Up in the Air Page #16

Ryan can only watch.

INT. RYAN’S OFFICE, CTC - DAY

Ryan is sitting at his desk. He puts on a HEADSET.

RYAN:

This is ridiculous.

101.

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM, CTC - ANOTHER DAY

Craig is leading a meeting. Ryan seems focused on something

on his laptop. We see his screen: An itinerary for GoalQuest.

EXT. LAS VEGAS STRIP - DAY

One of the GIANT DIGITAL MARQUEES reads: “GOALQUEST XX”

INT. GREEN ROOM, GOALQUEST - DAY

Ryan sits on a sofa, holding his BACKPACK. A slick GOALQUEST

HOST enters the room.

GOALQUEST HOST:

You ready to rock?

Ryan nods and gets up.

INT. CONVENTION HALL, LAS VEGAS - DAY

Ryan stands in the wings. He takes a breath, then steps out

in front of a sea of people.

The GOALQUEST XX stage is like nothing we’ve seen yet. Large

and professional. Blue Banners hang from the ceiling. Digital

projectors show Ryan’s Headshot - What’s In Your Backpack?

Ryan sets the BACK PACK on a table and quickly unzips it.

A breath.

RYAN:

Last year, I flew three hundred

fifty thousand miles. The moon is

only two fifty.

A long beat. Uncomfortable. Ryan looks at the back pack.

RYAN:

Imagine for a second that you’re

carrying a backpack... I want you

to feel the straps on your

shoulders... You feel them?

Ryan isn’t feeling them. He is not inspired. He isn’t

believable. He’s barely even there.

102.

RYAN:

Now, I want you to pack it with all

the stuff you have in your life.

Start with the little things.

Ryan is trying, but he can’t find the will to do this.

RYAN:

The... um... The stuff in drawers

and on shelves.

Ryan takes a beat. He just stares at the backpack and thinks

about all the things he has removed from it... And then...

RYAN:

Excuse me.

And with that, Ryan leaves the stage. Handlers try to figure

out what Ryan is doing. The Host runs for the mic.

GOALQUEST HOST:

(to Ryan)

What the f*** are you doing?

(to crowd)

Okay, everyone just relax. We’ll

have your next guest out in a sec.

EXT. CONCOURSE, MCCARRAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - DAY

Ryan hustles past SLOT MACHINES until he is actually jogging.

INT. BOARDING GATE, MCCARRAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - DAY

Ryan runs up to a gate. He’s the last one to board.

INT. BOEING 757 - NIGHT

Over Ryan’s shoulder, through the window, we see Chicago

below as the flight begins its descent.

INT. CORRIDOR OF LIGHT, CHICAGO O’HARE AIRPORT - NIGHT

Ryan on the PEOPLE MOVER under the ceiling of NEON LIGHTS.

Peaceful music emits from hidden speakers. Ryan walks briskly

past idle riders.

103.

EXT. RENTAL CAR SATELLITE KIOSK, CHICAGO - NIGHT

Ryan hurriedly signs a hand-held device, hops into a SEDAN

and speeds off. The RENTAL CAR ASSISTANT suddenly realizes...

RENTAL CAR ASSISTANT

Hey, you forgot to give me your

Devotion Club card!

EXT. TOWNHOUSE, CHICAGO SUBURBS - NIGHT

Ryan steps out of his rental car and approaches the door of

the townhouse - checking the address against a piece of

HILTON STATIONARY.

Ryan stops, knocks, and puts on a smile.

We hear Footsteps. The door unlocks and opens revealing ALEX.

She’s wearing sweatpants and glasses. She’s at home. She

looks different.

RYAN:

Surprise.

But there’s something else. Alex is in shock... She’s frozen.

Something’s wrong. Ryan’s smile begins to melt.

A man’s voice calls from inside.

MAN’S VOICE (O.C.)

Honey, who’s at the door?

