with Johnny on his mind.)
BLACK: You don't want to request priority clearance to land?
KLEIN: (evenly) Why would I want to do that?
(And we have to wonder what he's thinking…)
[INT. AIRPLANE - REAR GALLEY]
(As Purdy arrives… Johnny's mind works…)
PURDY: Was he prepared to listen finally? Martin Ghent promised me that… (Realizing) My God, handcuffs?
KELLY: Sir, please return to your seat.
PURDY: Miss, I'm Eugene Purdy of the Faith…
KELLY: I don't care if you're the Pope, I want you to return to your seat.
JOHNNY: (re: Klein, softly, almost to himself) He's going to take the plane into a dive.
(That gets both Kelly and Purdy's full attention. Off their looks…)
JOHNNY: He says "God forgive me", he pushes two levers, the dive, then a moment later, the engine explodes… the fuel ignites, the cabin hull breaches…
KELLY: You're suggesting Captain Klein is deliberately going to destroy this aircraft.
JOHNNY: I saw it, Kelly… as clearly as I saw you and your sister…
KELLY: (more than a bit shaken) I've flown with him at least a dozen times.
PURDY: (to Kelly) Do you know anything about him? What's going on in his personal life?
(Kelly feels like she's being pulled in all directions at once… she wants it to stop…)
KELLY: Sir, please, I have to insist that you return to…
(But Purdy bores in with every verbal skill he knows how to summon…)
PURDY: (overlapping) I have less than fifteen minutes (running time check) to live, Kelly, is it?, and I'm not going anywhere. If you want to handcuff me too, be my guest. But you're going to hear me out.
(She stares at him, but her mind is working…)
PURDY: I believe that God had a very specific purpose for putting Johnny Smith on this plane.
PURDY (CONT'D): We were supposed to fly tonight on a private jet but it was grounded for repairs. Then we missed our first flight. Call it "fate", "destiny" or "God's will", but it's no coincidence that Johnny's here. It is also God's will that you're aboard this plane, Kelly. Because Johnny cannot hope to save these passengers without your help. The only question now is whether you will accept the role that fate has created for you. Or will you regret it for the rest of your very short life.
(A beat, she stares at him. He sees the medal on the necklace around her neck again, uses it to make a point…)
PURDY (CONT'D): I see you're wearing a St. Christopher medal. Patron saint of travelers? Perhaps it's no accident you're wearing it tonight.
(Purdy doesn't realize the full impact of his comment but Johnny does… she exchanges a glance with Johnny…)
KELLY: What do you expect me to do -- relieve the captain of command?
(Purdy and Johnny exchange a look - she may not have been entirely serious but hey, that's a pretty good suggestion.)
JOHNNY: Can the co-pilot land the plane?
KELLY: Of course but…
JOHNNY: That could solve a lot of problems.
KELLY: How am I supposed to explain that when we land?
PURDY: At least this way, we land.
(A beat, she shakes her head, can't quite believe she's even thinking of doing this. She then proceeds to unlock the cuffs…)
KELLY: Go back to your seats. I'll speak with the captain.
(She moves forward. After a beat…)
JOHNNY: Good sermon, Reverend.
PURDY: I told you I can be convincing when I need to be. Thank God, she's not an atheist.
[INT. AIRPLANE FORWARD GALLEY]
(As Kelly moves toward the cockpit, she sees Lorraine trying to comfort Nicole who has tears rolling down her cheeks… Lorraine glances over toward Kelly, explaining…)
LORRAINE: She's scared to death… she really believes this guy Smith can see what's going to happen.
(And this bolsters Kelly's decision even more…)
[INT. AIRPLANE – COCKPIT]
(There's a knocking at the cockpit door. Black presses an intercom button.)
KELLY (O.S.): It's Kelly Park. May I speak with you, Captain Klein?
(Black lets Kelly in.)
KLEIN: We'll be on the ground soon. Is he giving you any more trouble?
(Klein looks at Kelly closely. She motions for him to join her at the rear of the cockpit. He does.)
