Love in the Clouds (2025) Movie Script

(soft music)
(metal jingling)
Hey, Jared!
Clients are here.
I'm your pilot, Jared Troy.
(sighs)
Can't wait to get you
up there today.
There's absolutely nothing
like it in the whole world.
Being up in the sky,
floating across the air.
It's absolute freedom.
Yeah. Jared here has been
lifting up balloons
and spirits for so long,
it's second nature,
so you're in good hands.
Before we go, I'd like to
recite the balloonist prayer,
so we'll bring it in.
"May the winds welcome
you with softness,
may the sun bless you
with its warm hands,
and may you land safely
back into the loving
arms of Mother Earth."
Amen! Ready for liftoff?
- Can't wait!
- Let's do it.
Let's go.
(soft music)
Isn't it beautiful?
Floating in the wind.
(woman): It's so peaceful.
(Jared): Take it in!
(woman): Wow.
(Jared): And as captain
of this ship
I declare you
officially engaged.
(couple cheering)
Let's celebrate.
(champagne pops)
May you have a long
and happy marriage. Cheers!
- Cheers!
- Cheers!
Thank you so much for one
of the best days of our lives!
It was our pleasure.
And if you know of anyone
looking for
a romantic balloon ride, please
do send them our way, okay?
Yeah.
Good luck!
Ah, that never
gets old, does it?
Seeing that look of joy
in their faces
when they go up
for the first time?
And witnessing true love, huh?
Love?
That's like trying to control
a hot air balloon
in a windstorm.
(clinking glasses)
(soft music)
(man): Camera three position in.
Camera two zoom in.
Camera one cross fade.
There you have it, folks.
Words cannot espresso how good
the coffee is at Joe's Cafe.
Be sure to make it part
of your daily grind.
You'll love it a latte!
You don't think it was too much
on the coffee puns?
No, it is cool beans!
(laughter) Yeah, it played
well and the audience loved it.
I don't know, I just
feel I had to do something
to jazz up the business news.
Are you not liking doing
business anymore?
No, it's not that, I just...
I want to know what people
are passionate about.
Mary always seems
to cut that out.
(chuckles): Yeah.
(cellphone message)
Speaking of.
This can't be good.
(knocking on door)
Have a seat.
I saw your segment
on the coffee shop.
I know you think you're
being cute with your puns,
but you're a business reporter.
Right. But business doesn't
have to be boring, does it?
If you want to be non-boring,
be a lifestyle
or entertainment reporter.
Until then, stick to the facts.
Right, the facts, I know.
But...
This is your second warning.
Three strikes and you're out.
Okay.
- How'd it go?
- Ahh...
apparently business reporters
can't have a personality.
Have you heard about
the lifestyle reporter job
in Albuquerque?
It's probably just a rumour.
Why do you ask?
I think you should
look into it.
You know, New Mexico
has been on my radar
as a really nice place to live.
Did you know the sun shines
over 300 days
out of the year there?
- I did not.
- I know, that's crazy.
You know, it's too bad
you're not covering
the International Balloon
Fiesta this year,
because I have
always wanted to go.
I know.
You know what? Can you email me
that job posting?
(chuckles): Yeah.
(cellphone ringing)
Mom. Hey, Mom.
Sweetie, you're not home yet?
No, I just dropped
off a balloon.
I'll be home soon, wait,
what are you doing home?
Tonight's your date night.
We haven't been doing
our regular date nights
for a while.
Is that one of Dad's famous
biscochitos?
Wait, I can't see you very good.
Oh, there we go.
Oh no, this is store-bought.
What, store-bought?
Dad loves to bake,
I thought once he retired,
he's be making more, not less.
- Hey, Son.
- Hey, Dad.
Is everything alright with Dad?
Your father has been in a rut
ever since he retired.
Well, then, why did he retire?
I thought it was because
he wanted to spend more time
together, but all he does
is mope around here all
day, like he's...
bored.
Hey, maybe...
he could fly with you more.
I mean, do you have enough
business for that?
Yeah, it's a little bit
turbulent right now,
but if he wants to,
of course, he can.
Clear skies, clear mind.
Well, you always get more
bookings after the fiesta.
Yeah, and if that doesn't work
out, I can always go back
to flying balloons
for advertising.
That's not your passion.
Passion doesn't pay bills.
But you know what?
Don't worry, Mom.
I'll find a way
to keep this business afloat.
I know you will, Son.
- I love you.
- Love you too.
(soft music)
Did you hear?
- (cellphone message)
- What?
Oh, hold on one second,
I think this is Hank
about dinner tonight.
Everything okay?
Yeah.
Bad news?
Um, oh.
(cellphone chirps twice)
(sighs)
It's Mary, she wants to see me.
Good luck.
Yup.
Dwight had an emergency.
Oh. Is he okay?
It's his grandmother in Ohio,
she had a fall.
- Oh!
- She's okay, but it turns out
she can no longer live alone,
so Dwight is going to Ohio
to help her move.
He goes out today,
so you are going to
Albuquerque, New Mexico,
to cover the balloon fiesta.
Wow!
Thank you so much,
I mean, you know
how much I want to prove myself
as a lifestyle reporter,
and, right now is actually
a good time for me to get away.
Look, I know
it's not your usual,
but it saves me the trouble
of finding
a last-minute replacement.
But you'll be gone
for five days.
Okay, great. Thank you.
I'll have Elise come with me.
Uh, there's plenty
for her to do here.
But she's my right hand,
we're a team,
and you do want good footage to
go with the story, don't you?
Fine! You guys can stay with
Dwight's parents in Albuquerque.
No, no, that's okay.
We can get a hotel room.
Are you kidding?
It's the International
Balloon Fiesta.
Hotel rooms are booked
years in advance.
Hmm.
I'll find you guys
a place to stay.
Okay. Thank you very much.
Mm-hmm. And just
so we're clear,
you still have to stay
within the parameters
of what the station wants.
We don't report daily,
we just need a sensational,
entertaining five to seven
minute segment
that will air at
the end of the fiesta.
Any ideas you have,
you can pitch them to me
when you're there.
But I have the final say.
Is that clear?
Got it.
Thank you.
(sighs)
So...
we are headed to New Mexico!
What? And you got Mary
to let me come with you?
Of course! We're a team.
And I need to nail this story,
and you are my secret weapon.
And, you know,
Mary gave me an ultimatum.
I already have two strikes
against me.
- One more and...
- That's ridiculous.
You're a great reporter.
On top of that.
Um, Hank broke up
with me via text.
Oh, that's the text you
got when we were...
- Mm-hmm, yeah.
- Coward.
And I really hope you
don't let this one jerk
turn you off from love.
You know me,
I'm such a hopeless romantic.
And, to be honest with you,
we weren't dating that long.
I know that special someone
for me is out there somewhere.
I just have to find him, right?
(Mary): So, our reporter and
camera op will film you
and you get publicity
for your business.
Publicity for my business.
Heck yeah, I could use it.
I mean, that'd be great.
(Mary): Okay. Oh, and can
they stay with you?
Sure, yeah. I can host them
while they're here.
I have one condition.
Okay, what?
Ballooning, my business,
it's all fair game,
but my personal life,
it's off limits. Clear?
Of course,
I'll let the reporter know.
I'll email you the details.
Yep.
(airport din)
You know what,
I never even asked you.
Do you want to find love?
