Flight of the Phoenix (2004) Movie Script

Hey, guys. What do y'all think
the deal is with those clowns?
I don't know, but we're
not expecting supplies.
Hey, Rod. Where you goin', man?
To pack. We're done here.
This is bullshit. You knew about this.
Kelly. What can I do for you?
- You're closing me down.
- I am not closing you down. Atlanta is closing you down.
You said you'd back me all the way.
And you said you'd find oil here.
Frank Towns, right?
Hi. I'm Kelly Johnson.
- Hi, Kelly.
- It's my rig.
- Oh.
- So, how long we got?
Just as long as it takes to cap that
well and get your crew on the plane.
This is bullshit!
You can't just show up and shut us down.
Yeah? Well,just watch me.
Yeah, yeah. I've heard your
reputation. "Shut It Down" Towns.
I thought it was inflated.
You know, you screw up...
you pay the price.
Nobody here screwed up.
Really? Well, somebody
somewhere thinks that you did.
You owe me 10 bucks. She's a redhead.
You really enjoy your
job, don't you, Towns?
Kelly, right?
Kelly, there are few
things I do enjoy...
but getting my balls broken while I'm
trying to do my job isn't one of them.
Now, get your shit packed, get your
crew together and load this airplane.
And by the way, when we reach
Beijing, you're off the clock.
Have a nice day.
- Thanks very much.
- AJ.
- Yeah.
- Let's get this garbage out of here.
- Nice.
- Good job. Nice one.
These oil rigs-
they attract the sorriest
bunch of zeroes ever.
- Who tied that up?
- Need a little help, man?
- Yeah, right.
- We're gonna be fine. Thanks.
Come on. Let's clear this shit up, man.
- Help me out.
- I just finished loading this thing up, man!
What a team.
- Oh, man!
- Hold up, man.
- Davis, what are you doing?
- You know I do this when I get on a plane.
- It's good luck, all right? I ain't crashed yet.
- Come on. Move it.
You keep talking like
that, you're gonna jinx us.
- I ain't jinxin' us. This is for good luck.
- Settle down.
- You ladies calm down.
- You want to try pushing me into my seat?
- You must be
Rodney. - Mm-hmm.
I knew this guy that worked
with you out in Kuwait.
Didn't that rig get shut down too?
What's your problem? We're
the ones losing our jobs.
We're the ones who had to fly to this
shit hole and pick up all the garbage.
Okay, guys. Knock it off.
You ladies have a safe flight.
Lucky he walked away.
Yes, I
- I think you may find it more comfortable back there...
with the rest of them.
Sure.
Ticktock, Liddle.
Yeah. Don't get too attached
to it. I'm gonna want it back.
- We're all set?
- Looks like we got one more.
That can't be. Everybody's here.
I'll let him know he's walkin'.
I guess I need a ride to Beijing.
Not on this flight, Goober.
Anybody know who this guy is?
It's a long story.
Get on board. A.J., start us up.
You're the boss, Frank.
Okay. All set, Mr. President.
I think it's about that time that
we do the checklist as the two Bills.
What do you say, buddy?
Well, why change a good
thing? Go ahead, good buddy.
Allow me to grab my
bulletin. Seat belts.
I always like to have a little
something strapped to my lap.
Check.
Windows, doors and hatches.
Closed and secured so
no one can disturb us.
Water injection.
That's what she said.
Check.
Gyros.
Set and uncaged, just like yours truly.
And last, but not least, cow flaps.
Till the cows come home.
I think we're ready to go.
You gonna kiss your lucky man?
- I'll make it happen right now.
- Clear left.
- Clear right.
- All right. Here we go.
My wife was pregnant with
this little guy when I left.
I haven't even met him yet.
That's nice. You must really be
looking forward to getting home.
You have no idea.
- You wanna see my family, bro?
- Yeah.
Check her out, man. She's my whole life.
- When I get back home, I'm gonna open up a restaurant.
- Yeah?
Yeah. Sammi and Sandra's
Sweet Salsa Shop.
That's tight, right? You like that?
How do I know her
though? She look familiar.
- What you talking 'bout, man? You don't know her.
- Yeah, yeah, I do.
Oh, now I recognize her.
That's a big one, Frank.
What do you want to do?
- Try kissing that lucky man again.
- Frank.
If we go back, we'd
have to get refueled.
God knows how long that'd take.
Let's go up to 14. I've never
seen one go that high before.
Give me full power. Watch the
climb. About 700 feet a minute.