KELLY: Captain, I'd like to ask you to voluntarily turn command over to Mr. Black.
(He throws her an incredulous look…)
KLEIN: What in God's name, are you…? (Talking about)
KELLY: He says you're going to take the plane down.
(Kelly watches closely as Klein reacts to the ridiculous suggestion. When he sees that she's serious…)
KLEIN: Are you telling me you're actually worried?
KELLY: I'd just feel better if Mr. Black…
KLEIN: This flight is becoming absolutely surreal. Go back to your seat and let me do my job…
KELLY: I'm sorry. I can't do that.
(That's when Klein sees the gun in Kelly's hand. It's not exactly pointed at him, but it's ready to be.)
KLEIN: Holster that weapon in my cockpit.
KELLY: Mr. Black, can you land this plane by yourself?
(Black can't quite believe what's happening.)
BLACK: I'd rather not.
KELLY: (sharp) Can you land the plane or not?
BLACK: Yes.
KELLY: Captain, will you please step outside with me?
KLEIN: Or what? You'll remove me by force?
KELLY: I'd rather not alarm the passengers.
KLEIN: By all means, let's not do anything rash like that…
(Klein precedes Kelly out of the cockpit.)
[INT. AIRPLANE - BUSINESS-CLASS]
(Johnny and Purdy have returned to their seats. They watch as Kelly leads Klein to a vacant jump seat in the forward galley. Johnny looks around for reactions from the passengers. But, most of the people in business-class are sleeping. A pretty young EXEC checks her e-mail. It's a surreal collection of faces… none panicked or disturbed.)
PURDY: So that's it. We've stopped it.
(Johnny breathes deeply, hopes that it's true and to test it, he reaches up to touch the console where he got the last vision – Again his fingers brush against the air vent and as he does…)
[THE VISION RETURNS - SEEING THE CATASTROPHIC BREACH]
(In the hull. But, now we're moving backwards in time within the vision. The deadly fire and wind is sucked back out of the hole in the plane and the breached wall re-forms (the explosion footage played backwards). We zip up the aisle past Johnny's seat straight into… The cockpit. Only one chair is occupied, but it's the right one. As we spin around to face the lone occupant, we see the sweating panicked face of the first officer, Colin Black as his left hand pulls the throttles back (because we're still in reverse). And now Time begins forward again like a rubber band snapping back and this time it's Black who says a quiet good-bye to his wife.)
BLACK: Justine, I'm sorry and I love you.
(As he pushes the throttles forward and the plane goes into the dive…)
[OMITTED]
[JOHNNY]
(Comes out of the vision. Purdy waits anxiously. Johnny shakes his head, he can't believe it. This is impossible. Purdy sees his face… voices remain low as always…)
PURDY: What?
JOHNNY: Now it's the co-pilot.
PURDY: I don't understand what you…
JOHNNY: Now, it's the co-pilot who destroys the plane. Exactly the same way the pilot did.
(Purdy stares at him… for the first time, has real doubts…)
PURDY: Johnny… that's… that's…
JOHNNY: …I saw it, Gene...
(His mind works…)
PURDY: …I don't question that but… Johnny, a conspiracy? I think we have to begin to ask ourselves… is it possible you've been wrong… I mean, maybe your abilities have been affected by the pressurized cabin or…
(But during the above, Johnny is getting an insight…)
JOHNNY: (overlapping, rising) No, no… I think I understand… I have to talk to the captain again.
(Purdy reacts curiously as Johnny moves to the forward galley…)
[INT. FORWARD GALLEY – CONTINUOUS]
(Klein and Kelly look up… and boy, Klein is pissed…)
JOHNNY: Give me a good reason why you would put this plane into a dive.
KLEIN: There is no good reason.
JOHNNY: No, there has to be. A good reason, Captain. It's the only thing that makes any sense. Because your co-pilot is going to try the very same thing in ten minutes.
(Klein and Kelly react…)
JOHNNY: There's only one reason I can think of why both pilots would do that. You're not trying to destroy this plane. You must be trying to save it.