Oh, I mean I'm not really
looking for it, but,
I suppose if it fell in my lap.
If only it were that easy!
(cellphone ringing)
- Guess who?
- Oh.
Hey, Mary. Yeah,
we're at the airport.
Oh great.
I found a hot air balloon pilot
for you to stay with.
He has his own company
and he's been flying
for 30 years.
Okay, if you don't mind
texting me the details.
Just so you know,
he was very adamant
about not covering
his personal life.
Okay, I will
take note of that.
Which makes me think
he's hiding something.
And when someone's
hiding something,
There's always a story there.
I'll leave it up to you
to find it.
Oh, I will.
I will make you proud.
I'm counting on it.
Thank you.
So a hot air
balloon pilot, huh?
Well, you heard Mary.
He's a sweet older man,
who has been
a pilot for over 30 years,
and apparently has secrets.
(Jared's mother): Bye, dear.
Heading out ow.
Honey, you just
did this last week.
I know, but you know
I like to stay busy,
and I'm running out
of things to do.
(mug clatters)
There's plenty
to do besides cleaning.
You're right,
The Price Is Right is on.
I'll do this later.
Where's my goodbye kiss?
(airplane whirring)
(PA): Welcome to Albuquerque
International Airport.
So, how did you know that
I'm afraid of flying?
Oh, you white knuckling on
the plane was a giveaway.
Well, you might be surprised
to know that I'm afraid
of a lot of things.
Spiders, snakes, bats, ugh!
Don't get me started
on their beady little eyes.
I am afraid of a lot of things,
and I'm deathly afraid
of heights.
But we're going to
the Balloon Fiesta.
I know. And I cannot get
in that hot air balloon.
Okay. Um, I'll think of
something to cover for us.
Well, I was thinking that
you could go in
the hot air balloon.
I mean, that is on your bucket
list of things to do, right?
Yeah, so I want you
to enjoy the fiesta.
I'll come up with something for
myself, don't worry about me.
(car honking)
Hey, Uber's here.
- Oh, actually, it's about to go!
- No, wait!
(knocking)
Hello?
You think he might
be hard of hearing?
30 years in the business,
he must be retired.
Are you sure this
is the right place?
- Yeah, um...
- The pilot's house?
Yeah, I mean...
I can't believe it, you know.
I forgot my sunglasses,
I never need them in Seattle.
Oh! You're the best.
- Thank you.
- I know, you're welcome!
Hi. Yes, do you
have any hotel rooms?
Oh, you don't need to laugh.
(sighs)
I guess Mary was right
about all the rooms
being booked up around here.
- Now, what do you want to do?
- Uhh. Oh, he's here!
(gasping)
Thank goodness!
Who is that?
I don't know,
but that can't be the pilot.
- Oh, hi!
- Hi.
We're here waiting to
meet Jared Troy?
You're looking at him.
(chuckles)
Oh, hi! I'm, I'm Brooklyn,
the reporter from...
New York. No?
Yeah, I get that a lot.
Um, my mom loved
the name Brooke and Lynn,
so she just combined the two.
Yeah, I see that.
That makes sense.
(clears throat)
Oh, um, this is Elise,
our videographer.
- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
Some uh, nice shades!
Oh, thanks!
Well, I'm sorry I'm late,
I had a few things
I had to take care of.
Oh, that's okay!
We were not waiting long.
Eh?
Oh, well...
Good, now let me help you
with your bags.
Thank you, I'll get this.
The uh, hot air balloon pilot
is kind of hot, don't you think?
Shh, quiet!
(laughter)
This is definitely
going to be an adventure.
Wow, really nice home.
Thanks.
There's two guest rooms.
One down the hall,
and the other,
just around the corner.
You ladies hungry?
Oh, I'm not,
but I bet Brooklyn is.
Yeah, you two go ahead.
I have to uh, clean my camera.
Alright, have fun with that,
it's right this way.
(giggles)
(Brooklynn sighs)
You know, thank you so much
for hosting us
at the last minute.
Oh yeah, of course.
Like I said,
we've got plenty of room.
You do, um,
do you live here alone?
Yeah, just me. All by myself.
Wait, do you think this place
is too big for one person?
Er, no, no, no, I didn't,
I didn't mean it like that,
it's that,
it's a big home, you know?
I was just messing with you.
I'm so sorry,
we don't have very much food.
To be honest with you,
my fridge looks exactly like that.
Yeah, I don't cook.
I love to cook, I just don't
do it that often
for one person, you know.
You make me a list, and I'll
pick up whatever you need.
- Thank you.
- Want some green chili?
No, thank you.
(chuckles)
I'm not a fan of spicy food,
I have a little bit
of a sensitive stomach.
(Brooklynn chuckles)
Let me take your coat.
Yeah, thanks.
So, um, what time do you
want us up in the morning?
- It's early.
- Yeah, how early is early?
We have to be out
the door by three.
What? Three AM?
I mean, I'm, I'm just
going to bed by that time.
I mean, because I,
I work so much,
not because I'm out, like,
clubbing or anything.
Right, right, right.
I mean I work all the time too,
but when you love what you do,
it doesn't really feel
like work, does it?
- Ehh.
- Right.
- Right.
- Right.
Well, I'd better
get unpacked and go to bed.
Need my beauty sleep.
No you don't.
Hm?
No, I mean, do you really need
to go to bed this early?
- It's like.
- Yeah.
Yeah, okay. Good night.
Good night. Thank you again.
Thank you.
Just down the road, and,
down the road, take a right.
- (laughter)
- Thank you.
Alright.
(sighs)
Just down the road.
That was smooth.
(clears throat)
(knocking on door)
Elise? Hello? Hey.
- Oh, god!
- Oh, I'm so sorry!
So sorry.
(Elise laughing)
Okay, so we gotta be up
before three AM tomorrow.
- Oh.
- Yeah.
By the way,
I did not see a ring
on his finger!
Oh my goodness!
It doesn't mean
that he's single.
Although he did say that
he lives here alone.
But that doesn't mean that
he doesn't have a girlfriend,
or even a fiance.
Okay well, if he's single,
I think you should go for it.
(sigh)
What?
I have a good feeling
about you two.
I think love is in the air!
(laughter)
Alright, okay.
Are you going to try
to get an interview
for the lifestyle job?
I could look into that
but I know they're going
to want a demo reel.
Well, you have
a ton of footage,
so I can go ahead
and put something together.
But for now,
we gotta go to bed.
So, goodnight, and I will
see you tomorrow.
You mean tonight? Nyah!
(soft music)
(sighs)
You reading a book
about World War II?
(Brad sighs)
Yeah, I thought it
would make me tired.
Mmm. You having
trouble sleeping?
Yeah, it's like
I'm more tired now
than when I was
working full time.
You feeling okay?
Maybe we should
get you to a doctor.
No. I'm fine.
I don't need a doctor.
Goodnight, honey.
(sighs)
(keys clicking)
(soft music)
Wow. He's broken all sorts of
records in ballooning.
Who in the world becomes
a professional balloonist?
I mean, it seems
more like a hobby.
Can you really make a living
flying hot air balloons?
Huh.
Words cannot espresso how good
the coffee is at Joe's Cafe.
Be sure to make it part
of your daily grind.
You'll love it a latte!
(chuckles softly)
(gentle music)
(Elise): Hi, good morning.
Have you tried this? It's fire.
Probably literally.