You're the boss, Frank.
Jesus.
What the hell was that?
- That was the aerial, Frank.
- Oh, great.
- I'll go in the back and calm them down.
- Got it.
Hello again, ladies.
As the frequent fliers amongst
you can probably tell...
we're experiencing some
turbulence this morning...
so I kindly ask you to remain seated...
and try not to shit yourselves
all over my airplane.
- What was that noise just now?
- Everything's fine.
A wind gustjust tore off the
aerial, but we're gonna keep going.
- The aerial for the radio?
- No, the one for the satellite TV.
- Genius.
- Christ,just turn around.
Thank you so much.
Excuse me. Excuse me! You
planning on flying over the storm?
Wanna close that door and get
the hell back to your seat?
- I believe you're too heavy.
- Will you deal with this?
- Look like it's goin' higher.
- We'll go around it.
Set a course
1-8-0 due south.
About 200 miles oughta do it.
Copy.
1-8-0.
We won't make it. The
plane is overweight.
Never as bad as this.
All right. We're comin'around it. Okay.
Okay.
Oh, God.
Come on!
We're in trouble here, A.J.
Check the map. Find the nearest
place we can set it down.
Lhugar's our best shot, but it's
300 miles south of the basin.
Maybe we can outrun it.
Lhugar radio, this is Amacore
Transport, 8-7-3-Bravo. Over.
Our location is approximately 40
degrees, nine minutes north latitude...
84 degrees, 42 minutes east longitude.
- Here we go.
- You puttin'the gear down?
Never get it back up again if we don't.
Any stations copy?
A.J., ready the passengers.
- Listen up. We got a major problem.
- Oh, God.
Looks like we have to
make an emergency landing.
- Oh, shit.
- Make sure you're strapped in.
And if you believe in God,
it's time you call in a favor.
Oh, God!
A.J.!
Come on, baby. Come on.
Oh, crap!
Oh, God!
Everybody okay?
Everybody okay?
A.J.?
A.J.!
- I'm okay.
- You all right?
Are you hurt?
Dr. Gerber's on board.
Where is he?
He's right here.
Jesus! Fire!
Hey! Hey, where do
you think you're going?
- I can't stay in here, man. I can't breathe!
- Hey!
That storm is blowin' a
hundred miles an hour out there!
It'll take your skin off before you
get five feet. Now sit down! Sit down!
Were you able to send a
mayday before we came down?
We got no response. The radio's down.
Someone's coming for
us though, right? Right?
Just as soon as the storm is over.
They know where to look for us?
We don't have the same kind of
radar tracking we have in the States.
- Oh, fantastic.
- And it's a big desert, isn't it?
We were, uh, due to refuel
in Langhu right about-
right about now, so it'll take
'em a couple of hours to miss us.
So for right now,
everybody just sit tight.
Conserve your oxygen.
Hey, Captain? Don't think
we don't know what you did.
Not many pilots, you
know, could've done that...
so... thank you.
Yes. Thank you, Captain.
Yeah!
It's like being in an hourglass.
I'm just a chef, but even I know ain't
no way a cell phone's gonna work out here.
Well, there's no harm
in trying, is there?
You never know. You never know.
I think the company man's losing it.
What the hell are you laughing
at? This is your fault!
- Why is it his fault?
- All that stuff about jinxes.
You can't talk like that sitting
in a plane on the bloody tarmac!
- You're the one who put the jinx on us.
- Oh, shut up.
What'd I tell you?
Bunch of zeroes.
Shouldn't somebody say somethin'?
Captain?
I don't think I'm the right person.
What the hell do they expect me to say?
I don't even know those guys.
Maybe to say you're sorry.
You're looking to join
those two? Keep it up.
So what's his story?
- Who, him?
- Yeah.
He just blew in one day.
Blew in in the middle
of the Mongolian desert?
Said he was taking a year off
work, hitching around the world.
He was supposed to fly out a few
weeks ago. His ride never came.
He's been stuck with us ever since.
Not bad.
- That's the last one.
- All right.
Well, we got a decent amount of water.
We each drink a pint a day...
that gives us enough for about 30
days, if we don't exert ourselves.
Which I'm guessin' wasn't a
concern with the rest of this crew.
I don't see you breaking a sweat, stud.
- Hey, chef.
- Yo.
Chef, how are we doin' on food?
Well, the good news is that
besides the powdered eggs...
all the food's been
canned in water or juice.
The bad news is, it's all
peaches and hearts of palm.