(Off their reactions…)
END OF ACT THREE
ACT FOUR
[OMITTED]
[INT. AIRPLANE – COCKPIT]
(Klein enters trailed by Johnny and Kelly. Black looks up.)
BLACK: Everything okay now?
KLEIN: (still entirely skeptical) I've made a bargain to get my plane back. Mr. Smith is going to tell us exactly what he saw. He believes that we will respond to some emergency condition in seven minutes by taking the plane into a rapid descent…
(Klein sits back down in his chair. Johnny stands, taking in the details of the cockpit, trying to find… something.)
KLEIN: (to Johnny) So, please. Tell me exactly what you saw me doing.
(Johnny looks over the controls. He points to the throttles, located on the pedestal between the pilots.)
JOHNNY: Your hand was there.
KLEIN: Those are the throttles. They control the engines.
JOHNNY: You pushed them both all the way forward. Then the starboard engine exploded and the cabin depressurized.
BLACK: That's impossible. Even if we did go to max power, which we never do, the engine wouldn't explode. It just doesn't happen.
(But, Klein doesn't dismiss it so quickly.)
KLEIN: Let's just think about it. If we stalled and we were trying to recover, we'd go to max power.
(Black is thinking through the possibilities.)
BLACK: I guess if there was an oil problem in the engine and we were trying to shut it down…
JOHNNY: May I touch the throttles?
(Klein is hesitant; there's a warning in his voice.)
KLEIN: Touch, but don't move.
(He nods. Johnny reaches out and touches the throttles. He shakes his head... nothing. He touches another set of controls in the right side of the instrument panel. EPR (Engine Pressure Ratio), N1, N2, EGT (Exhaust Gas Temperature). Johnny shakes his head in frustration. He's getting nothing. But then he feels the air coming from…
The air vent above the command seats… Johnny remembers how he got the other visions from the vent as his seat… reaches up to touch this vent…)
[VISION FLASH - SUBJECTIVE POV]
(Johnny just gets quick disorienting glimpses. He's surrounded by a gray fog. A floor of dark gray clouds. A freezing cold wind buffets him.)
[JOHNNY]
(Snaps out of the vision. Standing in the cockpit. He sways briefly, disoriented.)
KELLY: Are you okay?
JOHNNY: Where does this air come from?
BLACK: The bleeds? The air comes in from outside.
JOHNNY: (urgent) But, where?
KLEIN: Through the engines.
(Johnny puts both hands on the air vent, closes his eyes and concentrates. Klein and Black exchange incredulous looks. And a new vision hits…)
[JOHNNY IS STANDING ON THE STARBOARD WING OF THE PLANE]
(Unlike the explosion vision Johnny has had over and over, this vision is serene. The scene is frozen. Johnny is standing in an icy fog. Johnny takes a step (he doesn't have his cane) and his footsteps are loud in the mid-air silence. Johnny approaches the engine, bends down and examines it carefully. There's no outward sign of stress or damage. He leans over to look at the air intake. But, there's nothing obstructing the air flow. Johnny frowns. And then Johnny notices something else. Ice particles suspended in the air. Millions of them. They sparkle like a mist made of diamonds. Johnny runs his hands through them, but he doesn't disturb them. Slowly, with a sense of foreboding, Johnny bends down carefully to look at the leading edge of the wing. Johnny's face slowly lowers into view from above. His eyes fill with dread as he sees… A huge layer of ice has built up on the forward edge and all across the wing.)
[INT. AIRPLANE – COCKPIT]
(Johnny comes out of the vision.)
JOHNNY: There's ice on the wing. A lot of it.
(Klein scans for a warning light. After a second…)
KLEIN: No. Both wings are clear.
(Black looks forward out of the front window.)
BLACK: All the anti-icing is on.
JOHNNY: It's not working. Not on the starboard side at least.
KLEIN: My instruments say it is.
JOHNNY: Then your instruments are wrong.
KLEIN: First thing you learn as a pilot is, "Instruments don't lie."