No, that looks way too
spicy for me.
Wait, hold on,
are you two seriously
both eating green chili
for breakfast?
Yes, it's the breakfast
of champions.
What is that amazing smell?
That is pion coffee.
- Ohh!
- Yeah.
It's made from the nut
of our state tree,
they make firewood
with it and coffee.
- Give that a smell.
- Wow!
- It's really good.
- Oh!
- You want some?
- It's incredible. Yes, please.
I need to bring some
of this home with me.
Unless you move here.
Then, you know,
you can have it all the time.
- Move here?
- Yeah.
Brooklyn's gonna be applying for
a lifestyle reporter job here.
Okay well, let's not
get ahead of ourselves.
- Here you go.
- Thank you.
I Googled you and checked out
one of your segments.
Was it, how'd it go,
"You'll like it a latte?"
(laughter)
That was cute, I liked it.
Thanks.
Well, I Googled you, too.
- Oh boy.
- Uh, no, no, no.
I saw that you are quite a
hotshot in the ballooning world.
Yeah, certainly not in
it for the fame and fortune.
You know, maybe you can
take Brooklyn on a tour,
since she might be moving here.
Elise, he's a pilot,
not a tour guide!
Yeah, I'm not sure we're
going to have much time
for sightseeing, but um.
Well, let's get flying.
I gotta go warm up the truck.
Flying? Wait, flying?
What are you doing?
I'm matchmaking!
Well, could you be a little
less obvious, please?
No, I cannot!
(laughter)
(Brooklynn): Brrr!
It's dark and it's cold.
Do you always get up this early?
Yeah, it helps beat traffic.
Plus, I'm a part
of the Dawn Patrol,
which is a special group
of balloons that go up
before sunrise on the days
of the mass ascension.
Oh yeah, I read
about mass ascension.
That's when all 500 balloons
go up at the same time.
- That sounds scary!
- It's exhilarating.
Well, there's a fine line
between fear and exhilaration.
It's the biggest fiesta in
the world with, like you said,
500 balloons, and over
a million visitors.
Does it ever get old for you?
Never.
There's nothing like it,
the special shapes, the crowds,
the camaraderie with the pilots,
the look on people's faces,
how they just light up
when they first see a balloon.
- Wow.
- It's the best.
When did you
start your business?
Just after high school,
with my parents' help.
My dad owns a taekwondo studio,
he's a black belt.
Remind me not to
get on his bad side!
(laughter)
But I did read on the website
that your dad is a pilot,
and your mom is, too.
Yeah, both of them.
Granddad too, this is actually,
this is actually...
this is actually his jacket.
So, why did you
decide to focus
on romantic balloon
rides for couples?
It helps me distinguish a bit
from the other
air balloon companies.
Okay, so it's basically
just like a branding concept.
Because everyone
loves love, right?
Mmm.
- Do you?
- What?
Love love?
It's...
it's a marketing angle.
(soft music)
(PA): Welcome to the Fiesta.
(car honking)
Alright.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
Buenos das! What a great
morning for an adventure, huh?
Yeah. Elise, Brooklyn,
this is my cousin Carlos.
This is Brooklyn, Elise,
they're from Seattle.
Uh... hi.
(Brooklyn): Great.
So they're here doing
a story on the fiesta.
Great. You're from Seattle?
I love it up there,
the vibe, the music scene,
even the rain.
You know, Elise,
she loves music,
she's always listening
to something.
Really? What kind of music
do you listen to?
Mainly alternative.
Oh, me too. I just saw
The Muddy Boots in concert.
You saw The Muddy Boots
in concert? No way!
I love them.
Oh, I'm so jealous.
So,
you're the cinematographer?
Just the camera tech but
I've always wanted
to be a cinematographer
for a sci-fi film.
Well, there's a great
film industry
here in New Mexico.
I've always wanted to be
involved
with the movies as well.
Maybe I could be
an extra or something.
Yeah. Yeah, of course.
You have great teeth,
so that would...
Maybe you two
should go hang out.
Maybe we should go set up.
Let's go, pal.
Yeah.
What are you doing?
Playing matchmaker.
Nice teeth!
I know!
(laughter)
(fire hissing)
(upbeat music)
Amber.
Jared.
Turner?
Come on.
What was that about?
Huh.
Hey, you're the guy
that offers
romantic balloon rides, right?
That's right, Jared.
Oh thanks.
I'm so glad I found you.
I'm proposing to my girlfriend.
Next month.
We've only been together
for two months,
but when you know, you know.
Two months. Wow. Congrats!
- Thanks!
- Yup. Good luck!
Two months,
he's already proposing.
Well, you heard the guy.
"When you know, you know."
Yeah. Doubt they even
make it to the proposal.
(Jared grunts)
Wow.
For a pilot that offers
romantic balloon rides,
he sure seems down on love.
Huh.
(Jared grunting)
- Morning.
- Uh, Mom!
Brooklyn, Elise,
this is my mom and dad.
This is Jane and Brad,
the aircraft radio's
missing in this.
So great to meet you both,
although I was told
to stay away from you, hi-yah!
(laughter)
Uh, yeah. I heard you used to
own a taekwondo studio,
and maybe you could
teach me some real moves?
Oh, but I'm retired now.
Oh, honey. Just because
you're retired,
doesn't mean you
can't show her some moves.
I thought we put
this all behind us.
So Brooklyn,
she's uh, the reporter.
So, but she leaves in Seattle,
and they are both
staying in the house
while they cover the fiesta.
- Nice to meet you.
- Oh, so nice to meet you.
I hope my son
is being a good host.
- Yes, he is.
- Great.
I tried to raise
him to be a gentleman.
Well, you did a great job.
Now I did hear that
you used to be a pilot,
maybe I could ask
you some questions?
Sure. But you might
want to interview Brad,
he's the one with the stories.
Oh I, I don't know.
He's being modest.
He has talked at balloon
seminars all over the world.
Hey, why don't we all go to
dinner one night at El Pinto?
Oh, that is the best place.
We always take all of our
out of town visitors there.
And then afterwards, we go
back to our place for dessert.
Brad is an amazing baker.
I suppose I could
bake something.
Maybe you could make
your famous biscochitos.
- (cellphone ringing)
- My phone. I'm so sorry, um.
It's my boss, it's Mary,
excuse me one second.
I'm gonna go set up.
It was nice meeting you both.
She seems nice.
And I didn't see a ring on
that finger.
- Mom!
- What?
She's a reporter
who lives in Seattle.
We're just hanging out
because I need the publicity.
(clears throat)
I can feel it.
Love is in the air.
So, Mary,
you're up really early.
I never left.
I'm calling to see
if you found out
what the pilot is hiding.
My intuition tells me
there's a story there.
Uh, no. I'm, I'm really sorry.
You know,
Elise and I were joking
that for a pilot that
offers romantic balloon rides,
he's really jaded about love.
Jaded. Jared.
That's it, that's your story.
No. No, no, no, Mary.
I was just making small talk
with you, that's all.
I can see it now.
"Pilot offering romantic
balloon rides,
but is himself
closed off to love."
People will love it, the irony.
A-Actually, I, I...
That's it,
that's the story I want.
Remember, three strikes and...
I know, I know.
I'm out, I remember.
(PA): Welcome the Fiesta.
It's windy out there folks,
we're hoping to see
that green flag.
(soft music)
- Oh no.
- What does that mean?