Well, that buys us a couple extra days.
Ain't that just great news.
So how screwed are we?
Pretty screwed.
Where are we?
Somewhere around here, in the middle of the
Yol Valley, 200 miles west of our course.
- We're still in Mongolia?
- Nah.
I think we're in China.
Just over the border.
Wouldn't suppose there'd be a Four
Seasons Hotel out here, would there?
Langhu, a few hundred miles
just due south of here.
Well out of walking range.
I could make it. I could walk to Langhu.
I'm in good shape. I
ran three marathons.
In a row, I hope.
Have you walked in the desert before?
I hiked in the Mojave
with my girlfriend.
This isn't the Mojave.
This is the Gobi. And let me warn you,
July is the hottest month in the Gobi.
You will be taking a pint of
water, and you'll sweat 10.
I'll just go by night.
You'd have to. But how
would you keep your course?
A compass.
Beyond these dunes, we are
surrounded by Altai Mountains.
And they are mostly magnetic rock.
Have you ever seen a compass dance?
What about this map?
I'll just take this map.
How old is that map, Captain?
Too old, the way the sand
shifts around here all the time.
And Captain Towns's calculations
could be off by 20 percent.
- No offense. I'm not saying that they are.
- None taken.
But even if the captain
is one percent in error...
and you march 300 miles by the stars...
you'd miss Langhu, and you wouldn't
even know it was there to miss.
You'd be walking in a circle.
- You're
right-handed? - Right.
That means your right leg's more developed
than your left. You take a longer step with it.
You'd be walking in
a left-handed circle.
You know what? Forget it,
all right? Y'all win, okay?
This isn't about winning or losing.
This is about staying alive.
Hey, Rod?
Hmm?
You don't-
You don't think the suit was right...
do you?
That I jinxed us or-
Don't worry about it,John.
Just try and get some sleep.
Maybe I should save this.
God!
Oh, man.
Hello?
Help me!
Kelly. You seen Davis this morning?
Knowing him, he's still sleeping.
- Go wake his ass up.
- Davis!
Get up, you big baby!
Davis!
- Wake your ass up, man.
- Davis?
Well?
His stuff s all here.
Any of you lads seen Davis this morning?
He's not there.
- This was you...
- Davis?
- telling him he jinxed us.
- Davis!
- Oh, come on. I didn't mean that.
- Quit screwing around!
- He couldn't have gone far.
- Could he? Could he?
- How the hell could we lose someone? Davis!
- John!
We should have paired up. Someone
should have been watching him.
Hey! Not another word
from you. You hear me?
- John!
- It's coming.
He's got to be out here
somewhere. I've got to go find him!
Too late, Rodney!
Hey! Get back here!
Right. I'm not losing another friend
out here. I have to go and find him!
No! No one else dies, understand?
He's only a kid, for Christ's sake!
- Alex! Alex!
- God!Jesus!John!
Alex! Towns is right! He's right!
- You can't help him!
- John!
- You can't.
- John!
What kind of odds do you give us
a search party's gonna find us?
About five percent.
Right. Five percent.
So, based on a five-percent chance...
you're gonna choose to sit
on your ass and do nothing?
As opposed to what?
Trying to figure a way out of here.
- Look, we are in the middle of a desert...
- Yes. I know.
with no radio, very little
water, even less food.
If we try to walk out of here,
we're gonna last about two days.
The odds of crashing an airplane
so I would consider myself an optimist.
Or maybe just an asshole.
All right.
Listen, since Davis just disappeared,
they're pretty freaked out.
- They should be.
- They're looking to you.
Lady, this is not the Girl Scouts.
I am not everybody's den mother. They
are grown men. They can deal with it.
Thanks a lot.
You're welcome.
Kelly, please, come sit with me.
I'm just curious.
The pipe jacket in the back
- what's it all worth?
Not much. It's worn or used up. Nothing.
It's the same with the tools.
Why?
Hang on a minute.
You don't think anybody's coming.
Do you?
- Well, do you?
- I don't know, Alex.
Don't be pathetic.
I'm telling you, they're coming.
I know they are.
- For who,you?
- Yes, for me.
And for you.
They have a corporate
responsibility for all of us.
They're out there right now,
searching. It's just a matter of time.
recommending our site
be closed down, right?
Yes, I did.
Don't you think they'd do the same
thing before mounting a search for us?
Add it up.
Don't kid yourself,/an.
We hitched a ride with the trash...
not the other way around.