JOHNNY: You don't think it's possible?
KLEIN: It's not that it's not possible, but it's improbable. I've never had a problem with this system. I've been flying commercial jets for fifteen years.
JOHNNY: If ice has built up on the starboard wing, how would that affect the flight?
KLEIN: Depends on how bad it is.
JOHNNY: Could you land the plane?
KLEIN: We'd have trouble maintaining lift.
JOHNNY: Then what?
KLEIN: The aircraft could stall.
JOHNNY: How would you fix that?
KLEIN: First, I'd go to max power on both engines…
(Klein trails off as he looks at the throttles. Johnny's eyes follow his to the throttles.)
JOHNNY: Max power. (To Klein, re: throttles, beat for emphasis) All the way forward.
(Klein stares at him; for the first time, he's beginning to have second thoughts.)
[INT. AIRPLANE - BUSINESS CLASS]
(The "fasten seatbelt" indicator comes on. Purdy reacts. Checks his watch: it's (running time check) 10:44. Lorraine picks up the intercom and speaks to the passengers.)
LORRAINE: The captain has put the seat belt sign on. Please bring your seats back to their full upright and locked position. And make sure all luggage is safely secured.
(The plane bumps. A plastic cup of coffee spills on the female EXEC seated in 1C.)
LORRAINE (O.S.): We expect to be landing shortly.
(As Nicole moves to help clean up the mess, the plane lurches even more violently, almost knocking Nicole off her feet. She looks scared as she glances towards the cockpit. People murmur worriedly, but the elderly man in the bow tie still snores peacefully in the last row.)
[INT. AIRPLANE – COCKPIT]
(As the ride gets rougher, Johnny grabs onto Black's chair to steady himself. Black's face falls as he figures something out.)
BLACK: Mike… the auto-pilot. That's why it's been jerking us around. It could be compensating for the ice. That's what happened in '94 on that American Eagle flight.
(And Klein can sense… we can sense… the plane straining. Something creaks with effort. A mechanical WHIRR which should blend into the background seems louder.)
KLEIN: Go back to the main cabin and check the wing for ice. (To Johnny and Kelly) You two better find yourself seats…
(Black leaves the cockpit. Kelly follows him out. Johnny lingers. Captain Klein looks up: what now?)
JOHNNY: Captain, I might be able to help…
KLEIN: You know planes…?
JOHNNY: No but I know the future. You may need to know the consequences of your decisions moment by moment. Another lurch.
KLEIN: (shakes his head, has given up fighting this) A psychic navigator.
(The plane begins to shake more violently. Klein motions for Johnny to sit down in the co-pilot chair.)
KLEIN: Sit down, before you kill yourself. Fasten the belt and don't touch anything without asking.
(Johnny moves into Black's seat. Violent shaking.)
[VARIOUS REACTIONS]
(Horrible shaking now… The passengers are getting very scared… People are awakened from sleep (all except bow tie guy). A baby is heard crying. Purdy checks his watch… 10:42:30 (running time check)… Kelly holds the ST. Christopher medal around her neck… Lorraine looks to Nicole who is white as a sheet…)
LORRAINE: C'mon, we've got a job to do.
(Nicole nods, wipes her tears bravely… follows her out to the cabin… Colin Black is at the rear of the main cabin… moving from the window to the rear galley intercom…)
BLACK: Mike, the right wing's completely encased in ice.
(A terrible lurch. Black is thrown upwards, hitting his head, then down to the ground…)
KLEIN'S VOICE: (filtered) Stay there, Colin. Strap yourself in.
(Lorraine sees Black's predicament and moves to help him into a jump seat.)
[INT. COCKPIT – CONTINUOUS]
(The auto-pilot is practically groaning with the effort of controlling the plane.)
KLEIN (CONT'D): I'm taking it down to a warmer altitude. We need to break that ice off. Besides the friction, we'll gain about two degrees Fahrenheit for every thousand feet.
(But, before Klein can begin the descent, an alarm sounds, filling the cockpit with sudden noise.)