That means we got
a yellow flag.
And we gotta wait to see
if the wind dies down.
- Oh.
- I'm sorry.
I know you were really excited
to get up, get flying today.
Nope.
I mean, no I was, but you
can't control the weather.
Yeah, one of the things you
learn real early as a pilot
is to let go of expectations.
So many things are
just out of our control.
Hey Jared, why don't you show
Brooklyn around the fiesta?
Well, cause I gotta wait
and see if we get a green flag.
Your father could go up.
Oh no, I'm just a participant
this year, remember?
Oh I could go up, and maybe
Elise could come with me?
I think until we
get a green flag,
Elise and I should go grab
some footage. Okay? Come on.
- Well, it'll die down.
- I hope so.
(Elise): Ready in,
three, two, one.
Albuquerque has what's
known as "the box."
It's a predictable
set of wind patterns,
that allow the balloonist to
navigate within a vertical box.
The surrounding mountains
form the sides of the box,
and the flat desert terrain
offers unlimited landing spots,
where the crew can meet up
with them.
It's not a race,
but a pleasure cruise.
For 50 years, the Balloon Fiesta
has attracted balloonists
from all over the world
for one week of festivities.
The main event is
the mass ascension,
where 500 balloonists
take to the air
in groups every 20 minutes.
To find out how
balloons operate,
I asked veteran pilot Jared Try
to give me a look inside.
The fabric is
a silk-like synthetic.
Very strong and light.
Hot air is lighter
than the surrounding
high altitude atmosphere here,
so when the propane gas jets
have heated the air
inside enough,
the balloon will rise.
To descend, the pilot has ropes
to open the flaps at the top
and sides of the balloon.
When hot air escapes,
the balloon descends.
A balloon can only
go up or down,
the rest is up to the wind.
It's a simple process that
has worked for centuries.
(Elise): And cut!
Brooklynn that was great.
Now why don't you go entertain
your out of town friends?
Your father and I can
finish up here.
What happened to just
being a participant?
Are you gonna,
come on, seriously?
Go!
I could've used some help here.
Our son is an adult, darling.
Even an adult needs
a push now and then.
(Jared): Well, that's it,
we're done for the day.
If you ladies have anything
you feel like doing?
Um, is there
a night balloon glow?
(Carlos): Oh, you'd love that.
There's a drone show
and fireworks, and that's when
they light up all the balloons
at the same time.
Yeah, you had me at
"drone show and fireworks."
You know what?
Why don't the two of you
hang out and have some fun?
Okay, yeah. Cool.
- Up for it?
- Yeah.
Ah, young love.
(chuckling)
What? Come on, you can't tell me
you don't see the chemistry
between those two.
I'm pretty oblivious
to that kind of thing.
How can you be?
You're a pilot that offers
romantic balloon rides,
that's your whole
marketing schtick.
Yeah, it separates me
from the competition.
You've never been in love,
or engaged, or married?
Hah, have you?
Well, to be honest with you,
I'm not exactly winning it
in the relationship department.
Why not?
Well, I'm a hopeless romantic.
It all starts off with
fireworks and butterflies,
but then it just fizzles out.
See that's the problem,
you're focused on
butterflies and fireworks.
I think that love is
more grounded.
Sort of like my parents.
They really set the bar high.
Although they're going through
a bit of a rough spot right now.
But every relationship
goes through rough spots.
(deep inhale, exhale)
- Do you know what?
- What?
I want to show you
the Balloon Museum.
It's not this way,
it's that way.
- Cool, okay.
- Let's go.
Some great exhibits in there.
And maybe even famous
balloonists.
Hi, guys.
(inaudible chatter)
- Oh look, dogs! Aww!
- Ah yeah.
This is Paws and Stripes,
they're uh, they save
two lives at a time.
Really?
Yeah, they put together
rescue dogs with vets.
That one's Moxie over there.
Hi, sweetheart!
Let's go see Moxie.
- I want to say hi to Moxie.
- Hi guys.
Hi Moxie! I love the kisses,
thank you! Aww.
- They're so cute.
- So precious.
- He likes you.
- He does. I like Moxie.
Wow! Those pins are beautiful.
You should get one,
people collect them.
- Yeah. I think I will.
- Here, allow me.
- Thank you.
- This is the one, huh?
- Yeah, I like that one.
- Alright.
Ow!
What?
- Awww!
- Kidding!
Come on.
(laughter)
- You...
- I was messing with you.
(fairy tale chime)
(soft music)
There's one more thing.
Okay, does everything have
green chilies on it here?
Everything that's good!
Very funny.
So, how old were you when you
knew you wanted to be a pilot?
I must've been
around eight years old.
Mmm.
That actually makes sense,
because all the business people
that I ever interviewed,
they all knew exactly
what they wanted to be
at a very young age.
Yeah, my dad had this company.
Like, he would fly balloons
for this real estate company
that he worked for.
Advertising as a side hustle.
And so that's the first time
I realized that hey,
you could fly people around
in balloons for money.
Hmm.
Because of the advertising?
Yeah. So now,
I have my own business
where I get to fly people
around in balloons.
Mmm. You're so lucky
to be doing what you love,
and make a living at it.
Do you know how few people
can actually say that?
Yeah, I guess so.
What about you?
- Hmm.
- Do you love your job?
Do you love what you do?
Um, I used to.
I mean, business reporting,
it's all facts, financials.
A little boring.
So I was thinking about making
the leap to lifestyle reporting,
cause it's not so dry.
Okay, hold on, we're not,
yeah I'm here to interview you.
- You're interviewing me?
- I'm interviewing you, yes!
(laughter)
You know what you're doing.
Oh, okay,
what do you want to know?
Okay, what I want
to know is...
What do you love most about
being a pilot?
Well, it never gets old.
You never land at
the same place twice.
You never even have
the same day twice.
Every day is like it's own
unique experience.
But you know,
I think the best part
is seeing the joy
in people's faces
when they first experience
a balloon ride.
It's like seeing a kid
light up on Christmas morning.
(romantic music)
You guys ready for fireworks
and drones?
Oh! Oh, we're not
interrupting, are we?
Nope.
- Want some fries?
- Yeah.
(Jared): Ah, the fireworks
and drone show
is one of my favorites parts
of the balloon fiesta.
(fireworks popping)
(crowd cheering)
Wow. Hey.
Jared's passion for hot air
ballooning is so contagious
that it almost makes me want to
get up in a hot air balloon.
You know, I said almost,
okay? Relax!
(laughter)
(crowd cheering)
(Brooklynn): What a beautiful
way to end the evening.
(dog barking)
- Oooh, I like that. Yes.
- Yeah.
- It's perfect.
- It's great.
By the way, you and Carlos
seem to be getting along.
Yeah, we have the same
tastes in podcasts and music.
I didn't know that you wanted
to be a cinematographer
in movies.
Maybe you'll do well
here in New Mexico.
Yeah. Well, you and Jared
seem to be hitting it off,
and you might
actually live here.
Well, I might need a new job
if Mary fires me.
I just have to find an
impactful angle to this story,
but not at the expense of Jared.
Nice, he's just such a nice guy,
doing what he loves and...
I just really admire that
about him, you know?
Mm-hmm.
- I'll figure something out.
- I know you will.
You always do.
Thanks.
You're welcome.
Have a good night.
You too, goodnight!
(romantic music)
Ah, another yellow flag.
