Flight Page #21

CHARLIE steps between them as this exchange spirals.

WHIP:

What f***ing life?! Don’t kill

yourself on my account, Hugh.

WHIP starts to walk away.

HUGH:

Okay, I’m done here. I’m running

out a faith that this guy’s gonna

make it, Charlie.

WHIP:

(turns on Hugh)

You wanna talk about me like I’m

not here? Like I’m f***ing dead?

HUGH:

(to Whip now)

This NTSB hearing is a Federal

Agency Hearing. Do you understand

that? It’s in 10 days and if I

show up with you like this?!

WHIP turns and walks. HUGH wheels on CHARLIE and lights him

up.

HUGH (CONT’D)

Everything we’ve done? Everything

I’ve done? Goes out the window.

That’s not on me. I did my job.

It’s your job, Charlie, to get him

straight and get him to the church

on time.

115.

WHIP:

Yeah Charlie just get him home.

Sober him up long enough to save

the union’s contract and that fat

f***’s airline. F*** you. I

shoulda died on that plane.

106

WHIP walks away from them -- away from the bright, clean, 106

shiny floor of the hangar and into the growing rain storm.

EXT. ROAD OUTSIDE THE WHITAKER FARM -- DAY

The rain has subsided as WHIP pulls up to his driveway.

Whip turns into the driveway and spots a NEWS VAN in front of

his house. He makes a U-turn and speeds away.

EXT. NICE MODEST SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD -- DAY

The rain has completely stopped but everything remains wet as

WHIP bangs his front tire in to the curb as he attempts to

park in front of a well-maintained house.

INT. WHIP’S BUICK -- PARKED - SAME TIME

111

WHIP checks the mirrors before taking a long drink from a 111

large orange juice bottle.

EXT. NICE MODERN SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD -- MOMENTS LATER

WHIP gets out of his car and makes his way across the street

and towards the house. We notice...

The DRIVER OF A BLACK PRIUS that has been parked farther down

the street gets out of his car, talking on a cell phone.

EXT. FRONT DOOR -- NICE SUBURBAN HOME -- SAME TIME

WHIP walks up the steps and knocks on the door. He waits a

beat and knocks again. Finally, it opens --DEANA, an

attractive, well-dressed woman in her 40’s, stands there

staring.

DEANA:

What are you doing here?

WHIP:

It’s lovely to see you too Deana.

May I come in?

116.

DEANA takes a moment before stepping aside to allow WHIP in.

INT. SUBURBAN HOME -- SAME TIME

WHIP glides into the kitchen of this fastidiously kept home.

WHIP:

Thought I‘d come see you and Will.

(calls out, loudly)

KNUCKLES! YOU HERE?

(it’s very quiet)

We haven’t talked at all since this

whole thing happened and I just

thought we should talk.

DEANA:

You know that I prefer that you

call us.

WHIP:

Call you? Like anyone in this

house has called me in the last

three years to say anything other

than “Where’s the money?”

DEANA:

Have you been drinking?

WHIP:

Well that took...what? 17 seconds?

(fake checks his watch)

It took 17 seconds for you-

DEANA:

I’m gonna ask you to step outside

of the house, please.

WHIP:

(has continued to rant)

LADIES and GENTLEMEN it took

EXACTLY 17 SECONDS FOR DEANA

COLEMAN to ask me if I have been

drinking! A NEW WORLD RECORD!

DEANA:

I’m calling the police.

WHIP:

You’re asking me to leave the house

I bought for you?! Very good.

WILL (O.S.)

I’m telling you to leave.

117.

WHIP turns to see his 16 year old son, WILL, standing at the

foot of the stairs near the door.

WHIP:

William Whitaker, junior. The man

of the house. Nice of you to call

me back.

WILL:

I’m telling you to leave.

WHIP:

You are? Are you the man of the

house?

WILL:

You upset my mother. You gotta go.

WHIP:

I’m your father, tough guy.

WILL:

You’re a drunk. Now get the f***

out!

WHIP:

You don’t know who the f*** I am!

WILL:

(pulling open the door)

I sure don’t.

WHIP:

What did you say?

WILL:

I said, “I sure don’t.” Why don’t

you tell me? Who the f*** are

you?! Who are you? Huh? WHO ARE

YOU?!

DEANA now steps between them and pushes WILL towards the

stairs as she puts her hand on the doorknob.

WHIP:

I’m outta here. I’m outta here. I

know where I’m not wanted.

WHIP turns quietly. He opens the door and walks outside to

find...

118.

A GROWING GALLERY OF NEWS RATS START JOSTLING FOR PICS

WHIP is completely caught off guard. They step right onto

the tiny landing with him.

Through the fracas we hear a variety of questions lobbed at

WHIP.

DEANA’S PORCH REPORTER #1

How come you won’t talk to the

press?

DEANA’S PORCH REPORTER #2

A lot of people are going out of

their way to keep you out of the

media, are you hiding something?

We hear the squelch of a police siren as a COP CAR lands on

the scene.

DEANA’S PORCH REPORTER #3

Do you still live here, Captain

Whitaker?

DEANA’S PORCH REPORTER #1

How well did you know Katerina

Marquez, the flight attendant that

died?

A REPORTER trips down the stairs. WHIP grabs one of these

news rats and just before pounding him, he breaks in to a

relaxed smile.

WHIP:

Folks, please give us some room.

(gets down the stairs)

At the appropriate time I will tell

my story. Now is a time for

grieving and taking care of those

injured. Thank you. I appreciate

your interest in me but I ask that

you leave my family in peace.

The GALLERY quiets to listen and record his words. WHIP

again is incredibly smooth and intuitive while drunk and

under pressure. We can hear the squawking of POLICE SIRENS

approaching.

WHIP starts to head down the porch and the frenzy erupts

again.

119.

The POLICE begin to disperse the NEWS RATS. WHIP pulls an

officer aside.

WHIP:

I’m Captain Whitaker, I was-

YOUNG COP:

Yes sir, I know who you are.

WHIP:

Can you get me to my car?

YOUNG COP:

(studies him)

Anything you need, sir.

WHIP walks with the YOUNG COP who shields him from the fray.

INT. WHIP’S BUICK -- DEANA’S STREET -- MINUTES LATER

We can see the YOUNG COP standing in front of the driver side

door, shielding WHIP from the press who stay away.

116

WHIP exhales, trying to slow his racing heart and head. He’s116

drunk but controlled. He looks at his hands. They are

shaking.

INT. CHARLIE’S HOUSE -- OFFICE - CLOSE ON TELEVISION - NIGHT

We see WHIP on the TV repeating the speech he gave reporters

on DEANA’s front lawn...

WHIP:

Now is a time for grieving and

taking care of those injured.

Thank you. I appreciate your

interest in me but I ask that you

leave my family in peace.

A REPORTER now wraps up the piece...

TELEVISION:

A reasonable request from a quiet,

heroic man who’s been through so

much. This is Tilda Banden

reporting from Devonwood.

Now a DESK ANCHOR changes stories...

120.

DESK ANCHOR:

In a related story, tonight at 10

Cale Rawson talks with aviation

experts to see if the tragedy of

flight 227 could have been avoided.

We boom down to find WHIP who looks drained as he sits on

CHARLIE’s couch in the fastidiously neat office. WHIP holds

an unlit smoke.

The WOODEN POCKET DOORS SLIDE OPEN and CHARLIE’s WIFE

gestures towards WHIP. WHIP stands as CHARLIE enters.

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