Sleepless in Seattle Page #17

Jessica is sitting defiantly in a chair in the middle of

the living room. She is being interrogated but she is

not going to talk. There's a clock on the mantel. Sam

is in the room with Jessica's mother and father.

JESSICA'S MOTHER

Jessica, this is not

acceptable.

JESSICA'S FATHER

If you don't tell us right now,

right this minute, I'm going to

kill you.

Jessica rolls her eyes.

She looks over the clock on the mantel. As it ticks

to 8:
30:

JESSICA:

He's on his way to New York.

JESSICA'S MOTHER

What?

SAM:

How?

JESSICA:

(the child of travel

agents)

United 597.

Jessica's mother and father are horrified.

JESSICA'S MOTHER

Jessica!

SAM:

When does it leave?

JESSICA'S FATHER

Eight-thirty.

Everyone looks over at the clock. It says 8:31.

Jessica smiles.

INT. SAM'S CAR - DAY

CLOSE ON SAM:

Driving to the airport.

EXT. HIGHWAY NEAR SEATTLE/TACOMA AIRPORT - DAY

As his car takes the airport exit.

INT. AIRPLANE - DAY

A stewardess bends affectionately over Jonah, ensconced

in the first-class section. He's got his backpack on

his lap and he's holding it.

STEWARDESS:

Here you go... here's a nice pin

for you, for flying with us.

JONAH:

(completely unmoved,

but polite)

Thank you.

STEWARDESS:

You're welcome. Can I take

that for you?

JONAH:

(clutching it even

tighter)

No.

INT. AIRPORT TICKET COUNTER - ON SAM - DAY

at the reservations desk. Desperation.

SAM:

(frantic)

He's about this high, 90

pounds, never combs his hair,

Mariner's hat --

AIRLINE CLERK:

(to his colleagues)

Anyone check in a

unaccompanied minor on the New

York flight?

FIRST CLASS TICKET CLERK

I did.

Sam closes his eyes.

SAM:

I'll kill him.

(beat)

I have to get to New York as

fast as I can.

AIRLINE CLERK:

We can get you on a flight to

Chicago and you can change

planes --

Starting to punch information into the computer.

AIRLINE CLERK:

How will you be paying for

this?

SAM:

(taking out his wallet)

American Express.

(there's no American

Express card in his

wallet)

Visa.

(beat)

I really am going to kill him.

INT. O'HARA AIRPORT - DAY

As Sam comes out of the plane from Seattle and dashes

through the concourse, managing to arrive at the plane

for New York at the very last moment.

INT. KENNEDY AIRPORT - DAY

As Jonah comes out of the plane from Seattle and looks

up to see which way to go. He looks very small. Big

New York passengers in a hurry whiz by with their

carryons dangerously flying at their sides.

EXT. KENNEDY AIRPORT - A FEW MINUTES LATER

Jonah stands in a taxi line.

INT. TAXI - A FEW MINUTES LATER

Jonah sits down in the back seat. Looks up. A big

bruiser of a CAB DRIVER leans back over the seat, sizing

Jonah up.

TAXI DRIVER:

Where to?

JONAH:

Empire State Building.

INT. PLANE TO NEW YORK - DAY

Sam is in an aisle seat. He closes his eyes and

squeezes them tight.

SAM:

(to himself)

Come on... come on... come on...

COMEONCOMEONCOMEONCOMEONCOMEON...

EXT. EMPIRE STATE BUILDING - AFTERNOON

It looks magnificent in the waning afternoon light.

CABBIE'S VOICE

There it is.

We are watching from:

INT. A TAXICAB

where Jonah, with his head out the window, regards the

building with awe.

CABBIE:

What are you gonna do there,

spit off the top?

JONAH:

No. I'm gonna meet...

(trying to figure out

what to call her)

my mother.

INT. RAINBOW ROOM - DUSK

Walter and Annie walking toward their table with the

MAITRE D'.

Annie sits down, looks at the view. Walter starts to

sit, revealing a spectacular view of the EMPIRE STATE

BUILDING directly behind him. Annie's smile fades.