Darn, I was hoping
we'd go up today.
Well, I could take you
to the balloon museum,
show you the history of
ballooning.
You know, the first hydrogen
balloon was a...
might be kind of boring.
No, it sounds uplifting!
(laughter)
Okay! This way.
Oh sweetie, why don't you show
Brooklyn around town?
I hear she might be moving here.
You know I can't do that, Mom.
What if we get a green flag?
Um, I suppose I could pilot
this thing if we get a flag.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Alright. You ready to see
the best of Albuquerque?
Oh, are you offering
to be my tour guide now?
Yeah, something like that.
Thanks, Dad!
You got it.
I know what you're doing.
(gentle music)
Can you blame a mother
for wanting her only son...
Um, I think it's
a little more than that.
(Spanish guitar music)
(Jared): In New Mexico
we fire roast our green chili,
buy it by the pound
and eat it all year long.
Hey, let me get one of these.
Uh, yeah.
Thanks!
And a chilis.
Yeah, 10 pound's good.
Here you go,
give you some money.
Thanks.
(Brooklynn): This is beautiful.
So, do you ever get to follow
up with any of the couples
that get proposed on
your balloon?
Mmm, not really.
No? Darn, I was hoping
to interview on of them.
I mean, most of them probably
aren't even together anymore.
Statistically speaking.
Well, love isn't about
statistics.
Let's have a seat. C'mon!
Alright.
(Jared grunts)
So, what would you say
was the most romantic proposal
to ever have happened
on your balloon?
(laughter)
Yeah, that's easy.
There was this guy who wanted
us to write on a big banner
"Will You Marry Me?"
and on the ground.
And the challenging part was
that I had to coordinate
flying over that point
at the exact moment
that they were
holding up the banner.
Wow! That does sound romantic,
but wouldn't it have been better
if somebody was in
the balloon next to you,
holding up the banner?
I mean, don't you think?
It was a successful proposal.
And hopefully,
a successful marriage.
Yeah, I mean,
sometimes I think people spend
so much time on the proposal,
and on the wedding,
and they don't spend any time
at trying to make
the marriage actually work.
That's a good point.
You sound like you're
speaking from experience.
(curious chiming music)
No, I just uh, you know,
I just think that marriage
is a lifelong commitment,
and it's not something you give
up on at the first sign of...
(cellphone ringing)
- Agh.
- You should prob... Go ahead.
- No, no, no. It's okay.
- No, go for it, seriously.
No, I'm sorry.
Please, continue.
- It might be important.
- No, continue. I'm so sorry.
You know what?
I have some place else
I want to take you
that you are gonna love!
Okay!
(Brooklynn groans nervously)
Uh yeah. Okay,
so how much longer
are we going to be
in this thing?
(Jared): C'mon, just try and
relax.
Please don't move!
Just don't sway this thing!
Okay, it's okay, it's okay.
Look at me, look at me.
Just breath.
I had no idea you
were afraid of heights.
Why didn't you say something?
Please don't move.
Just don't sway this thing,
please.
Brooklyn, Brooklyn,
look at me? Look at me?
Take a deep breath.
(Brooklynn inhales slowly)
Let it go, that's right,
you're slaying dragons here.
(laughter)
Take a deep breath, look at me.
(deep inhale)
That's right.
That's it.
Rising above your fear.
(Brooklynn): Thanks you.
(Jared): You did it!
Ah, I'm proud of you.
You know why they call
this Sandia Mountain?
Nope.
Because sandia means
watermelon in Spanish.
And at sunset, they get
this incredible pink hue.
Whatcha looking at?
So do, do we need to take
the tram to get back down?
Or are their options?
I suppose I could take
the tram down,
grab my truck and come up
the back side of the mountain.
But, then you would be up
here alone for a while.
(groans)
No thank you.
You'd do that for me?
Sure.
Thank you.
(soft music)
(children squealing)
(hot air blowing)
We got the green flag!
Hop in. Hop in!
(fire hissing)
Should we find Jared?
- I got it.
- Let them have their fun.
Hang on right here, okay?
Oh we made it! Oh, we made it!
(sighs)
(laughter)
- Come on, come on.
- Thank you so much.
Thank you so much!
Oh, thank you for talking me
through that.
- Oh. Thank you.
- You're welcome.
(cellphone ringing)
Sorry, I've gotta get this.
Mary! Hey Mary, I'm actually...
I'm calling to see if you
found out what the pilot...
- No, no. I, I...
- The clock is ticking.
And so far, I have
seen nothing from you.
You have 24 hours
to get me something.
- Hungry?
- Oh yeah!
Really.
(Spanish guitar music)
Life is like flying.
Sometimes you rise, sometimes
you sink, but you always land.
- Cheers to that.
- Cheers.
- Thought you could use a drink.
- Oh! Mm-hmm.
Oh, you have no idea.
I mean, the tram just swayed
over every single post, oh!
You know, I am actually not
a big fan of heights myself.
What? That doesn't make sense,
you're a pilot.
Yeah, I know, but I'm not
gonna stand on the edge
of a building and stare over
the edge and look down.
I have a rational
fear of falling,
but not an irrational
fear of heights.
Yeah, unless the tram pummels
to the ground,
or you fall out of
the hot air balloon, mmm?
It's not gonna happen,
statistically speaking.
You and your statistics!
You are much safer in
a hot air balloon
than you are in a car.
I mean,
especially around here.
Mmm.
Fear is in your head.
Danger is real.
Right, but I do think that...
fear exists to protect us
from getting hurt.
- Right.
- I mean, you can't tell me
you don't agree with that,
right?
I mean, aren't you
afraid of anything?
- Of course!
- Well, okay, what then?
- Hi!
- Hi there!
- Good to see you.
- What can I get for you?
- Oh. Please.
- I'll have the enchilada plate.
Ooh, me too.
Great. And uh, red,
green or Christmas?
Christmas?
Christmas, red and green
chilies together, you know what?
I think she should probably
have hers on the side,
and I will have
the regular on top.
- Great. Sounds good.
- Thank you.
Speaking of Christmas,
you should see
the luminarias around here.
Mmm, I would love to see them.
New Mexico seems like
such a nice place to live.
It is.
But Seattle's your home, right?
Yeah.
I think home
is wherever your joy is.
Ohh! So good.
Oooh! That's spicy!
That's what
the sopapillas are for.
Okay, thank you.
Oh no, no, that's not how!
That's not how you do it.
- No, no, no.
- What, what, what?
Put that down.
You cut, you pull the corner.
Yes. Here, I'll do it for you.
You fill it with honey,
I mean some people fill,
but there you go. Try that.
- Mmm, mmm. That's good.
- Better?
Oh here, you have a little
something right on the.
(Spanish guitar music)
You've seen the mountain,
eaten the best meal.
One more stop.
Oh, this is so cute!
I love him!
(laughter)
Wow.
This reminds me
of the blue sky here.
This is beautiful.
It is.
Hmm.
Hm!
Hi! We got the green flag
and I got to up in a balloon!
- What? You did? That's amazing!
- Why didn't you call me?
Dad took her up.
Because we wanted you
to have fun. Did you?
Well, other than
fearing for my life
and burning my mouth on chili,
yes, I had a great time.
- I want to hear all about it.
- Yes, and me too!
And we can plan
our trip to El Pinto.
- Perfect!
- Yes. I'll catch up with you.
