Up in the Air
1.
A SPOTLIGHT reveals RYAN BINGHAM standing at a PODIUM.
He unzips a BACKPACK and sets it down beside him.
RYAN:
How much does your life weigh?
Ryan pauses to let us consider this.
RYAN (CONT’D)
Imagine for a second that you’re
carrying a backpack... I want you
to feel the straps on your
shoulders... You feel them?
(gives us a beat)
Now, I want you to pack it with all
the stuff you have in your life.
Start with the little things. The
stuff in drawers and on shelves.
The collectables and knick-knacks.
Feel the weight as it adds up. Now,
start adding the larger stuff. Your
clothes, table top appliances,
lamps, linens, your TV. That
backpack should be getting pretty
heavy at this point - Go Bigger.
Your couch, your bed, your kitchen
table. Stuff it all in... Your car,
get it in there... Your home,
whether you have a studio apartment
or a two story house, I want you to
stuff it into that backpack.
Ryan takes a beat to let the weight sink in.
RYAN (CONT’D)
Now try to walk.
We hear people around us chuckling. Ryan smiles. Reveal:
INT. HOTEL CONFERENCE ROOM - AFTERNOON
The kind that shifts between lower income corporate retreats
and lower income weddings.
The few dozen people seem to be visualizing as told.
RYAN (CONT’D)
Kinda hard, isn’t it? This is what
we do to ourselves on a daily
basis. We weigh ourselves down
until we can’t even move. And make
no mistake -Moving is living.
2.
We see nodding. People’s gears turning.
RYAN (CONT’D)
Now, I’m going to set your backpack
on fire. What do you want to take
out of it? Photos? Photos are for
people who can’t remember. Drink
some gingko and let the photos
burn. In fact let everything burn
and imagine waking up tomorrow with
nothing.
(a beat of emphasis)
It’s kind of exhilarating isn’t it?
That is how I approach every day.
A titter through the crowd.
INT. BOEING 757 - DAY
A FEMALE FLIGHT ATTENDANT is looking directly at us.
FEMALE FLIGHT ATTENDANT
Do you want the cancer?
Turn to see RYAN looking back.
Handsome. Anonymous. Right now - Confused.
RYAN:
Excuse me?
FEMALE FLIGHT ATTENDANT
(same delivery)
Do you want the cancer?
Ryan furrows - What the hell is going on here?
The flight attendant raises her hand to reveal a CAN OF SODA.
FEMALE FLIGHT ATTENDANT
The can, sir?
RYAN:
Oh... No. Um, no thank you.
The flight attendant moves to the next aisle. Ryan takes a
beat, then returns to his work.
INT. SMALL CONFERENCE ROOM, SUN CASUALTY - DAY
Two words - Subordinate chic.
3.
Seated at a tiny table is RYAN. The Grim Reaper in a suit.
We see a series of REAL PEOPLE react to the news of being
fired. They should be non-actors (actual victims of recent
layoffs) that can react organically to the news with
authenticity. Some are hurt. Others are upset and even
abusive. The series concludes with...
STEVE (AN ACTOR)
... who’s on the verge of tears.
STEVE:
Who the f*** are you?
FREEZE on Ryan.
RYAN (V.O.)
Excellent question. Who the f*** am
I? Poor Steve has worked here for
seven years.
FLASH IMAGES:
INT. STEVE’S CUBICLE - DAY
RYAN (V.O.)
He’s never had a meeting with me
before...
INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY
Steve in a small meeting.
RYAN (V.O.)
...or passed me in the hall...
INT. ELEVATOR BRIDGE - DAY
Steve passes a female coworker.
RYAN (V.O.)
... or told me a story in the break
room....
Steve laughs at a coworker’s story.
4.
RYAN (V.O.)
And that’s because I don’t work
here. I work for another company
that lends me out to pussies like
Steve’s boss...
INT. STEVE’S BOSS’S OFFICE - DAY
Steve’s BOSS sits at his desk. Subtitle reads - “A Big P*ssy”
RYAN (V.O.)
... who don’t have the balls to
sack their own employees. And in
some cases, for good reason.
Because, people do crazy sh*t when
they get fired.
FLASH IMAGES:
Steve wipes off his boss’s desk.
Steve shreds sensitive documents.
Steve pours bleach into the communal coffee pot.
Steve loads an assault rifle. He stands up to get a view of
his coworkers on a coffee break.
BACK TO:
INT. SMALL CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY
Steve is trying to hold it together.
RYAN (V.O.)
And that’s where I come in.
STEVE:
What did I... do? What could I have
done differently here?
RYAN:
This is not an assessment of your
productivity. It’s important not to
personalize this.
Steve scoffs at this.
Ryan slides Steve a PACKET.
5.
RYAN (CONT’D)
Steve, I want you to review this
packet. Take it seriously. I think
you’re going to find a lot of
answers in there.
STEVE:
(dismissive)
Oh, I’m sure it’s going be really
helpful.
RYAN (CONT’D)
Look, anybody who ever built an
empire, or changed the world, sat
where you are now. And it’s because
they sat there that they were able
to do it.
And just for a moment, Steve looks hopeful.
RYAN (CONT’D)
I’m going to need your key card.
STEVE:
Right...
Steve begins removing it from his wallet.
RYAN:
Take the day. Put together your
personal things. Talk to your coworkers.
Tomorrow, go out and get
some exercise. Go for a jog. Give
yourself routines and pretty soon
you’ll find your legs.
Steve nods and gets up to leave. Just as he’s about to walk
out, he stops and turns back.
STEVE:
Wait, how do I get in touch with you?
RYAN:
Don’t worry. We’ll be in touch
soon. This is just the beginning.
Steve nods and exits the room.
RYAN (V.O.)
6.
INT. RYAN’S ROOM - PHOENIX HILTON - DAY
The choreography of Ryan’s packing is worthy of Tchaikovsky.
A coat slides off a hanger... A travel toothbrush folds
closed like a switchblade... A briefcase clicks onto a roll-
away bag... A hand flips a light switch without looking.
INT. LOBBY, PHOENIX HILTON - DAY
Ryan is at the check out desk.
CHECKOUT GIRL:
Do you have your Hilton Honors Card
with you?
Ryan smiles... “Do I?”
He hands it to her, close enough to camera, that we get a
nice big close up of it. She runs the card and the screen
pops up with information that makes her blush.
CHECKOUT GIRL:
Oh my God... Do you like, live, at
the Hilton?
Ryan nods in faux modesty.
EXT. OUTDOOR CAR RETURN, HERTZ RENT-A-CAR - DAY
Ryan pulls up to one of the spaces marked with the #1 GOLD
PRESIDENTS CLUB emblem. He hops out and a uniformed man with a
handheld device begins to punch in the license plate number.
Ryan pulls out his HERTZ PRESIDENTS CLUB CARD and places it
nice and close to lens so we can see it.
The card slides through the handheld device and we see the
DIGITAL NUMBER increase by a few thousand points.
INT. MAIN CONCOURSE, PHOENIX SKY HARBOR INTL AIRPORT - DAY
The automated GLASS DOORS slide open. Ryan enters the
concourse and takes a deep breath of the temperately
controlled air. He has arrived.
RYAN (V.O.)
This is where I live.
Subtitles - “Airworld”
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"Up in the Air" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/up_in_the_air_311>.
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