WALTER:

Is something wrong.

Annie shakes her head.

MAITRE D'

May I get you a drink?

WALTER:

Some champagne?

ANNIE:

Fine, fine.

Walter glances back over his shoulder.

WALTER:

Beautiful view, isn't it?

ANNIE:

Walter, there's something I

have to tell you --

EXT. KENNEDY AIRPORT - DUSK

As Sam rushes out of the terminal. Desperate.

A cab pulls up. Sam bolts to the head of the line and

muscles his way into the cab. The other people in line

are irate.

SAM:

Sorry, this is an emergency.

The cab pulls out to a chorus of verbal abuse.

SAM (V.O.)

Empire State Building.

INT. EMPIRE STATE BUILDING LOBBY - DUSK

Jonah, carrying his backpack, walks through the majestic

lobby and follows the arrow to the Observation Deck.

EXT. TOP OF EMPIRE STATE BUILDING - HELICOPTER SHOT - DESK

Looking down on the observation deck. The city below.

The tiny figure of Jonah walks into the middle of the

deck. Looks around.

EXT. 59TH STREET BRIDGE - DUSK

Sam's cab speeds across the bridge and into Manhattan,

heading for the Empire State Building.

INT. TOP OF THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING - DUSK

Jonah is going to take the bull by the horns. He walks

up to a likely-looking WOMAN.

JONAH:

Hi, I'm Jonah. Are you Annie?

WOMAN #1

No.

(smiles at him)

I'm Cynthia.

He spies another unattached woman.

JONAH:

Excuse me, are you Annie?

EXT. RAINBOW ROOM - DUSK

A helicopter shot of Annie talking animatedly to Walter.

And pull back to reveal that the Rainbow Room is

actually being seen by Jonah through a viewscope in:

EXT. EMPIRE STATE BUILDING OBSERVATION DECK - DUSK INTO

NIGHT:

Jonah is looking through the viewfinder. He turns

around, forlorn. He takes off his backpack and is about

to sit down next to it when Sam bolts into the

observation deck.

Jonah leaps into his arms.

SAM:

You're my family. You're all

I've got. What if something

happened to you?

Sam's eyes well up. Jonah starts to cry.

SAM:

What if I couldn't get to you?

JONAH:

I was scared of what you were

gonna do.

SAM:

When I found you?

JONAH:

If I didn't go.

SAM:

Listen, have I ever done

anything really stupid?

JONAH:

No.

SAM:

I mean, so far, have I screwed

it up for you?

JONAH:

No.

The two of them hold each other tight. After a beat:

SAM:

I can't believe you flew first

class.

JONAH:

It was all they had.

INT. RAINBOW ROOM - NIGHT

Annie and Walter. There's champagne in their glasses,

but neither of them has drunk a drop.

ANNIE:

I don't know what to say about

it, Walter. It was a form of

temporary insanity. But I had

to tell you about it because --

WALTER:

(matter-of-fact)

-- it was a betrayal.

ANNIE:

Yes. But it wasn't really. It

was just...

WALTER:

So what happened?

ANNIE:

I told you. Nothing --

WALTER:

At the top of the Empire State

Building --

ANNIE:

I'm not at the top of the

Empire State Building. I'm

here.

WALTER:

Not really.

(beat)

Look, Annie, I love you. Let's

leave that out of it. I don't

want to be someone you're

settling for. I don't want to

be someone anyone settles for.

(beat)

I have a life insurance policy,

I'm fully invested in growth

stocks, I have a paid

subscription to Home Rox

Office, I have no sexual

diseases, I have been steadily

employed in a part of the

economy that isn't soft, I have

expectation in the way of

inherited wealth, I dress

nicely, I am a member of the

private sector, an independent

voter, I don't watch Monday

Night Football, the only thing

wrong with me is that I am

allergic to wheat,

strawberries, penicillin,

pollen, nuts and wool. There

are plenty of women who see me

as the brass ring. If you

don't -- marriage is hard

enough without bringing such

low expectations into it, isn't

it?

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