Up in the Air Page #15

RYAN:

I haven’t been to bat. I haven’t

been in the dugout.

KARA:

Don’t you talk for a living?

Motivational type stuff?

RYAN:

I tell people how to avoid commitment.

A beat.

KARA:

What kind of f***ed up message is that?

RYAN:

It’s a philosophy.

KARA:

It’s stupid.

RYAN:

Hey, it might have helped you.

A beat of stalemate.

KARA:

Come on, Ryan. You haven’t been

around much. F***, you basically

don’t exist to us. I know you want

to be there for her... Well here it

is. This is your chance.

Ryan takes a breath.

INT. SUNDAY SCHOOL ROOM, CHURCH - DAY

Ryan quietly steps in to find Jim, half dressed in a tux

reading the children’s book “The Velveteen Rabbit”. Jim

sniffles. Ryan goes to leave, when...

JIM:

Ryan?

RYAN:

Oh, hey Jim.

95.

JIM:

You ever read this?

RYAN:

Yeah, it’s pretty powerful stuff.

JIM:

I’ll say.

RYAN:

Kara mentioned you were having

some... thoughts?

Jim puts down the book.

JIM:

I don’t think I can do this.

RYAN:

Okay. What makes you say that today?

JIM:

I was just laying there last night

in bed and I couldn’t sleep. I was

thinking about the wedding and the

ceremony and all. Us buying a house

and moving in together. Having a

kid... Having another kid...

(begins to snowball)

... Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring

break, football games, all of a sudden

they’re out of school, getting jobs,

getting married, And then, you know...

I’m a grandparent. I’m retired. Before

you know it - I’m dead... and I just

kept thinking... “What’s the point?”

Ryan gulps. F***.

JIM (CONT’D)

(now asking Ryan directly)

I mean what is the point?

RYAN:

The point?

JIM:

Yeah, I mean, what am I starting here?

RYAN:

(dancing)

It’s marriage... it’s the most

beautiful thing on Earth... you

know, what everyone aspires to...

96.

JIM:

You never got married.

RYAN:

That’s true...

JIM:

You never even tried.

RYAN:

Well, it’s hard to define “try”.

JIM:

You seem happier than most of my

married friends.

Ryan takes a beat.

RYAN:

Jim, I’m not going to lie. Marriage

can be a pain in the ass. And

you’re kind of right - All of this

is just stuff on the way to your

eventual demise.

CUT TO:

KARA EAVESDROPPING AT THE DOOR WITH A LOOK OF COLD FEAR

BACK TO:

RYAN (CONT’D)

We are all on running clocks that

cannot be slowed down or paused and

they all lead to the same place.

Some guys leave marks that last

beyond their own mortality. Not guys

like you and me... But some. But

even those footprints disappear.

(a beat)

There isn’t a “point”.

Jim sinks a little.

RYAN (CONT’D)

I’m not the guy you’d normally want

to talk to about all this stuff...

But think about it - your favorite

memories. The greatest moments of

your life? Were you alone?

97.

JIM:

(thinks about it)

No... I guess not.

RYAN:

I don’t want to sound like a

Hallmark card, but... Life? It’s

better with company.

Jim nods.

RYAN (CONT’D)

Come to think of it... Last night,

the night before your wedding, when

all this sh*t was circling through

your head... Weren’t you two

sleeping in separate rooms?

JIM:

Yeah, Julie went back to the

apartment and I was all alone in

that big honeymoon suite...

Jim chuckles to himself.

RYAN:

Kind of lonely?

JIM:

Yeah.

RYAN:

Hey. Everybody needs a copilot.

This resonates with Jim and he can’t help but smile.

JIM:

That’s a nice touch.

RYAN:

Thanks.

JIM:

What’s the mood like out there?

RYAN:

It’s not good... Emotional.

JIM:

What should I do?

RYAN:

(twinkle in his eye)

Go get her.

98.

INT. ENTRY, CHURCH

Jim walks over to the huddle of bride’s maids. They part and

let him in. He kneels at Julie’s feet...

JIM:

I’m sorry I’m such a f*** up...

Will you be my co-pilot?

Julie gives him a perplexed look before smiling and falling

into his arms. Tears and smiles spread amongst the girls.

Kara walks over to Ryan and pats him on the shoulder.

KARA:

Welcome home.

MONTAGE BEGINS AS A SERIES OF IMAGES:

-Ryan and Alex getting dressed in a little kitchen in the

church. They’re in a hurry and a little sloppy, but there’s a

crooked joy in their faces.

-Jim standing at the alter with the priest getting a pat on

the back from his best man.

-Julie getting walked to the alter by Jim’s uncle. They pass

Ryan, who looks on proudly.

-The priest gives his blessings.

- Jim raises Julie’s veil. They kiss.

-Wedding attendees file into the Chalet Suites Banquet Hall.

-Ryan and Alex mingle with their table.

RYAN:

Hi, I’m Ryan.

WEDDING GUEST:

I’m your cousin... Harold.

RYAN:

Oh, hey!

-Ryan and Alex dance like teenagers.

-The band does a cheesy choreographed dance step.

-Jim makes a speech. He is not good at public speaking, but

the guests are generous with laughter.

- Tammy has her tongue down a groomsmen’s throat.

99.

-Ryan pulls Kara onto the dance floor. She rests her head on

his shoulder and they slow dance.

-Jim and Julie make their farewell and run off.

-Ryan and Alex help pick the center pieces off the tables.

-Ryan and Alex get into the elevator together. She’s wearing

his jacket. We’re about to see them kiss, when the elevator

door closes.

INT. CONCOURSE, MILWAUKEE AIRPORT - MORNING

Ryan and Alex stand between their gates. One sign reads

OMAHA. The other sign reads CHICAGO.

ALEX:

When am I going to see you?

RYAN:

You’re just going to have to come

and visit.

ALEX:

So settled down. You’re not going

to change on me...

RYAN:

Same guy. Just one address.

We hear a boarding announcement for Chicago. Alex begins to

step away to her gate.

ALEX:

Call me if you get lonely.

A beat. And then...

RYAN:

... I’m lonely.

Alex turns for her gate and joins the crowd. Ryan goes to say

something. He has an impulse... but he finally ignores it and

gets in line under the sign that reads “OMAHA”.

CUT TO:

INT. RYAN’S APARTMENT, OMAHA - EARLY EVENING

The door opens and Ryan wheels in his Roll-Away. He walks over

to the window, parts the blinds and checks out his awful view.

100.

We see Ryan opening some mail. We see Ryan laying in bed.

It’s quiet. It’s alone.

INT. CTC HEADQUARTERS, CTC - DAY

Natalie is giving Ryan a tour of the new ONLINE FIRING AREA -

A series of cubicles with YOUNG GUYS ON HEADSETS. She is in

her element and very proud of her work.

NATALIE:

... Some guy sits down in a

conference room somewhere and a

server routes their session to one

of our termination engineers.

RYAN:

You don’t actually call them that.

NATALIE:

I prefer “terminators”, but it

bumped with legal.

RYAN:

Really? I can’t imagine why.

NATALIE:

They follow a workflow that can take

them through anything from a standard

dismissal to a violent aggressor.

RYAN:

Are they actually on line, right now?

NATALIE:

No, they’re beta-testing. Role-playing.

We go live at the end of the month.

(catches one of the guys

making a mistake)

Kyle, you’re running through the

events too quickly. You have to give

them time to acknowledge each

statement. Okay? It’s a legal thing.

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