Screw this. I'm outta here.
Yeah, I'm coming with you,
and I'm taking some water.
No one touches the water!
Hey. Whoa. What's going on here?
- What does it look like?
- Hey!
- Get back here!
- Hey!
Hey, knock it off.
- Go back!
- Let go!
It's gone, you fools!
I have an idea.
I have an idea.
I can get us out of here.
I can get us out of here.
I've been examining the plane.
You see, the-
the C-119...
is a twin-boom design...
and the starboard boom
here isn't damaged...
which is great because if-if the
starboard engine stays where it is-
at the forward end
of the starboard boom-
this boom then becomes the fuselage...
becomes the plane.
Do you see what I'm saying?
And-And while the port area
of the tail unit is intact...
we will still have to
redesign the tail section.
What the hell is he talking about?
He's talking about
building a new airplane.
- Out of the old one.
- Yes, Captain.
And flying ourselves out of here.
Yeah, why didn't I think of that?
Why don't we build a swimming
pool, while we're at it?
Oh, that's funny.
Yeah.
Well, you know, there are
no component problems...
and we have all the parts
and tools we need on board.
- I assure you, we can do it.
- It's impossible.
At first glance, it seems
impossible that a bee should fly...
but it does.
I think a bee stung you
on your big dumb-ass head.
What do you know about airplanes?
I design them, Mr. Towns.
That's what I know about airplanes.
You might have mentioned that little piece
of information a bit earlier on, Elliott.
Who do you work for? What company?
Sizemore and Pratt.
They're in Long Beach.
They do mostly experimental aircraft.
Mm-hmm. And you understand that
engine's got a 2,000-pound thrust?
- Yes. So?
- When it gets started, it's gonna tear your bee apart.
Well, you'll just have
to be careful this time.
The design is perfect. The only flaw is
that we have to rely on you to fly it.
I say we build the damn
plane. Why the hell not?
- Get us out of here.
- Let's build it, man.
It's better than doin'
nothin', fightin' over water.
- It's worth a try.
- Oh, yeah. It's worth a try!
If we had a few months and an unlimited
supply of water, which we don't.
And if you do try,you won't live
None of you will.
- We could work.
- So what do you think we should do?
- Nothing.
- What?
The longer we wait, the better chance
we have of somebody spotting us.
Where's Liddle?
Oh, shit.
Has anybody seen Liddle?
He's definitely not in here.
Oh, God. We lost another one.
He'll never make it.
Shit.
Maybe he doesn't give your sit-on-your-ass-
and-do-nothing plan much hope.
Hey, you're not going after him.
No one else dies, remember?
I'll go.
I'll bring him back.
- A.J.?
- Yeah?
Throw me that canteen.
Good luck.
- Yeah.
- Captain, Liddle's first name is James.
Jimbo.
Liddle!
Liddle!
No.
Someone's already been here.
The dead guy's Kyle.
He had a really nice Seiko.
I know, 'cause he won it from me
in a poker game back at the patch.
Someone came along and took it.
Nomads.
Smugglers, probably. That's
the last thing we need.
You okay?
I'm not going back.
I'm just resting.
You look like you could use some water.
So,just between the two of us-
no bullshit, Captain Towns-
do you think they're ever gonna find us?
It's a long shot.
So why not try and build the plane?
Why give people false hope?
Come on, man.
Most people spend their
whole lives hanging on...
to hopes and dreams that are never
gonna come true, but they hold on to 'em.
Why are you gonna give up on
'em now when you need 'em most?
You're assuming I'm one of those
people who has hopes and dreams.
I find it hard to believe that a man
who learns to fly never had a dream.
Look, how could I let those
people build that plane...
when I don't believe it'll work?
And every day they waste trying to build
it brings 'em one day closer to dying.
I think a man only
needs one thing in life.
He just needs someone to love.
If you can't give him that, then
give him something to hope for.
And if you can't give him that...
just give him something to do.
James, you'll never make it.
Then I'll die trying.
There are people counting on me.
Okay! Okay, okay.
Okay.
We'll build it.
Just come back with me.
How do I know you're not full of shit?
Here.
Take it.
You can give it back when we get home.
- What?
- Nothing.
- I'm just amazed.
- By what?
That during these dire times...
you take the time to
thank God for anything.
Well, we're still alive, aren't we?
Let me tell you a story.
A rabbi and a priest
attend a boxing match.
They watch as the boxers
come into the ring.
The rabbi sees one of
the boxers cross himself.
