Chip Proser
.
POV - AERIAL OVER...
BRITAIN - 1941
Rocketing low and fast. Skimming rolling fields and hedges,
weaving between standing oaks. A patchwork of emerald fields
sweeps under. WIND SCREAM and the DEEP GROWL of a MERLIN
ENGINE at full throttle.
SUDDENLY, THE LAND FLIPS INVERTED
ABOVE THEM
Upside-down sheep BAA wide-eyed as we ROAR PAST.
A THOUSAND FEET UP
TOWERING CUMULO-NIMBUS CLOUDS break sunlight into golden
shafts. We swirl around and weave through the columns.
THEN a blurred arc reveals a propeller, a spinner and the
long mottled green cowl of a SPITFIRE MARK V in full roar.
REVERSE - THE PILOT - JIM
What we can see of him, under leather helmet, goggles and
oxygen mask, is young, charismatic and grinning fiercely. He
loves flying. He sweeps his Spitfire in an aerial dance of
unbridled abandon, singing Boogy Woogy.
BEHIND HIM
a second Spit dances and darts as Jim's friend and wingman,
"PAPA" PAPADOPOLIS does his best to keep up.
JIM
Close up, Blue Two.
PAPA
Hold it still for a moment,
Blue Leader, and I will.
EXT. AERODROME RAF BASE - DEBDEN
Low brick huts cluster around a control tower set in the
beautiful rolling green hills and glades of the English
countryside. Graceful SPITFIRES of EAGLE SQUADRON, ROYAL AIR
FORCE FIGHTER COMMAND line the runways. Except for these
clues to the war, the scene is idyllic.
TAXIWAY
A beautiful cool blond in a WAAF nurse's uniform, MIRANDA,
sips tea with her driver and friend, FIONA, a fiery redhead,
while they watch the Spitfires swoop overhead.
MIRANDA
Bloody idiots!
FIONA
Well, I think it's rather daring.
MIRANDA
Daring! It's bloody foolhardy!
FIONA
Of course. Not a responsible way
to act during wartime.
MIRANDA
Right.
FIONA
(ironic)
Yeah, if those boys aren't careful
in this war, they'll get
themselves killed.
Miranda doesn't seem to see the irony in that.
MIRANDA
And we'll have to pick up the pieces.
EXT. AERIAL - THE SPITFIRE
Jim rolls inverted, pulls and dives. He disappears down into
a hollow at the far end of the runway.
EXT. AERODROME
Alarmed, Miranda and Fiona climb up on the roof of their
Ambulance, peer into the distance, listening for the crash.
EXT. AERIAL - A ROAR
THE SPIT APPEARS, INVERTED. It skims and flutters toward
them, inches from the ground...upside down. The girls look in
disbelief for a moment, then they panic. They drop flat, roll
off their vehicle and slam hard to the ground. The Spit ROARS
overhead. Tea, milk and sugar go flying. The girls look up
from the dirt. They are drenched with tea and milk and dusted
with a fine coat of sugar.
THE SPIT
ROARS over, rolls, taking out a fence with its wing tip,
then roars straight up into a victory roll and is gone.
MIRANDA AND FIONA - IN THE DIRT
Miranda shakes her head in a mixture of awe and disgust.
MIRANDA
Damn....Damn... Yank!"
EXT. AERIAL - SPITFIRES
Papa roars past Jim and playfully darts around the edge of a
cloud. They look up. It's a big, fluffy, beautiful cloud;
silver-lined, with a deep, dark center of purple and gold.
Twisting and turning at each other in a mock dogfight. They
swoop around and through vast caverns of cloud. They roll
into a dogfight, nose to tail, round and round.
INT. COCKPIT
Jim pulls on his friend, and gets inside his circle...
JIM
Ratataat! Got you, Blue Two!
But Papa reverses, hits his flaps, pulls. Jim swoops past as
Papa zooms into a roll and punches into the clouds. In a
split-second, Jim is alone.
JIM
No you don't. I got you!
No answer on the radio. Jim puts his head on a swivel. He
scans all points of the sky. No Spitfire. No Papa.
JIM
Hey, Papa! Hey Papa Bear!
(No answer)
Hey Papa, stay outta that cloud.
That's a thunderhead! A bad one!
There're dangerous winds in there.
EXT. AERIAL - PAPA'S SPITFIRE
Lightning, thunder, rain! Hail and winds from every
direction. They shake the aircraft like a dog with a rat. The
plane's thrown all over the sky. It groans. The wings warp
and flap...CRACKING SOUNDS.
INT. PAPA'S COCKPIT
PAPA
Don't I know...
Papa is thrown about the cockpit, bangs his head on the seat
back, on the cockpit bow. The craft is violently slammed.
EXT. AIRCRAFT - NOTHING BUT GREY
Totally socked in. Can't see a thing. He arcs around the
interior of the cloud...Nothing. Just more gray.