Okay.n.
It felt so great
to be up there in the air.
Clear skies, clear mind.
It felt good
seeing you up there.
(sighs)
- It's been a while.
- It's where you belong, Dad.
Yeah.
(soft music)
(Jared): As darkness fall
it's a longstanding tradition
here at Fiesta
for all the pilots
to light their burners.
We call it the balloon glow.
Wow!
This is so amazing!
Oh look at the heart, oh!
(fire hissing)
(romantic music)
(Jared): You warm enough?
(Brooklynn): All of these
amazing balloons!
(Jared): We'll get you some hot
chocolate or something.
(Brooklynn): So many different
shapes and colours.
I love it!
I feel like we're floating
here on the ground.
(hot air balloons hissing)
Well, I can really see
why you bring visitors here,
I love the ambiance.
We used to come here
on our date nights.
I know. It's been a while.
I know it has, and I'm sorry.
We have to reinstate
that tradition.
The food looks amazing.
My family personally likes
to make the chile rellenos
with the hatch chilies
from New Mexico,
and when they're homemade,
they're exquisite, like fire.
(Jared): Yeah. I mean,
not literally.
Don't worry, I ordered you
the mild chili, you're fine.
Well, thank you.
Save room for dessert
because Brad made biscochitos.
- Mmm!
- You did? Ahh, finally.
(laughs)
(Jane): And we can have them
back at the house with coffee.
Ah, yes!
Okay, so, what would you say
is the secret to
a successful marriage?
(laughs)
Uh, happy wife, happy life.
I mean, right?
I think that's partially true.
And I'm committed to making
this lady very happy.
I also retired recently
so we could spend
more time together.
He spent countless hours
at the studio,
and weekends in the air,
and he's never home.
And now, I'm home a lot.
(all laugh)
And I think maybe I, you know,
lost a little bit of my purpose.
I just, I didn't want
that to affect our marriage.
- I just want you to be happy.
- And I want you to be happy.
Maybe that should be
the new phrase,
"A happy person,
happy marriage."
Yeah, rolls off the tongue.
(laughter)
You have to be happy
and fulfilled in yourself
before you can be happy
in a relationship.
That's true.
Son, I was thinking of maybe
piloting some balloon rides
a couple of days a week if,
you know, you'll let me.
I don't know!
(laughter)
Of course, I would love it.
It'd be so good to have
you back up with me.
Oh, um. And gratitude, right?
Another ingredient.
We have to be
thankful for what we have.
And I am thankful for
the most beautiful,
intelligent, giving,
loving wife.
And I'm going to do everything I
can to make you happy, darling.
I can't believe we
only have two days left.
I don't want it to end.
Yeah, me neither.
You know, I was thinking.
I can check on
flights to Seattle,
would that be alright with you?
Yeah, I'd like that.
(Brad): Okay, everyone,
biscochitos will be ready
in a few minutes!
Do you mind if I ask
you some questions
about being a female
balloon pilot?
Not at all,
although I don't know how good
of a story that would be now.
When I started piloting,
there weren't many females,
but that's changed.
Oh, I see. Hmm.
So um, you're from Seattle?
Not originally, but I've lived
there the last five years.
You like it?
It's cloudy.
(laughter)
The weather here is perfect.
New Mexico has got its perks,
including a handsome,
nice, pilot
who is quite fond of you.
(clears throat)
Well.
A mother always can tell.
Was Jared hurt in his past?
Because he never talks about
his past relationships.
You'll have to ask him that.
Fair enough. Back to you.
How did you know
Brad was the one?
He pushed me out
of my comfort zone,
and also supported me.
He made me feel safe.
Mmm.
When I met Brad,
I was studying accounting.
Not my passion,
that's what my parents wanted.
I always loved children
and I wanted to work with them,
and Brad's the one that
told me to follow my heart,
and do what I was
passionate about,
so I became a teacher.
Thank you so much
for having me over
and just making
me feel so at home.
Mi casa es su casa.
You remind me
so much of my mom.
Aww, and you're like
the daughter I never had.
(laughter)
Thank you.
Come on, Elise.
Brooklynn told me y'all
like a lesson.
So, feet are about
shoulder width apart,
and your hands are in front
of you just like that.
That's the ready stance,
or junbi, okay?
So from here, first move,
left foot steps out,
with a high block.
(grunts)
Like this. Good.
Good, perfect.
This is over your eyes
a little bit more.
Basically, this is to
prevent somebody
from hitting you
with a baseball bat.
So right here, like this.
That's perfect like that.
Okay, number two.
From this position,
it's just a reverse punch.
This arm goes down,
and this hand,
the right hand comes
straight out, about face level.
Ready? One, two. Good.
Okay, try it again. Ready, one!
Two! Good. Junbi.
Now sometimes when we feel weak,
you do that move.
(grunts)
You feel more powerful.
And, you know, when we're
feeling more confident,
sometimes we can trick
our mind into the same thing.
- Okay, shall we try it again?
- Yeah!
Junbi. (Shouting in Japanese)
Very good.
(romantic music)
That was so much fun.
You know, your family
is just amazing.
I, I loved your dad's story
about personal fulfilment,
I mean it just inspired me.
Yeah. Oh, my dad.
(Brooklynn chuckling)
Say, listen. Do you remember,
you asked me,
you asked me if I
was afraid of anything.
Yeah.
- (sighs)
- Well, it turns out,
(clears throat)
I am.
What?
I'm afraid of um...
(cellphone ringing)
You can answer that if you want.
No, it's okay. It's my boss,
I don't have any updates
for her.
Man, she really checks in
on you a lot!
She does, it drives me crazy.
You know, I'm so sorry.
Please continue.
Do you remember
Amber and Turner
from the first day
of the fiesta?
They walked right by me without
saying hello.
Yeah.
Yeah, okay, so Turner's
my best friend.
We started a business together,
we took people up
for balloon rides.
And Amber,
well she was my girlfriend.
Huh.
I even proposed to her
in a hot air balloon.
What? Look at you,
you are a romantic.
And then out of the blue,
one day,
she just leaves me for Turner.
Oh my goodness.
She told me she was not
in love with me anymore.
What?
But she was definitely
in love with Turner.
So you lost your best friend
and your fianc?
And my business, all at once.
I felt so betrayed and like,
blindsided all at once,
and I think I shut down.
I'm so sorry.
But that was so long ago.
I mean, haven't you had a
serious relationship since then?
(chuckles)
- Look, it's okay.
- Yeah.
You don't have to talk about
it, I completely get it.
It's kind of funny,
because here I'm not afraid to
open up my heart,
but I'm afraid of
literally everything else!
(laughter)
You know, flying, heights.
Uh...
I'm afraid of taking risks.
When you go up in a hot air
balloon,
you don't know if you're
going to land safely or not.
What I am afraid of
is being on my deathbed
and having regrets.
But won't you regret
not opening yourself up
to love again?
(gentle music)
Oh, I don't know what to do.
Mary is demanding that
I show her something,
and I haven't because
I don't have anything,
because I don't want to tell
the story she wants me to tell.
Elise, I'm starting to develop
feelings for Jared.
And I can't explain it,
but when I'm with him,
I just feel so safe inside.
And his passion, it just makes
me want to follow my passion.
Oh, and I love his mom and dad,
they feel like
the family I never had.
Maybe you should
tell him how you feel.
Unh. You don't think
it's too soon?
