Up in the Air Page #11

ALEX:

You’re not going to answer? You’re

just going to tell me a story?

RYAN:

(smiles, continues story)

It was January and I had just

gotten my driver’s license. The

lakes were frozen over, so we piled

into my car and hit the ice to do

donuts. When, out of nowhere, I hit

a soft spot and the hood of my car

tilted up and I was sinking

backwards into the water.

ALEX:

Jesus...

RYAN:

I literally started to drown.

Within a few seconds, I black out.

Then, I wake up in the sky. I’m in a

helicopter, laying on a stretcher.

This guy in a uniform is telling me I

was minutes away from dying.

ALEX:

Oh my God.

67.

RYAN:

Right?

(relives it for a second)

So just as we’re hovering over the

hospital, I sit up. And from there,

I could see the whole western

horizon. We’d been flying twenty

minutes. Twenty minutes to reach a

city I’d thought of as remote,

halfway across the state... a

foreign capital.

(A beat)

My parents had taught me we lived

in the best place on Earth, but now

I could see the world was really

just one place and comparing didn’t

make much sense. And I remember

thinking - Don’t tell me this isn’t

an age of miracles. Don’t tell me

we can’t be everywhere at once.

The idea settles in. Ryan returns to the point.

RYAN:

I don’t know what originally

sparked the back pack. I probably

needed to be alone. Recently, I’ve

been thinking that maybe I needed

to empty the bag before I knew what

to put back in.

And now they kiss. It’s notably different from their previous

kisses. Now, when they lock lips, we are reminded why people

kiss in the first place.

Then, all of a sudden, the lights go out on the boat. The

motor has stopped. Ryan and Alex look back to find the

software dude stepping out of the galley, drunk.

SOFTWARE DUDE:

Hey... I think we’re out of gas.

Ryan and Alex look out to shore... about 500 yards away. For

whatever reason, they just start cracking up.

EXT. PONTOON BOAT - NIGHT

Ryan and Alex are huddled under a blanket in the corner of

the rubber boat as it putters its way to shore.

Cold, soaked, and smiling.

Natalie and David are there too... still kissing.

68.

EXT. BEACH - NIGHT

Everyone gets out of the boat in the cold knee deep water and

splashes up to shore.

INT. LOBBY, MIAMI HILTON - NIGHT

Ryan and Alex followed by Natalie and her make-out buddy,

soaked from the knee down, holding their shoes, scamper into

the hotel on the balls of their feet.

INT. RYAN’S HOTEL ROOM, MIAMI HILTON - NEXT MORNING

Ryan’s eyes flutter awake to see Alex getting dressed.

RYAN:

Hey, you’re up...

ALEX:

Got to fly stand-by and make a

meeting in Milwaukee.

RYAN:

(disappointed)

Oh... Okay.

ALEX:

(notices, teasing)

Oh, no. I made you feel cheap.

RYAN:

Yeah, all right... Just leave the

money on the dresser.

ALEX:

(sweetly)

I’ll text you later so we can swap

schedules.

Alex gives him a peck. Ryan takes her wrist so she can’t leave.

RYAN:

I can’t remember the last time I

enjoyed spending time with someone

as much as you.

ALEX:

Neither can I.

They kiss again and he lets go. Alex leaves and the door

closes. Ryan just lays in bed for a moment.

69.

INT. CAFE - MIAMI HILTON - MORNING

Ryan and Natalie have a quiet breakfast. Natalie looks pretty

worse for wear.

In the background is a TRAVELING SALESMAN rolling calls. He

perks up for each message then goes back to being miserable.

Meanwhile, after a little silent eating...

NATALIE:

Last night got a little out of

hand. I said things... I don’t

remember everything I said. I just

didn’t want you to think...

RYAN:

Just relax. It was nice to see you

cut loose. So, did you wake him up

or slip out?

NATALIE:

What?

RYAN:

This morning... Your new friend.

Did you wake him for an awkward

good bye or just slip out so he

could feel like a whore.

NATALIE:

(not proud)

I... just left.

RYAN:

Protocol is always tricky.

NATALIE:

I didn’t know what was right.

RYAN:

Sometimes there really is no right

thing to do.

This doesn’t comfort her.

EXT. OCEAN BOARDWALK, MIAMI - DAY

The walkway overlooks a large MARINA filled with giant

YACHTS. Ryan and Natalie are doing the photo thing with the

CUT OUT of the engagement portrait again.

70.

NATALIE:

What happened to Alex?

RYAN:

Had to skip town early to make a

meeting.

NATALIE:

That’s too bad. Where does she live?

RYAN:

Chicago.

NATALIE:

You thinking of going to see her?

RYAN:

I don’t know. We just don’t have

that kind of relationship.

NATALIE:

What kind of relationship do you

have?

RYAN:

It’s, you know. Casual.

NATALIE:

Sounds pretty special.

RYAN:

It works for us.

NATALIE:

Think there’s any future there?

RYAN:

Never thought about it. What’s

going on here?

NATALIE:

Really never thought about it?

RYAN:

(a good lie)

No.

NATALIE:

How can you not think about these

things? How does it not even cross

your mind that you might want to

have a future with somebody?

71.

RYAN:

It’s simple, you know that moment

when you look into someone’s eyes

and you feel them looking right

into your soul, and the whole world

goes quiet for a second.

NATALIE:

(finally, a break through)

Yes.

RYAN:

Right. Well, I don’t.

NATALIE:

You’re an a**hole.

Natalie knocks over the CUT OUT and stands up.

RYAN:

Oh come on, I’m just dicking

around. I need your help...

NATALIE:

Don’t you think it’s worth giving

her a chance?

RYAN:

A chance to what?

NATALIE:

A chance at something real?

RYAN:

Natalie, your definition of “real”

is going to evolve as you get

older...

NATALIE:

Would you stop condescending for

one second? Or is that one of the

principles of your bullshit

philosophy?

RYAN:

Bullshit philosophy?

NATALIE:

The isolation? The traveling? Is

that supposed to be charming?

RYAN:

No, it’s simply a life choice.

72.

NATALIE:

It’s a cocoon of self-banishment.

RYAN:

Wow. Big words.

NATALIE:

Screw you.

RYAN:

Well, screw you too.

NATALIE:

You’ve set up a way of life that

basically makes it impossible for

you to make any human connections.

Now, somehow, this woman runs the

gauntlet of your ridiculous “life

choice” and comes out the other end

with a smile - Just so you can call

her casual. Jesus. I need to grow

up? You’re a twelve year old.

Natalie begins walking away.

RYAN:

I don’t have a gauntlet of...

A GUST OF WIND suddenly blows the CUTOUT across the boardwalk

into the OCEAN.

RYAN:

... F***!

Ryan goes running after the cutout. He climbs down a GANGWAY

to a dock that is closest to the CUTOUT, which is beginning

to sink in the filthy water.

Ryan reaches... and reaches... and just as he’s got a finger

tip on the photo... FALLS IN.

INT. BATHROOM, MIAMI HILTON - DAY

Ryan, still damp from the ocean, is drying the CUTOUT with a

hair dryer.

INT. CONCOURSE, MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - DAY

We’re following the CUTOUT HEADS popping out of the ROLL-AWAY

like earlier, only now they are slightly faded and bent from

their trip in the harbor.

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