So the rabbi turns to
the priest and asks...
"What does that mean?"
The priest says, "Not a damn
thing if the man can't fight. "
- There you go.
- Yeah.
Liddle and I had a talk.
I think we should build the plane.
Wha-
Elliott...
can you really design this
thing the way you said you could?
- No bullshit?
- Yes, I can.
Well, we're either all in
this together or no one at all.
No compromises.
I'm in.
Yeah.
Yeah, me too.
Shit. Me three.
Okay.
Get some rest.
We start tonight.
Let's take them inside. It's cooler.
- Hold on.
- Let me take this.
If we do this, we'll be
cutting our lives in half.
We'll be drinking twice
as much water, Frank.
We don't have any other choice.
Why?
'Cause it's too early to give up, A.J...
and too late to do anything else.
I'm glad that you've finally
seen the light, Mr. Towns.
Hey.
Let's get one thing straight.
I'm not taking orders from you.
Get some rest.
Hey, Towns.
Thanks.
Are you kidding me?
I'd do anything to avoid
another hopes-and-dreams speech.
Okay, gentlemen, our-our first
task is to separate the wing here...
so
- so we can join it with the main fuselage, okay?
I'm gonna need some help.
- Make sure they're good and tight, Ian, eh?
- All right.
There you go.
You still got some of them old
muscles up there, don't you?
You guys need to be careful
when you step on the wing, okay?
Man, I thought this would be easy.
Hey, no coffee breaks.
That means you too.
You know, I liked him a lot
better when all he did was hum.
Yeah,you still got it.
Whoa! Aah!
- Watch what you're doin', man.
- You got it, Rod?
Hang on.
- On three,yeah?
- Let's do it.
One, two, three!
- There you go!
Yeah, baby! Yeah!
I'll be damned.
That's a start, Frank.
Oh, geez. Somebody turn out the lights.
- How much water did we drink?
- Too much.
And that's at night.
Two-eighths.
- Frank.
- Hmm?
You okay?
When I was out there,
when I found Liddle...
- Yeah?
- I saw something pretty weird.
What?
You know that poor son of a bitch
that fell out of the airplane?
- Yeah?
- I found shell casings all around his body.
Looked like someone had been
using him for target practice.
Oh... shit.
Just keep that to yourself, all right?
I don't want to give 'em
anything more to worry about.
Here.
- Oh, yeah.
Hey, Patch.
How 'bout a nice ice-cold
double mint Frappuccino?
Screw that. How 'bout
a Bacardi and Coke?
Ahh. With a lot of ice.
- And one of'em little umbrella things.
- Yeah!
- How 'bout a hamburger with a lot of cheese?
- Whoa, whoa.
Hamburger, yeah. Cheese, mmm. I'm
tryin' to watch my figure, you know?
Yeah!
- One day.
- Yeah. Someday soon, man.
How's it going?
- Is everybody okay?
- Sammi!
Ah, geez.
Oh, my God.
Everybody here?
Oh, Christ.
Oh, no. Tell me that
wasn't all the fuel.
We're gonna need the
remaining fuel for the plane.
- We're gonna have to work during the day.
- What?
And what kind of hole is that
gonna put us in with the H20?
We're gonna run out before
we even finish the damn plane.
Not necessarily. Day shift output
is always higher than night anyway.
If we add in the fact that we're gonna
be able to see what we're doing...
I'd estimate that our
productivity per pint...
would actually increase.
We'd drink more, finish sooner.
'Come to the Gobi, 'they said.
"Great prospects," they said.
"Sun, sand, oil. "
Well, two out of three ain't bad.
How's it coming?
- What?
- How's it coming?
- Good.
- Good. Well, don't take all day.
And you two can step it up here as well.
Get a move on.
- Okay. Go for it.
- All right. Here goes.
Easy, Towns. For God's
sake, this is surgery!
- Whoa!
- Whoa!
- Yeah!
- Yeah!
- Whoa! Yeah!
- Yeah!
Yes!
- Hey, give me some.
- How's it look, AJ.?
So, gentlemen...
and lady...
our task today is to mate the
port wing with the starboard.
Okay?
For that, Sammi, we need you. Okay?
You sure you know what to do?
Yeah, I think so.
Sammi,you have tojoin the wings.
We have only one chance with this.
If it doesn't work, we don't fly.
And we all die horribly.
Yeah, no pressure on me, right?
Just a little bit. But
you'll be a'right, man.
Make us proud.