CU - INSTUMENT PANEL
It goes crazy! The gyro spins wildly, speed winds off. The
altitude gauge is a blur. Glass cracks! The tach stops dead.
CU PAPA
His eyes widen in horror.
PAPA
What the !!!!?
Suddenly, on his face, a shaft of golden light. Behind him
we see by the streaming light on the Spit, that he has broken
out of grey cloud into a golden...something.
INT. JIM'S COCKPIT - OUTSIDE THE CLOUD
He looks around. Except for the DARK CLOUD the sky's empty.
JIM
Papa. This isn't funny. Papa!
Suddenly, Jim's radio BLARES!
PAPA (V.O. filtered)
Mayday, Blue Two! Mayday!
JIM
Papa, what's the matter?
PAPA
Plane's coming apart!
JIM
Coming apart?
PAPA
Beg your pardon. Being taken
apart.
INT. PAPA'S COCKPIT - CU PAPA
Eyes wide in disbelief. SOUNDS of the Spit BREAKING UP.
Metal WARPING, TEARING...and a strange CHATTERING LAUGHTER.
PAPA
You there. Get away! Get AWAY!
He waves at something we can't see.
INT. JIM'S COCKPIT
JIM
Taken apart?! What do you mean?
Taken apart by what?
The radio transmission is breaking up.
PAPA (V.O. filtered)
...by...the darndest thing...
by...little creatures...
JIM
Little creatures! Are you nuts?
INT. PAPA'S COCKPIT
The Spit's shaking apart. He's hysterical.
PAPA
Nuts? Yeah, nuts! I must be!
I must be nuts!
INT. JIM'S COCKPIT
JIM
Check your oxygen. You're
light-headed.
INT. COCKPIT - ECU - PAPA
PAPA
I must be. Cause I just don't
believe what I see!
AERIAL - JIM'S SPIT - OVER THE CLOUD
He looks down. It's a DARK THUNDERHEAD. He can't see a thing
in it. He zooms down the side of the vapor, levels out under
the cloud, looking all around for his wingman.
JIM
Well, you're still flying.
You gotta come out sometime.
A ROAR! Papa's Spitfire plummets out of the cloud, headed
straight for him. Jim slams the stick over.
EXT. PAPA'S SPITFIRE
roars past, straight down, missing Jim's Spit by inches.
INT. PAPA'S COCKPIT
He fights the shuddering stick.
INT. JIM'S COCKPIT
Jim slams over, snaking down after the out-of-control Spit.
PAPA
Stay clear! I can't control it!
Jim is calm, trying to keep his wingman calm and rational.
JIM
You're telling me. You never
were that good with the stick.
INT. PAPA'S COCKPIT
Rudders wobble, the stick slams side to side. Rivets POP.
PAPA
No. I got damage.
HIS POV - THE WING
The surface tears away, the wing bends, fractures.
ANGLE - PAPA
PAPA
Stay back. I'm getting out!
He pulls the canopy open, unbuckles his seatbelt, but as he
gets up on the seat to jump...he looks down.
PAPA
Hey! Don't touch that!
POP... WHOOSH!
His parachute pops open.
EXT. SPITFIRE
The chute whips out into the slipstream. It catches wind.
INT. PAPA'S COCKPIT
...and slams him back against the seat. He's held immobile,
tangled cords strangling, slamming, choking him. He
frantically unsnaps his harness. The parachute whips away.
He's free...free to go down in the doomed fighter. He has no
choice! He climbs back down and grabs the stick. Rivets POP,
stuctural beams CRACK. The whole airframe GROANS and WARPS.
EXT. AERIAL
Papa's Spit wobbles all over the sky. It takes every bit of
Jim's skill to approach as it twists and flutters.
INT. COCKPITS - INTERCUT
PAPA
Tell mom I died for my country.
JIM
You don't have a mom.
PAPA
Find somebody else! Tell them.
JIM
Tell them what?
PAPA
That I died for my country.
JIM
It's not your country. You're a
Yank. We're not even in their War.
PAPA
Well then.... well then tell them
I died... I died for Apple Pie.
JIM
Stupid thing t'die for.
PAPA
You got a better idea!?
JIM
What if you live?
PAPA
No. I'd have to go on with this
stupid conversation.
JIM
No you won't.
PAPA
Why not?
JIM
You'll be too busy crashing.
PAPA'S POV
The ground, SPINNING, rushes up!
EXT. AERIAL - TWO SHOT - SPITFIRES
Jim slides toward the gyrating Spit. Papa looks in horror.
PAPA
What are you doing, Get away!
JIM
I can't save you if you keep
yelling at me like that.
PAPA
How you gonna save me? I can't
control this thing!
JIM
Get out, then.
PAPA
Can't.
JIM
Well, then you're just gonna have
to be a hero, aren't you?
Jim slides up to Papa, wing tip to wing tip.
