Flight Page #18

WHIP:

Yeah and I had two glasses of wine.

And they might ask you about my

condition that morning and if you

thought I had anything to drink.

MARGARET appears speechless...

WHIP (CONT’D)

What?

MARGARET:

I’ve known you 11 years and you’re

gonna stand here and tell me you

and Trina went to dinner and you

drank two glasses of wine? Sounds

like a nice restaurant Whip, which

one was it?

WHIP:

You have to tell them it was an

ordinary day. I mean it was an

ordinary day. You know I was in

shape to fly. You have a problem

with saying that?

MARGARET:

It’s a lie. Whip, it’s a lie.

Trina told me you two hadn’t been

to sleep.

WHIP:

My lack of sleep made the plane

fall apart, huh Margaret? I’m just

trying to get it straight. You

think that another pilot would have

been able to land that plane and

save more lives?

MARGARET:

I didn’t say that Whip. I can’t

imagine another pilot doing

97.

WHIP:

Well can you imagine Trevor at this

same church looking at you in that

box in there? Or my son having to

come and see me in prison?

MARGARET fights tears as WHIP has struck a blow.

MARGARET:

Please Whip, enough. Don’t you

think we’ve all had enough.

(Whip is quiet)

What do you want me to say?

WHIP:

It was an ordinary day. The storm

right after we took off was very

severe, but as far as the flight

crew was concerned it was a

perfectly ordinary day.

The tears flow now as MARGARET can’t hold them in. WHIP

realizes he’s gone too far. Not knowing what to do, WHIP

walks away.

EXT. PEACH STREET DRUGS - AZURE BLUE SKY OF AUTUMN --

PHARMACY -- PARKING LOT - DAY

WHIP watches an airliner fly over head as he stands by his

car smoking a cigarette. He wears his suit from the funeral.

NICOLE approaches. She’s in a great mood.

NICOLE:

Are you okay? How was it?

WHIP:

It was okay, okay. How’re you

doin’?

A beat.

NICOLE:

Well, I got through my first day.

They haven’t fired me.

WHIP:

That’s good. Cause for a

celebration.

NICOLE:

They needed someone to work the

night shift. They asked me and

it’s time and a half so...

98.

She sorts through her shoulder bag...

NICOLE (CONT'D)

I gotta vest and here’s my name

tag. Oh oh oh....I got you

something..

(hands him a nice lighter)

It’s a P-51 mustang on there...

(flies her arms like

wings)

You’re dad flew a P-51, right?

WHIP:

(stares at the lighter)

He did. So should we get some

dinner?

NICOLE:

I promised Sheila I would be at the

meeting tonight. She's the one

that’s been helping me, my sponsor.

Can we do it tomorrow night? And

Please, Whip don’t make me choose

between dinner with you and the

meeting.

WHIP nods, playing with the lighter.

WHIP:

No, it’s okay. You should go.

NICOLE:

Why don’t you come with me? We’ll

eat after. It’s an open meeting.

WHIP:

Open meeting?

NICOLE:

That means anybody can come.

Anybody.

WHIP:

Even me?

She is bubbling with happy spirit; she’s hot. She’s hard to

deny as WHIP can’t help but smile at her.

INT. ST. FRANCIS CATHOLIC CHURCH -- ATLANTA -- NIGHT

A MAN stands at a podium wearing a coat and tie. He is lost

in the energized retell of a story.

99.

A.A. SPEAKER # 1

The cop is shining his flashlight

on me. I’m standing there behindthe dumpster, wearing nothing butmy girlfriend’s panties, vomit onmy chest and I say to thecop...about two beers.

The room erupts with laughter. NICOLE is really taken by thecandor of the speaker as she joins the room in laughter.

A.A. SPEAKER # 1 (CONT’D)

That’s why they call me “Two-Beer”

Barry.

BARRY makes eye contact with a STERN LOOKING OLD TIMER.

BARRY holds up a loose leaf binder and addresses the man...

A.A. SPEAKER # 1 (CONT’D)

Don’t worry Ed, I got the format

right here. I’m sorry, Ed’s giving

me the stink eye. Let me get back

to the format...

(reads from the format)

I’m Barry. I’m an alcoholic.

THE ASSEMBLY:

(in unison)

Hi Barry.

A.A. SPEAKER # 1

Are there any other alcoholics

present?

WHIP glances around to find himself in a sea of raised-handed

alcoholics. A few look at WHIP with no judgement.

A.A. SPEAKER # 1 (CONT’D)

I like meetings that have us allidentify. Because it makes me tell

the truth about who I am. It

reminds that I never ever told the

truth. I lied about everything.

My whole life had been a lie. And

I was told that I would never getsober if I kept lying.

WHIP is very reserved, poker-faced.

A.A. SPEAKER #1

I mean, lying’s what I’m good at.

If I know anything in this life

it’s how to lie, especially about

my drinking.

100.

We pan the faces and everyone seems immediately connected.

Except WHIP who leans over to NICOLE.

WHIP:

I gotta go. Okay?

(Nicole nods)

Can uh...

(points to Sheila)

NICOLE:

Yeah, Sheila. She can take me back

to work.

SHEILA:

(extends her hand)

I’m Sheila.

WHIP shakes her hand before quickly escaping as if from a

fire. We stay close on WHIP’s face as he walks out. BARRY

continues his pitch.

A.A. SPEAKER #1

Like I said, I would lie about

everything. It didn’t matter what

it was. My whole life had been a

lie. A series of lies strung

together by me. And when I drank?

It was worse. What I came to

understand was that, my lies were

killing me. And that remains the

great fact for me...My lies will

kill me.

93 WHIP is gone. 93

INT. ROUND TABLE RESTAURANT -- BAR -- MINUTES LATER

WHIP enters the bar and we hear off camera a voice coming

from the TV above the bar.

PIERS MORGAN (O.S.)

The NTSB is focusing their

investigation on the flight crew,

specifically Captain Whitaker.

KEN EVANS (O.S.)

Sir, I am not at liberty to discuss

Captain Whitaker or any of the

flight crew.

WHIP looks up to the TV.

101.

CLOSE UP TELEVISION -- KEN EVANS IS ON TV LIVE FROM HIS

HOSPITAL BED.

KEN EVANS:

(on television)

And in truth, I don’t have much to

say about him.

PIERS MORGAN:

(on a split screen)

So, safe to say that he remains a

mystery.

KEN EVANS:

(on television)

Sir, those are your words not mine.

WHIP exits as fast as he arrived. He’s gone. PIERS MORGAN

continues from the TV...

PIERS MORGAN:

(on television)

I’ve been speaking to some people

who are very close to the NTSB

investigation and they are very

confident that they will be able to

determine exactly what brought this

plane down.

KEN EVANS:

(on television)

I’m sure they will sir.

PIERS MORGAN:

(on television)

Thank you, Ken and Vicki Evans.

KEN EVANS:

(on television)

Thank you, and God bless.

INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY -- NIGHT

WHIP steps off an elevator and walks down the quiet hospital

hallway toward a room where a few TECHNICIANS are packing up

the last bits of TV equipment.

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM -- KEN EVANS’ ROOM -- NIGHT

WHIP stands in the doorway and addresses EVANS...

102.

WHIP:

How’re you feeling, Ken?

EVANS stares at WHIP with a blank look.

EVANS:

Happy to be alive.

VICKI EVANS:

Blessed to be alive.

WHIP:

I’m Captain Whitaker, I was flying-

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