Whew.
What am I doing? I'm a chef.
Jeremy, keep in line with Rodney.
- Stayin' straight?
- Yeah.
Jeremy!
Don't let go! Don't let go!
Watch out, Sammi!
- I got it!
- No!
- Get back!
Shit!
Oh, Sammi.
See? Piece of cake.
You mad Mexican bastard!
What were you thinking?
Sammi!
Jesus!
Anybody got a change of underwear?
You can always borrow Rady's.
- I'm not sure how clean they are though.
- You made us proud, Sammi.
Thought you'd shit yourself.
- Oh, yeah. That's
what I'm talkin' about.
No, no. What are you doin'?
- God, please. Turn this shit off.
- What's the problem?
- Listen, man, your deejay
rights have been revoked.
Hey, I was gonna play that next, man.
Hey.
Cheers, man.
Them things'll kill ya.
Hey, what are you doing, Ian?
Oh,just sending an e
- mail to an old friend.
What? Really?
You're a funny fucker.
No, no, no, no.
We do not have time
for rods and linkages.
As you should know, we have an
extremely large lifting surface.
It's oversized for the weight load.
We won't need more than 10 to
15 degrees of pitch control...
and all of that will need
to be nose-down pitched.
That's where we need to
apply better torque flexing.
Are you even listening to me?
Maybe it'll rain.
It is raining.
It's electrical.
- Jesus. We gotta get out of here.
- Why? What does that mean?
- What?
The storm
- it's electrical.
- If lightning hits anything, it'll be the plane.
- So what?
- The plane's not grounded!
- I don't understand your problem.
You don't understand?
That wing is full of fuel.
Oh, my God. It'll explode.
Come on! Give me some help!
- Jeremy, come on!
- No!
Take the winch out as far as you can!
Now bury it and get the hell away!
Elliott! Oh, for Christ's sake!
Thank you.
Frank! Are you okay?
Yeah. Yeah.
You'd think someone...
who designs airplanes
for a living would...
know they need to be grounded.
Fo- Een-
Phoenix.
You from Phoenix or somethin'?
No. It's not the city.
The phoenix was a desert bird...
from Egyptian mythology.
Consumed itself with fire...
rose renewed from the ashes.
Final answer?
Final answer.
Very good, Mr. Towns. And Mr. Liddle.
Yeah, you learn a lot of useless
bullshit waiting to take off.
I thought you weren't religious, Rady.
Spirituality is not religion.
Religion divides people.
Belief in something unites them.
Is that spelled right?
Hey.
Nah. It is crooked though.
51, 52, 53, 54...
55, 56, 57...
58, 59, 60, 61...
62, 63, 64.
Well, he'll just have to compensate.
All right. Could you hand me the-
Thank you.
Okay, I need everyone
- Whoa. What
the- - A.J.
Someone's stealing water.
I've had a suspicion
for the last few days...
so I've been checking the levels.
We don't need a gun.
A.J.
You planning on shooting someone, A.J.?
While you've all been sleeping...
I've been working.
And, therefore, I require more water.
- Are you kidding me?
- Why didn't you just ask?
Because I'm in charge
of building my plane...
and I don't need to ask anyone anything.
We could all die of thirst!
You need me, Towns.
Don't forget that.
You need me.
Everyone here is dispensable except me.
They aren't nomads.
How do you know?
No women or children.
Smugglers or arms dealers.
Either way, it's bad news.
But they could help us.
They could have water. Maybe
we could bargain with them.
What do you think?
- Should we go over there and find out?
- Whatever you wanna do, Frank.
What are you doing?
You can't go over there.
We can't risk losing the pilot.
Then I'll go. You cover me.
Did you hear what I just said?
We got this, Elliott.
Ian, don't you think
you should go as well?
- Why me?
- Because you know most of the local dialects.
- You do?
- Hold on.
He's had to. He's worked all over the
Gobi doing negotiations with local crews.
It's gon' be cool, man. I got your back.
And who's gonna look after yours?
All right then.
- Good luck, Frank.
- Good luck.
You know, Alex, I-
I just want to say that...
you know, when I moved you
to the back of the plane...
that was stupid and wrong,
and I'm really, really sorry.
Now's not the best time to talk.
Ian, now's the time to talk.
/an.
What the hell?
Screw this.
Um...
airplane, uh-
Just-Just try "airplane. "
Airplane.
Ah.
What's he saying to me?
I think he's offering to share water.
- What are you saying?