KLEIN: Auto-pilot's failed!
(The plane lurches upwards. Klein grabs the yoke and pushes forward on it, struggling to keep the nose down. The plane is losing speed, threatening to stall. Klein keys his headset mic.)
KLEIN: Mayday, Mayday, Washington Center, this is TCA 2413.
(All Chatter on the radio goes silent as Washington Center responds.)
WASHINGTON CENTER: (on radio) Roger, TCA 2413, go ahead.
KLEIN: I am at flight level one-ninezero with an icing problem. I need to descend immediately.
(And suddenly, Washington Center goes to frantic work to clear the path.)
WASHINGTON CENTER: (on radio) Roger that. Northern Atlantic 560, turn left two-two-zero immediately. Break break. Monument 1797, immediate right turn to one-two-zero.
(As the radio chatter continues, Klein pushes the yoke forward, still trying to get the nose down. Klein glances over at Johnny.)
KLEIN: Grab that.
(Klein nods to the identical yoke in front of Johnny.)
JOHNNY: And do what?
KLEIN: Push forward on it as hard as you can. We need to keep the nose down.
(Johnny grabs the yoke and pushes forward. The controls resist, but together, Klein and Johnny make some headway.)
WASHINGTON CENTER: (on radio) TCA 2413, you're cleared to descend to eight-thousand feet.
KLEIN: Eight-thousand. TCA 2413.
(Suddenly, the plane drops like an elevator for a few seconds then lurches up as it regains some lift. Then it bumps again then flies (the plane is stalling; throughout this scene, it will bump then fly, bump then fly, etc.) At the same time, the yoke in Johnny's hand starts vibrating.)
JOHNNY: The stick's shaking.
(A different alarm blares. It's a harsh and strident brackbrack-brack sound.)
KLEIN: That's the stall warning.
(Klein's right hand goes automatically to the throttles, then pauses, looks at Johnny, remembering the warning. But this is everything he's been trained to do…)
KLEIN: We've got to get some airspeed. All my training tells me I have to go to max power.
JOHNNY: If you push the starboard engine to max power, it will explode.
KLEIN: The odds against that happening are astronomical.
JOHNNY: I don't care what the odds are.
(The clock ticks to 10:54.)
JOHNNY: I told you the time it would happen. I told you about the ice.
(Klein moves his hand off the throttles. Mind racing…)
KLEIN: Okay… okay… If I lower the slats, I can get some speed…
(His hand reaches for the slats control (just to the right of the throttles on the pedestal)…)
JOHNNY: Wait…
(He puts his hand on Klein's hand on the controls…)
[A JOHNNY FLASH - THE COCKPIT TURNS UPSIDE DOWN AS THE PLANE GOES INTO A ROLL]
[RESUME]
(Klein still struggles with the yoke.)
JOHNNY: We can't. They're iced up. Plane goes into a roll.
(A huge lurch.)
KLEIN: I need airspeed, god damnit!
(He reaches back to the throttles…)
KLEIN: God forgive me, it's the only thing I know how to do in this situation…
(But he pauses, shakes his head, unable to dismiss Johnny's warnings…)
KLEIN: Fine, the hell with the starboard engine. I'll land this plane on one engine if I can just get that bloody ice off. Full throttle to port engine.
(And Klein pushes the left throttle all the way forward. Now they're going down. The stick stops shaking.)
KLEIN: You can let go now.
(Johnny releases the yoke, Klein maintains his hold on it. The plane surges as they descend rapidly.)
[OMITTED]
[INT. AIRPLANE - MAIN CABIN]
(People scream as the plane dives. More people in this cabin means more panic. The baby still cries. But, there is one infinitely-calm face in the crowd. Kelly. She's back in her old seat. Everyone's strapped in, but their faces are white. Lorraine stands at the front, holding on for dear life… it's a dive just like we saw in Johnny's vision…)
LORRAINE: Stay in your seats with your seat belts fastened! Please remain calm. If oxygen is needed, the mask will drop. Please remember to put your own mask on before helping others around you.