No, maybe things
are meant to be simple
and just fall into our laps.
But I'm running out of time.
Time goes by so fast,
and I just so tired
of living my life in fear.
You know what?
Jared is right.
Fear is all in my head,
and I am in control
of my thoughts.
What are you saying?
I'm saying that if we get
a green flag tomorrow,
I'm going up in a balloon.
(soft music)
Okay, are you all sure
this is safe?
- Safer than the ride over.
- That's for sure!
Jared almost swerved
off the road
when Brooklyn said she wanted
to go up in a balloon.
And uh, what are
the wind conditions?
Favourable.
Okay, you said favourable,
that's not ideal!
Jared is a great pilot,
he'll take great care of you.
You can do this!
Mmm! Okay.
Yeah, okay.
You're right, you're right.
You're all right, I can do this.
I can do this!
- I can't do this!
- Sure you can!
And I'll film it.
And we'll be right there,
wherever you land.
And you will feel
exhilarated afterwards.
Sometimes we just need
somebody to help
push us outside
of our comfort zone.
Like taekwondo, remember?
(laughter)
(grunts)
(Brad): Yes!
Okay. I'll take
good care of you.
Just breathe.
(whimpering)
(burner hissing)
Okay.
Alright, just breathe.
(shouts)
Ready?
I'm as ready as I'll ever be!
(burner hissing)
(Jared): Okay, Brooklynn,
just breath.
You got this. Look at all
the other balloons just like us.
Remember just breath.
(Brooklynn): This is amazing!
(sigh of relief)
I thought I would have this
sensation of falling,
but I, I don't.
Is that the Rio Grande?
Yup.
Oh, uh wow.
It's like we're moving
but we're not.
- Yup.
- And it's so quiet up here.
And there's no wind,
why is there no wind?
(Jared): Because we're in
the wind.
Wow. That sound.
Are those dogs barking?
(Jared): Yup.
It always amazes me.
Even at 1,500 feet,
we can still hear 'em.
Please don't remind me
how high up we are.
(burner hissing)
(Jared): Hey, we're just
floating. Come.
I'm so proud of you.
You did it!
You conquered your biggest fear.
You're so passionate
about what you do,
it's just so inspiring.
It's contagious, and you're
so good at what you do
that you just make me feel
like I can do anything.
Thank you!
I'm so sorry.
Oh my God, it's gotta be
the altitude, the anxiety...
(soft music)
Who's flying this thing?
Oh, nobody's flying it.
I mean, we can only go up
and down, we can't control it.
Please don't tell me
that again.
Yeah. We're at the mercy
of the wind.
(orchestral music)
It wasn't as terrifying
as I thought it would be.
Yeah, we often make things
out to be scarier in our minds
than they really are, but you
do need to prepare yourself
for the landing,
sometimes it can be
a little rough.
What, what,
what does that mean?
Well,
sometimes it's a little bumpy.
And sometimes, the basket tips.
What, why are you
telling me this now?
And why am I yelling?
This is so embarrassing!
It's a natural reaction,
it happens all the time.
Okay, here's what I need you
to do,
put your hand right here
on the rail.
Take a deep breath.
Get low if I say,
"brace yourself," you ready?
Okay, okay.
Breathe. Breathe.
(exhales)
(burner hissing)
Okay, brace yourself.
(both shouting)
(exhales)
Are you okay?
I am.
(exhales)
(laughter)
(cheering)
(Brooklynn squealing)
Oh, that was so exhilarating,
I feel so alive!
If I can conquer this,
I can conquer anything.
- Wow, there you go.
- Wow!
- Cheers everybody, bring it in.
- Cheers!
Whoo-hoo!
Okay, so I gotta know.
What is with the champagne toast
after the balloon ride?
Take it away, Dad.
You tell this better.
Alright. Well, it all started
back in the 18th century
in France, right?
Where not a lot of people
had ever seen a hot air balloon.
And the farmers
were deathly afraid
of these fire-breathing,
dragon-like things,
and they used to chase
after them with pitchforks!
Wow.
So at some point,
a bottle of champagne
was introduced,
given as a peace offering
for disturbing the land
and the animals.
And thus, a tradition was born.
And life was meant
to be celebrated.
Cheers to that!
Um, by the way,
about the kiss,
I'm sorry.
I'm not.
You conquered one of your fears
and, I guess I'm trying
to conquer one of mine.
(Brooklynn chuckles)
Cheers.
I'm planning on
visiting Elise in Seattle.
Well, that was fast.
Well, it's not every day
you meet someone
who brightens your world,
you know?
And, when you know, you know.
(soft music)
If you'll excuse me,
I have something
I have to take care of.
I knew you really liked her!
- Napkin?
- Oh, thank you.
You're adding green chili?
Yeah, it's starting
to grow on me.
You know, I decided I'm
gonna start living life
and spice things up a little.
Good one!
(Brooklynn chuckling)
There you go.
Thank you.
(Brooklynn): Oh,
that's New Mexico!
Wow, they're amazing.
(Jared): Yeah, the drone
show's amazing,
all the shapes and colours.
They're incredible.
I can't believe it's
the last night of the fiesta,
tomorrow's our last day.
Yeah, time flies
when you're having fun.
(crowd cheering)
(exhales)
Uh, so hey. I uh,
I got you something.
- What?
- Yeah, here.
Thank you.
- Open it, open it.
- Okay.
(gasp)
Oh. You remembered.
Yeah. I figured, since
it reminded you of the sky,
that it might be a
nice way of remembering
that you conquered your fear.
And that if you're ever
feeling afraid,
then that this might remind you
just how strong you really are.
I love that.
Here, let me help you.
It's, um...
- It's beautiful.
- Beautiful.
(gentle music)
(Elise): Hey!
Oh Brooklyn, we're gonna...
Oh shoot, are we interrupting?
Yes!
Sorry!
I know getting me up
in the balloon again
was all part of your plan.
(laughter)
I am just glad that you
are back to your old self.
I'm not my old self,
something else.
Maybe something better.
I'm so getting
fired over this,
but I'm not doing the story
at the expense of Jared.
What do you want to do?
You know what?
If you could gather everything
from the fiesta and...
(cellphone ringing)
(sighs)
(phone clicks off)
We'll talk about this later.
Are you going to tell Mary?
Right now, I am gonna
go into the backyard
and meet Jared by the fire pit.
Oh la la! Sounds romantic.
(Brooklynn inhales)
- We kissed!
- Ooh, you did?
- Yes!
- How was it?
It felt like I was floating,
but grounded at the same time.
Elise, I really like him!
Aww, are you gonna tell him?
Mmm, he gave me this necklace.
(gasp)
You got the jaded
pilot to open up!
(laughter)
(both sigh)
(cellphone ringing)
Seriously.
Does she ever not work?
I think she
usually lives there.
You're not kidding! Ugh!
(fire crackling)
(cellphone ringing)
Ugh! Hello?
Why aren't you
answering my calls?
If I didn't know any better,
I would think you were
avoiding because...
Listen, Mary. I get it.
I know you love the irony
of this cynical guy
trying to build a business
out of love and romance.
You think this gimmick is only
gonna bring in higher ratings.
(door closes)
But I won't do that.
Listen, Mary, I've gotta go.
Hey.
I don't know how much
you heard in there.
(stammers)
I heard enough.
I didn't realize
I was being set up.
What?