- They want to know where the plane is.
Don't tell them anything else.
- It's
okay. - Ian-
Do not tell them where
the goddamn plane is.
- What the hell are you doing?
- What's going on?
I'm not sure. Looks okay.
- That's my watch!
- Shh.
No!
- Oh, shit.
Oh, shit!
Alex. Alex?
Look at me. Look at me.
Don't die. Look at me. Look at me.
- Alex.
- Come on, Alex.
Come on, man. Stay with me.
Alex.
Alex, I'm here.
Frank!
Come on, man.
Stay with me. Alex.
Alex, look at me. Alex.
We're almost there!
Oh, God!
Don't really know what to do here.
Is there nothing you can do?
Uh, wh
- We could clean the wound.
- But we'd need water.
- How much water?
As much as he needs!
What did he say?
If I hadn't seen the watch, he-
If you hadn't done what you did...
we'd all be dead.
It's okay.
- You found any water?
- Yep. Just a little bit.
Oh, good.
Give us a hand!
Help him! Come on!
Holy shit.
What the hell is this shit?
What is he saying? What is he saying?
Ian, what is he saying?
We didn't know what else to do.
We couldn't just let him die.
And why not? These
bastards killed Rodney.
There's not enough water for anybody
else, and he's not getting any peaches.
Maybe we can give him
some of Rodney's share.
Yeah. Why don't you just offer him
your watch while you at it, asshole?
- He's a human being, man!
- We should have just let them go their own way.
They probably wouldn't
even have seen us.
Don't be stupid. They would have
killed us all if they had a chance.
- You don't know that.
- I know they ain't hesitate when they killed Rodney!
What are you people thinkin', man?
- He can't stay around here.
- Oh, yeah? Well, where are we gonna take him?
Pick his ass up and drag him
back where you found him at.
Shit!
Well, that settles that.
What the hell is the matter with you?
Oh, shut up.
He would have survived only a couple
of days drinking all of our water.
I did us a favor.
You murdered him, asshole!
No, no, no, no, no, no.
The great Captain Towns murdered him.
In his infinite wisdom...
he let you go over there,
and I told you not to!
And now we're one man short.
That's 12 man-hours
lost every day we work.
Last night alone cost
us 84 man-hours...
because none of you worked at all!
You made the wrong decision!
You could have killed us all again!
You knew we were overweight! I told you
that then, and you just didn't listen!
I had to take on another
passenger! You! Remember?
If it weren't for your colossal
arrogance and stupidity...
we wouldn't be here at all!
Get up!
Someone's gonna have to go talk to him.
Give him the
hopes-and-dreams speech.
Worked on me.
All right.
I'll go with you.
Man, I'm tired of this guy.
Yeah.
But we need him.
Elliott?
Come on, Elliott. You're the only
one who can get us out of here.
To tell you the truth,
I'm no longer interested.
We've wasted too much time already.
If I had the strength of 10 men...
I would have had that
thing built by now.
But all I have is you...
and your unreliable people.
We're ready to be reliable now.
Oh.
You're ready to be reliable now?
Mm-hmm.
Say "please. "
You're kidding.
Say "please. "
Please.
What?
Please.
Say it again. Louder.
Please.
Jeremy?
Please.
"Please" what?
Please, can we finish the plane, sir?
Please?
Ian.
Please, let's finish it.
That's nice.
Mr. Towns.
Who's the boss of everyone?
You are, Elliott.
You're the boss of everybody.
Now, can we please...
finish the airplane?
Please?
Careful.
Did you clean the sand out of the
engine and do your preflight, Mr. Towns?
- Three times.
- Well, do it again.
What the hell are they waitin' for?
They're waiting for us to
be too weak to fight back.
It's ready.
Know what this looks like?
Like a plane.
With wings and everything.
Think it'll fly?
I'll shit myself if it does.
Oh, it'll fly.
It better.
How you doing?
I'm thirsty, hungry and tired.
And I gotta get that
thing up in the air.
But otherwise, I'm
having a hell of a time.
How about you?
I'm laughing.
All I have to do is sit back,
relax and enjoy the flight.
You'll get us out of
here. I know you will.
Um, Frank, I wanted
to ask you something.
What did Alex say to
you just before he died?
"Don't crash. "
Take something only to cover
yourselves up with. Nothing more.
Hey, where's the chart? I
want to tape it to the floor.
It's in my bag right there.
I need you to check these
cables one more time.
This the outfit you work for?
This catalog.
Yeah.