A couple kids run by through the background, giggling. A man

chases after them.

Alex is still speechless. Her eyes are angry and apologizing

all at the same time.

Ryan just stands there. Emotionally bleeding to death.

ALEX:

(almost inaudible)

What are you doing here?

Ryan begins to step away. He turns and heads for his car,

dropping the flowers.

Alex’s husband becomes visible just as she’s shutting the door.

ALEX’S HUSBAND

Who was that?

104.

ALEX:

... just some guy who was lost.

Ryan gets in his rental car and drives off.

EXT. CHICAGO HILTON - NIGHT

We’re watching Ryan through his window from far away... almost

as if looking through binoculars. He sits on his bed, tie

undone, holding a glass with an inch of scotch on his knee.

INT. RYAN’S SUITE, CHICAGO HILTON - MORNING

We see quick glimpses of Ryan getting ready. Crappy little

COFFEE MAKER crappily brewing. Crappy hotel BAR OF SOAP

crappily lathering. Crappy HAIR DRYER crappily blowing.

EXT. AIR TRAIN, CHICAGO O’HARE AIRPORT - MORNING

Ryan is on the phone with Alex.

RYAN:

How could you lie to me?

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. ALEX’S CAR, DOWNTOWN GARAGE - SAME

Alex sits in the car with the engine running.

ALEX:

What were you thinking - Just

showing up at my door like that?

RYAN:

What do you mean? I wanted to see

you. I didn’t know you had a family

-Why didn’t you tell me that?

ALEX:

Come on, I thought we signed up for

the same thing.

RYAN:

Try to help me understand. What is

it you signed up for?

ALEX:

I thought our relationship was

perfectly clear. You’re...

(MORE)

105.

ALEX (cont'd)

(a long beat)

... an escape.

RYAN:

I’m an escape?

ALEX:

You know, a break from our normal

lives... A parenthesis.

RYAN:

I’m a parenthesis?

ALEX:

Seriously, Ryan? I can’t believe

we’re having this conversation. I

mean what do you want?

Ryan stumbles on this. What does he want?

ALEX (CONT’D)

You don’t even know what you want.

I’m sorry that I ruined your night...

But you could have seriously screwed

things up for me. That was my family.

That’s my real life.

RYAN:

I thought I was a part of your real life.

ALEX:

(sighs)

Look, Ryan. I’m a grown up. I don’t

hold a grudge. When you’re ready to

be an adult and see me again, just

give me a call.

Ryan can’t quite believe what he’s hearing. There’s only one

thing he can do. He hangs up.

EXT. ESCALATOR, CHICAGO O’HARE AIRPORT - MORNING

Ryan is walking when his phone buzzes. He checks the DISPLAY -

CTC Calling. He presses IGNORE.

INT. TICKET DESK - CHICAGO O’HAIRE - DAY

Ryan walks up to the TICKET DESK. He is more lost than usual.

There is something plucky about the TICKET AGENT.

PLUCKY TICKET AGENT

Welcome back, Mr. Bingham.

106.

RYAN:

Yeah, right, you got me in 2C?

PLUCKY TICKET AGENT

Of course. Left side aisle, non-

bulkhead. Just like you like it.

RYAN:

What’s got you so f***ing happy?

The plucky agent fades a bit, then tries to recompose.

PLUCKY TICKET AGENT

Your boarding card, Mr. Bingham.

Ryan takes the ticket and exits.

INT. BOEING 757 - DAY

Ryan sits doing nothing. Others around him play Sudoku, read

trashy paperbacks, work on laptops. Ryan just stairs at the

stitching on the seat in front of him. When... “Bing”

PURSER:

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a

special announcement to make.

Passengers look up.

PURSER (CONT’D)

Our pilot has just informed me that we

are passing over the city of Mesa...

which might not mean much to most of

you, but means a lot to one of our

fliers today, because he just hit

TEN... MILLION... MILES...

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