Was I really
just a story to you?
What, no!
No, no, not at all.
(Brooklynn stammers)
No, no, no, no, please.
Please let me explain!
(sighs)
You have to try harder.
Elise, it doesn't
matter anyway.
We're going back to
Seattle tomorrow.
There's no point,
long-distance
relationships never work.
Everything is so messed up.
I've most likely
lost my job, and now Jared.
I just wish that
I could tell the story
about what I've learned here.
About life, love,
ballooning.
From Jared, his mom, his dad.
My time here...
wait a minute.
I have an idea.
Ohh!
Nice. This is good!
Really good.
Oh, talk about getting
down to the wire, right?
Elise, I just.
I just I want you to know
you are so much more
than just a co-worker to me.
You are a great, great friend.
I feel the same way about you.
- Thank you for everything.
- Of course.
You're not coming
to the airport with us?
Nope. I've been down this road
before, I'm not doing it again.
What do you mean?
I overheard Brooklyn talking
to her boss about some story
she's doing on a jaded pilot.
She was just using
me for a story.
- Oh, why would she do that?
- It's her job!
It's her job, I get it.
But it could cost me
my livelihood.
(sad music)
(sighs)
You sure you're
not coming with us?
Yeah.
I'm gonna check on flights to
Seattle and then maybe we can...
Great.
I thought you'd
be more excited.
Thanks for being a great host.
Of course.
Are you sure you're
not gonna come with us?
- Not a chance.
- I'm ready.
Please, just let me explain.
Have a safe flight.
(sad music)
(distant cars honking)
Promise me that you will
show Jared the segment.
I'll do my best.
That's all I can ask for.
Okay, and red or green
chili with that?
Christmas, please.
(sighs)
I wish I could be here to see
the luminarias at Christmas.
Have you heard from
the New Mexico station?
I sent them the segment,
but they've probably already
hired somebody else by now.
(cellphone message)
Look,
your segment's gone viral!
What? No way!
(cellphone ringing)
It's Mary.
She's probably calling
to congratulate you!
Hi Mary?
Brooklyn, I'm calling to say
that what you did was
completely unprofessional.
You're supposed to
report on the story,
not be the story.
But it went viral!
I know, and that's why
I'm giving you one more chance.
Mary, thank you.
For showing me that I don't
want to work for you anymore.
I want to be somewhere that
my creativity is appreciated.
Because life is not just
about money and security.
It's about passion,
and doing what you love.
I quit.
And one more thing,
you know what?
You might want to think about
a better work-life balance.
You just quit your job!
I did!
(sighs)
And I'm at peace with it.
I actually feel lighter.
I mean, if I can conquer
my fear of heights
by getting in that
hot air balloon,
then I can take
that leap of faith
and follow my passion.
(cellphone ringing)
Oh, if that's Mary,
I don't want to talk to her.
It's a New Mexico area code.
What? Hello?
Yes, this is Brooklyn.
You loved my segment
on the hot air balloons?
Thank you so much.
Would I have creative input
on more stories like that?
Okay, alright, I will be
looking for your email,
thank you so much!
Oh, my gosh!
I just got offered the job
right here in New Mexico!
They were blown away
by my story!
You took a risk,
and it paid off.
Yeah.
You know what? There's one
more risk I need to take.
- Come on.
- Oh, yes.
I gotta go,
I'll talk to you later.
Brooklyn and Elise made me
promise to show you this.
Yeah, yeah,
that's not gonna happen, buddy.
Well, we just got six
reservations.
What?
And another one.
And another one! Look at this.
My name's Brooklyn.
And I'm a reporter who
was sent to Albuquerque
to cover the International
Balloon Fiesta.
I was looking for
the perfect story to tell,
but little did I know that
I would become the story.
But as I shadowed a passionate
hot air balloon pilot
named Jared Troy
of Love In The Air,
for five days, I learned
a lot about life and love.
Many people like myself
are surprised to learn
that you can't steer a balloon.
You're completely at
the mercy of the wind,
so you have to learn
to go with the flow.
And landing isn't always smoot.
Sometimes it's bumpy,
and all you can do is hold on
tight and drop to your knees.
And life is like flying.
Sometimes you rise,
sometimes you sink,
but you always land.
And while danger is real,
fear is in your head,
and it's a choice.
You can choose to rise
above your fears.
Life and love
are so unpredictable.
And sometimes, love happens
when you least expect it.
And when it does,
it can take you to new heights.
But it can also
keep you grounded.
This is Brooklynn signing off
and telling you
to follow your passion,
wherever it may lead.
Ohh.
(grumbling)
(sighs)
Alright.
Where... Where are my keys?
They're right in your hand,
man!
- Do you want me to drive?
- No, no. You're too slow.
(Carlos laughs)
Let's go.
(uplifting music)
(distant cars honking)
Brooklyn!
What are you doing here?
What are you doing here?
Aren't you supposed to be
on a plane to Seattle?
Yes, but listen.
There's something I have
to tell you.
I'm so confused.
I know. I'm so sorry
I was distant, I just...
I got scared because we
live in two different cities.
But I love Seattle.
And I'm open to new adventures.
- With you.
- Really?
- Yeah!
- Oh!
(romantic music)
My boss wanted me
to tell a story
about a cynical pilot
who was trying to sell romantic
hot air balloon rides.
I mean, she loved
the irony of it,
and if you had heard
the rest of my phone call,
you would have heard me say
that I wouldn't do it.
I know, I know.
And I'm so sorry.
I don't know how you can
forgive me, I'm an idiot.
You triggered me into...
but I saw your piece.
It's really uplifting!
(laughter)
And we've had bookings non-stop,
one after the other.
Are you serious?
That's so amazing!
Congratulations!
Listen, I know you're
going to Seattle right now,
but I want to find a way
to make this work.
I'm not going.
You're... What?
I mean, I am,
but I'm coming right back then,
after I've packed,
because I quit my job.
I got offered the job
here in New Mexico.
I accepted it.
So does this mean...
(clears throat)
It means home is
where your joy is,
and I found a new home.
(soft music)
Aww Elise, I'm so happy
that you guys are having
a great time in Seattle.
But I do have to go,
Jared's mom and dad
are actually
renewing their vows!
Bye!
Alright, bye!
15 minutes
and we'll be good to go.
Sounds great!
(romantic music)
If your parents are
renewing their vows,
why aren't we all
in the same basket?
(Brad): Hey, look over here!
Hi!
(laughter)
Hi!
(gasps)
Brooklyn,
I used to be so
closed off to love
until I met you.
The way you freely
give your heart.
Your passion, your charm
and your vulnerability,
it all made me just fall
head over heels for you.
Somehow, you lift me up
and keep me grounded
at the same time.
I couldn't imagine going through
this incredible adventure
of life without you right
by my side as my co-pilot.
So...
(sighs)
Will you marry me?
Oh! Jared!
You have helped me
to conquer so many fears.
I mean, look at me now!
I'm in a balloon.
Alone I was afraid of heights.
With you,
I know I can do anything!
(romantic music)
- So is that a yes?
- Yes!
- Yes!
- Yes!
(Jane): She said yes.
(Brad): They did it.
You were right, baby.
I told you love
was in the air!
Everywhere you look around.
(alt rock music)
Love is in the air
Lifting off the ground
Brace yourself
Love's calling loud
If we survive
I'll give you my heart
When the world stands still