Flightplan Page #5

Julia is still at Kyle's feet, having made a "FORT" down here

from a blanket and two pillows. She plays with her bear and

that little toy airplane.

One row up, Rhett and Brittany begin SLAPPING EACH OTHER with

their in-flight magazines.

BRITTANY:

Stop it!

RHETT:

I'm not doing anything.

MRS. LOUD

Bob...

MR. LOUD

(at the kids)

Have a heart, okay? You know how Mom

feels about airplanes.

A beat. They look pretty sheepish.

RHETT/BRITTANY

Sorry, Mom.

24C, beside Kyle, remains empty. Across the aisle, seat 24-D

is also empty, but one row back, in 25-D, is a stocky guy in

an ugly sweater. This is GENE CARSON, 45, American.

Carson eyes the Loud kids, then waves over a Flight Attendant

(STEFAN, 28, German.)

CARSON:

Got two questions for you: What're

the movies? And how loud do these

headphones go?

That was Carson's way of joking with Kyle about the nightmare

family in the next row. Kyle grins, getting it.

STEFAN:

Never quite loud enough.

Stefan continues down the aisle... just as Rhett gets one

last slap in on Brittany. Carson sighs. looks to Kyle.

CARSON:

Those back rows are starting to look

pretty attractive.

Kyle breathes out a smile, noting the ten empty rows.

INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - COACH GALLEY #1 - SAME

Stefan enters, greeting MIKE, ESTELLA, and FIONA - three more

Flight Attendants.

STEFAN:

Could be some high-maintenance in Row

23.

ESTELLA:

I heard them.

MIKE:

The people two planes away heard

them.

Knowing laughs all around... but Fiona's smile is a bit thin.

MIKE (CONT'D)

(re:
Fiona)

Hey. Somebody tell the new kid - it's

okay to laugh about the passengers.

ESTELLA:

Honey, it's okay to hate the

passengers.

The Flight Attendants laugh. Estella nudges Fiona and she

relaxes a bit, laughing.

INT. AIRJET - FLIGHT DECK - SAME

Captain MARCUS RICH, (42, English, all-business), and Co-

Pilot WALTHER KAUFMAN, (blond, German, friendlier.)

RICH:

They just shut down Frankfurt.

KAUFMAN:

Thank God we aren't going to

Frankfurt.

RICH:

We may not be going anywhere.

Kaufman nods knowingly. Then a blast of DE-ICING SOLUTION

shoots out at them from a CREW on a motorized cherry-picker.

EXT. TARMAC - APRON - SAME

The cherry-picker moves the DE-ICING CREW in their haz-mat

winter gear, toward the wing. Below, CARTS bring LUGGAGE to a

BELT LOADER which feeds the luggage into the Airjet's holds.

INT. UPPER DECK - ROW 23/24 - SAME

Stefan passes by, doing a head count, as we hear:

RICH (THRU P.A. SYSTEM)

Good evening, Ladies and Gentleman,

this is your Captain speaking. We've

just received clearance to push away

from the gate. Should be off the

ground shortly.

Mrs. Loud tightens. Her husband strokes her hand. Stefan adds

them to his headcount, then breezes by Kyle's row - where

Julia continues to play on the floor, inside her "fort."

Just then, a loud SOUND - coming from outside Julia's window,

nearly sends Mrs. Loud out of her seat.

MRS. LOUD

Bob? Bob? What was that?!

It was a sheet of ICE, sliding off the wing. Julia pops up

from her fort to find that DE-ICING CREW, at work.

MR. LOUD (O.S.)

I dunno, Honey. But I'm sure it's

nothing to worry about.

Julia looks to Kyle, who leans in:

KYLE:

They have to knock the ice off the

wings, or the plane's too heavy.

That was good enough for Julia... but Mrs. Loud didn't hear

it, and she's looking pretty anxious.

JULIA:

You should tell her, mom.

KYLE:

Huh?

JULIA:

Maybe if you told her about your job

she'd feel safer.

Kyle pauses, touched. For a fleeting moment it's almost

possible to forget the tragedy that just floored them both,

only days ago. Then a huge reminder rolls toward them...

It's a FORKLIFT, approaching the Airjet, bearing a single

piece of cargo:
David's CASKET.

The forklift nears the forward hold of this Airjet, then

vanishes from our view.

Julia's face just drops. That's her dad in there. Kyle sighs.

KYLE:

You just sleep, Sweetheart. When you

wake up we'll be somewhere else.

JULIA:

Daddy too?

KYLE:

Yeah. Daddy too.

Julia looks out her window, lost.

Then she steams that window up with her breath, and draws a

little heart in the steam, with her finger.

A tiny, clumsy heart. Kyle's too touched to speak.

Julia rests her head against Kyle's shoulder. Kyle covers her

with that overcoat again.

EXT. BERLIN AIRPORT - RUNWAY - NIGHT

The Airjet thunders down the runway, visibility near zero.

INT. AIRJET - MAIN DECK - SAME

We DOLLY DOWN THE AISLE as the plane rumbles. Some passengers

read, or listen to music. Some are already asleep.

Then the nose rises powerfully, into that heavy weather, and

we detect the signs of strain on some faces.

INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - ROW 23/24 - CONTINUING

Mrs. Loud is just about hyperventilating with fear - mumbling

about the climb's being too steep.

That makes Julia a bit uptight, so:

KYLE:

Hey, how'd ya like to have a whole

row to yourself?

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