Flight Page #12

INT. WHITAKER FARM -- BATHROOM -- MOMENTS LATER

WHIP pours the pain pills into the toilet. He then opens the

medicine cabinet and starts to empty all of the bottles into

the toilet.

INT. WHITAKER FARM -- KITCHEN -- MOMENTS LATER

WHIP goes to the collection of liquor bottles next to the

sink that act as a makeshift bar. He picks up a bottle of

vodka. He unscrews the cap and sniffs the contents. He

slowly tips the bottle and pours it into the sink.

Whip opens the refrigerator and removes an assortment of

beers. He pops them open and pours them in the sink. The

faucet running to offset the pungent smell.

64.

INT. BEDROOM -- MOMENTS LATER

Whip opens a dresser drawer and finds a couple of zip-lock

bags of “bud” hidden under the socks.

INT. BATHROOM -- MOMENTS LATER

Whip dumps the weed into the toilet and FLUSHES it.

INT. LIVING ROOM -- MOMENTS LATER

A cigarette dangles from WHIP’s mouth as he ferrets around

the room, showing the focus and determination of a serial

killer cleaning his kill site. He finds rolling papers,

roaches, more liquor and weed -- he reaches into the Shell

Bag that’s hanging next to the shotgun rack and finds another

“pint.”

INT. KITCHEN -- LATER

Whip opens the freezer to put in his frozen dinner and his

“packet of veal” and finds another fifth of vodka.

He pours the vodka in the sink and tosses the bottle into the

trash -- which is piled high with empties.

Through the kitchen window, Whip sees the farm’s old

weathered barn. Whip furrows his brow.

EXT. WHITAKER FARM -- BARN -- DAY

WHIP slides open the heavy barn doors to reveal -- A VINTAGE

CESSNA 172 -- covered in dust and bird sh*t from the years of

stagnant storage.

WHIP lights a smoke as he marvels at the little piece of

aviation history resting in his barn.

INT. WHITAKER FARM -- BARN -- AIRPLANE -- DAY

Whip walks past the plane and starts to examine the large,

two-story, open-ceilinged barn that is junked full of farm

equipment and old furniture. He finds...

A WALL OF PHOTOS -- WHIP WITH HIS FATHER NEXT TO A PLANE.

HIS GRANDFATHER, FATHER and WHIP pose next to the barn.

A CROP DUSTER acts as the background for a picture with a 15

year old WHIP and his father next to a small plane.

65.

A series of pictures feature the PLANE in flight and SHOTS

TAKEN FROM THE PLANE, aerials of the farm, etc.

WHIP holds the framed shot of he and his dad as he walks back

to the plane, resting his arm on the wing.

WHIP pulls himself from the wall of photos and stares at his

stuff. We recognize what must be the stuff he took from his

house after his divorce. We see bikes, weights and fishing

gear.

Whip rummages through a box of things packed from his home

office. Trophies, sports memorabilia, citations -- A PHOTO OF

HE AND HIS WIFE from happier times. THEIR WEDDING PHOTO.

Now Whip comes upon A FRAMED BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO of he and

Charlie in their younger, Navy days -- wearing flight suits

and standing on a carrier flight deck in front of an F-14

Tomcat. Big smiles, full of hotshot pilot swagger.

WHIP puts the photo back and spots his golf bag. He roots

out a pint of cheap vodka from the inner pocket.

Next he finds a fifth of bourbon in his bicycle saddle bag.

He goes to the workbench and removes a couple of bottles from

the paint shelf.

EXT. BARN -- DAY

63

Whip dumps out the liquor onto the grass as he hobbles back 63

to the house.

EXT. WHITAKER FARM -- NIGHT

65

WHIP uses just his cane now as he drags a garbage bag full of65

empty liquor bottles to his garbage cans. He tosses the bag

of empties in a can. His work done, WHIP lights a smoke and

stares at the empty fields that run forever as does the

landscape of his mind. He quietly tries to grasp the horror

he endured and the reality of his survival.

INT. KITCHEN TABLE -- LATER THAT NIGHT

We hear the microwave beep and WHIP retrieves a frozen

dinner.

66.

INT. WHITAKER FARM--LIVING ROOM DESK AREA--MOMENTS LATER

WHIP sits at the coffee table eating his frozen dinner while

watching news coverage of the crash.

PHONE RINGS:

WHIP is startled by the phone that never rings. He snaps off

the TV using the remote.

WHIP is in no hurry to answer the phone as the old time ring

continues. WHIP goes to the desk where the phone rests and

he watches the old answering machine click on. We hear...

WHIP’S FATHER’S VOICE

You’ve reached the Whitaker Crop

Dusting Company, flying lessons and

plane rides. Please leave a message

and it will be returned. Thank

you.

VOICE MAIL:

...I think that was the beep. Hey

Cowboy, it’s Charlie again.

WHIP reaches for the phone but decides to just listen to

CHARLIE...

CHARLIE:

(speaking to voicemail)

I’m back in town and I stopped by

the hospital tonight but they said

you went home...so I guess you’re

feelin’ pretty good, but um we went

out to your condo and the manager

said you had not returned.

INT. CARR’S OFFICE -- ATLANTA BASEBALL STADIUM -- NIGHT

CHARLIE sits at a beautiful wooden table in a modern glass-

walled office above a baseball field. The table is populated

with casually-dressed businessmen and lawyers as this after-

hours meeting was called on the fly.

CRASH SCENE PHOTOS and FILES fill the table top. We also see

a photo or two of the WHITAKER FARM.

VOICE MAIL:

So...you may be with relatives,

which I understand. I was really

hoping to see you for breakfast.

I’m at the St. Regis downtown.

67.

There’s an executive buffet on the

16th floor - 10 o’clock, okay? If

you get this, please come. Some

important stuff to cover. Be good.

INT. WHITAKER FARM -- LIVING ROOM -- DESK AREA -- NIGHT

WHIP stands still as a beep sounds, ending the message.

INT. ST. REGIS HOTEL -- EXECUTIVE BUFFET -- MORNING

The executive buffet is a staple at the ST. REGIS. A long

center table with silver trays houses eggs and breakfast

meats. Fruit, bagels and a staff of servers cater to the

business elite of Atlanta.

CHARLIE ANDERSON sits at a corner table with HUGH LANG, a

young, well-dressed African American man. CHARLIE and HUGH

are chatting in jocular spirit when WHIP approaches, walking

much more confidently with his cane.

CHARLIE:

Whip, hey buddy. Glad you got my

message. Grab a seat.

WHIP studies HUGH as he pulls out his chair.

CHARLIE (CONT’D)

Whip this is Hugh Lang; he’s an

attorney from Chicago.

HUGH stands and shakes hands with WHIP.

HUGH:

Nice to meet you Captain Whitaker.

WHIP and HUGH remain standing, both feeling a little “alpha.”

CHARLIE:

Siddown. Coffee?

(Whip nods, sits)

Miss, can we get some fresh coffee?

She smiles and nods. She’s off to get the coffee.

CHARLIE (CONT’D)

We were just talking about your

copilot’s wife. She told a

newspaper that “God landed that

plane.”

68.

WHIP:

God landed the plane?

WHIP just stares at the two men who have large buffet plates

surrounding them.

CHARLIE:

I too believe that God landed that

plane. The same way I believe that

God should hit the buffet, the

turkey sausage is excellent.

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