These are models.
Wh
- Where's the big stuff?
Uh, well...
there's the, uh...
Stealth Magnum.
I designed that one a few years ago.
The biggest we make...
would have to be the Albatross.
Horrible name.
It's a six-foot wingspan parasol model.
But it's not my design because it's a
glider, and I only work on power models.
But you design the big
stuff too. Right, Elliott?
Planes that carry people.
Planes like the Phoenix. Right?
No, no.
Sizemore and Pratt only
build model airplanes.
But... that's who you design for.
I'm their chief designer, yes.
You build toy planes, man?
No, I most certainly do
not design toy planes.
A toy plane is one of those balsa wood
creations that run on a rubber band.
- Those are not toys.
- These are toys.
Those are not toys.
They're not full-sized
aircraft either, Elliott.
You see this shit? He's
a goddamn toy maker!
I think, Mr. Towns, you should
appreciate two very important things.
First of all, precisely similar
principles of aerodynamics...
apply to both scale
and full-sized aircraft.
- What is he saying?
- We should have waited, man. We'd still have water left.
Air foil surfaces,
the whole pattern of heavier-than-air
construction are all precisely similar.
We're gonna die out here.
The second thing you should realize is
that a model plane has to fly itself.
There is no pilot.
The design must be even more efficient
than that of a full-sized aircraft.
Well, I'm looking through
your catalog here...
and I don't see anything about a
flying sled with people on the wings!
They're toy airplanes!
What kind of crap is that?
My plane will fly.
You knew all along that you
was buildin' a toy airplane!
/an, what are you doing?
We'd have had two more
weeks if it weren't for you.
They could have found us.
The plane will fly!
We should have listened
to Towns in the beginning.
Sit tight, save water,
and they'll find us.
- What are you doing?
- But no.
- You had to build your plane.
- And you're not even one of us.
- Ian! Put that gun down!
- Nobody's shooting anybody!
We're not going out like that!
- My plane will fly!
- Give me the gun!
No, no, I was just saying, I'm
a very important person to them.
- Ian!
- They're looking for me. All they needed was more time.
We just needed more time!
- We need time!
Give me the gun! Give me that gun!
- Come on.
Everyone, look! Look!
Holy shit.
I told you.
I told you.
We have to get inside!
Inside! Get inside!
All the weight's on the Phoenix!
I can't believe it.
We build a plane...
we can't even fly it out of here.
All that sand...
it's probably not even gonna start.
It'll start.
Listen.
We built this plane.
With our own hands we built it.
We can sure as hell dig it out.
Did you hear what I said?
We built it.
We're not garbage.
We're people...
with families...
and lives to live.
All of us.
I don't wanna die like this.
Come on.
Let's get the hell out of here.
Let's go home.
Come on!
Come on! Get up!
Come on. Come on!
All right, that's far enough.
It's kinda beautiful, isn't it?
Don't tell us you wanna stick around.
Not with you, I don't.
Whatever happens now...
we did something pretty amazing here.
Yes, we did, didn't we?
Good luck.
Uh...
Captain Towns...
we only have, uh...
five chances at this, so, uh...
good luck.
Okay.
Hey, Frank...
I want you to borrow this.
It's always been good luck for me.
Who needs luck?
Clear.
Come on, baby. Come on.
Come on!
Come on.
- Come on.
- Come on.
- Turn over.
Please!
Come on!
Shit.
I'm gonna fire the next
cartridge with the ignition off...
to clear the cylinders.
But, Captain Towns,
there are only two left!
I know.
But I-
Oh, shit!
Jesus!
Okay.
Come on.
Come on, baby.
- Come on.
- Come on!
- Come on!
Come on, baby!
Come on!
- Yes!
- Yes, yes, yes!
Ohh!
- Yeah!
- Yes! We make our own luck!
- Yes! Yes!
- Come on!
Yeah!
Yes! Yes!
Everybody! Up!
Let's go home! Come on!
- Yeah!
- Come on! Let's go!
We're going home!
One for the lucky man!
Thank you.
Mr. Towns!
Hang on!
- Towns, we have a problem!
- Elliott, where's my rudder? I've lost my rudder!
- That's what I'm trying to tell you!
- Well, stop talking and fix it!
Shit.
Aah!
Towns, get us outta here!
This shit ain't funny no more!
Here we go!
Yeah!
Hey, boy!
Yeah!
We're flying! Yes!
Yes!
Whoo-hoo!
Yeah! Yeah!