(As we pull back from her and down the aisle, we see… Hands gripping armrests. Wide frightened eyes Meanwhile, in…)
[OMITTED]
[INT. BUSINESS CLASS - CONTINUOUS – NICOLE]
(Is about to be thrown to her death as we saw earlier in Johnny's vision but just then a hand reaches out and grabs her arm and holds on… she reacts, looks to see…)
PURDY: is the one who grabbed her…
(Her arm, the engagement ring showing… and we certainly recall seeing the dismembered arm earlier in the show.)
[INT. AIRPLANE COCKPIT – NIGHT]
(Both men appear to be leaning back slightly as they descend rapidly.)
KLEIN: (under his breath) Come on…
(He's watching… The altimeter is spinning to lower and lower altitudes…)
[OMITTED]
[INT. CABIN - VARIOUS REACTIONS]
(Kelly, Purdy, Black, Lorraine, Nicole…)
[EXT. AIRPLANE - STARBOARD WING – NIGHT]
(The ice softens and finally breaks, flying back off the wing like a comet's tail.)
[INT. AIRPLANE - COCKPIT - NIGHT (+ FORMER SCENE 58)]
(The plane jerks as Klein feels a response in his controls. He pulls back on the yoke and the plane begins to pull out of its dive. The horrible whine of a 5000 ft/minute dive eases down to the steady HUM of normal flight.)
KLEIN: I've got control back. (Laughs in disbelief) It worked.
(Johnny exhales in relief. Klein keys his headset mic.)
KLEIN: Washington Center, this is TCA 2413. We're leveling at eight thousand.
WASHINGTON CENTER: (on radio) Roger, say your intentions.
KLEIN: We'd like to continue to Dulles to land.
WASHINGTON CENTER: (on radio) Roger, turn left to zero-two-zero, maintain eight-thousand feet.
(Black enters. He nurses a cut on his forehead, but otherwise, he's fine. Johnny stands to leave. Klein stops him.)
KLEIN: Mr. Smith… about some of the comments I made earlier…
JOHNNY: Hey, I'm holding you to that free upgrade coupon.
(And exits. As Black settles into his seat, he notices an engine gauge. He whistles softly under his breath.)
KLEIN: What?
BLACK: Check out the starboard engine vibration meter. It's pegged.
KLEIN: It was fine when we checked.
BLACK: Yeah, before the descent. Now, we're losing oil quantity.
(They pause and look at each other in simultaneous realization.)
BLACK: The engine would have seized at max power. The explosion could very well have…
KLEIN: Yeah.
(Klein's face confirms it… he's a believer.)
[OMITTED]
[INT. AIRPLANE - BUSINESS-CLASS]
(People are still seated with their belts on. The Captain's voice comes over the intercom. The flight attendants are back on the job. Johnny approaches his seat.)
KLEIN (O.S.): Ladies and gentlemen, this is Captain Klein. I apologize for the disturbance. We had an emergency situation, but we've resolved the problem. Flight attendants, prepare for landing.
(He sits down next to Purdy and buckles his belt. Purdy just stares at him for a moment. They share a silent moment; no words are necessary.)
[VARIOUS REACTIONS]
(One final sweep of our cabin players: Kelly, Lorraine and Nicole as we hear the reassuring sound of wheels touching down on a tarmac and reverse thrust being successfully deployed… Applause from the passengers. Nicole reaches for the microphone…)
NICOLE: Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that we have landed at Washington's Dulles Airport. Local time is 10:57 PM.
[WITH JOHNNY – CONTINUOUS]
(Off the noise, Johnny and Purdy see the elderly man with the bow tie wake up with a snort. He slept through the whole thing.)
NICOLE'S VOICE (CONT'D): For your safety, please remain seated until the plane comes to a complete stop and the captain turns off the seat belt sign.
JOHNNY: Nice flight, huh…?
(The old fellow grins and nods…)
[EXT. AIRPORT - NIGHT – STOCK]
(As the 737 taxis toward the gate…)
END OF ACT FOUR
THE END