PAPA
Get away, you'll kill us both.
JIM
Hey, you're crashing anyway. What
do you have to lose?
PAPA
If I'm gonna crash, at least I
should get the attention.
JIM
Don't worry. They're gonna notice
you.
EXT. AERODROME
SIRENS WAIL. Crash trucks REV UP! MIRANDA hops on the
ambulance. FIONA, pops the clutch as she's barely in. They go
bouncing across the field. Firetrucks pull out behind...
EXT. PILOT'S HUT
Pilots lounge in deck chairs. They look up as an officer
steps out of the Operations Hut and shields his eyes, looking
for the Mayday flight. One tall, aristocratic Brit pilot,
MOGGY, puffs his pipe and exudes indifference.
MOGGY
Those Yanks mucking up
the war again?
EXT. AERIAL - THE SPITS - DESPERATE STRAITS
Jim eases in, brings his wing tip under Papa's to support
it. The wings slam together and grind, threatening to shatter
Jim's wing and kill them both.
INT. JIM'S COCKPIT
Jim fights it heroically. He grins at Papa.
PAPA
Now what, Ace?
JIM
Fly nice, like those bomber pukes.
(mock British accent)
You'll be right as rain in the
morning.
AERIAL - JIM'S POV - THE FIELD - ON FINAL APPROACH
Crash trucks ROAR up.
PAPA
You know, some people act crazy.
You don't have to.
EXT. AERIAL - THE SPITS
They sweep low over the fence and float down. Just at
touch-down, Jim slips away and Papa's Spit touches.
ON THE GROUND
Papa's Spit settles, then the left landing gear collapses.
The wing shatters. The Spit ground-loops, spins on it's gear
and heads back toward the ambulance.
INT. AMBULANCE - MIRANDA AND FIONA'S POV
The out-of-control plane swerves toward them. They scream!
FIONA
Bloody hell!
Fiona cranks the wheel hard, swerves the ambulance away.
EXT. AMBULANCE
rockets down a hill, slams into a bank. Doors fly open.
MIRANDA
is thrown out, tumbles into the brush, rolls and lands flat
on her back...WOOF! She looks straight up as...
MIRANDA'S POV
Jim's plane drops over the field. He leans over and grins at
her, sprawled in the grass, just as he disappears from view.
ANGLE - MIRANDA
MIRANDA
Bloody hell! Bloody Yanks!
Fiona runs up...
FIONA
Are you all right?
MIRANDA
Bloody fine!
FIONA
Anything hurt?
MIRANDA
Just my dignity.
FIONA
Well get up off your dignity.
We have to go!
INT. AMBULANCE
Fiona pops the clutch and roars away as Miranda hops aboard.
EXT. RUNWAY
Jim lands his Spit lightly. The brakes fail. It slams into
bushes. He hops out, runs toward Papa's crashed Spit.
EXT. CRASH SITE
Riggers pull Papa from his wrecked craft and lay him down.
JIM
runs up, looks at the smoking hulk. He kneels down.
JIM
Geez Papa, I think you broke it.
PAPA
You're a crazy son of a gun.
JIM
I'm crazy! You flew it down. Why
didn't you get out?
PAPA
Didn't have a parachute.
JIM
Always have an excuse don't you.
PAPA
They screwed that up too.
JIM
Who, the Brits? Don't say that,
they'll take our planes away.
PAPA
Not the Brits, not the...Brits!
JIM
Shush... (a beat) Who, then?
He pulls Jim closer, whispers.
PAPA
The little creatures.
JIM
You did hit your head.
PAPA
Yeah. But it's true!
JIM
Yah, sure! Little creatures, like
fairies, goblins, trolls?
PAPA
Not trolls...Gremlins.
JIM
Gremlins?!
The smoking Spit bursts into flames. The ambulance SCREAMS
UP, SIREN WAILING. Miranda and Fiona burst out.
JIM
Uh oh! We're gonna get yelled at.
Miranda runs up, all business.
MIRANDA
Give him air.
JIM
He's got air. He's got plenty air.
What he needs is some of that
blood back.
MIRANDA
I'm a nurse.
JIM
And a lovely one at that.
She dashes past him.
MIRANDA
You're in my way.
JIM
Weren't you the one I saw
sunbathing back there?
MIRANDA
(indignant)
Sunbathing!
JIM
Well, if you weren't goofing off
before, you wouldn't be in such a
rush now, would you?
MIRANDA
Are you out of your mind?
He grins. It's a good one. It's obviously worked before.
JIM
No. I'm Jim.
She looks at him. She's interested. Fiona HARUMPHS! Miranda
remembers her duty, turns to the injured pilot.
MIRANDA
I'll tend to this one.
(indicating Jim).
You better check his head.
Fiona turns to Jim. He smiles at her, too.
JIM
Check anything you want.
ANGLE - MIRANDA - ALL BUSINESS!
MIRANDA
How long's he been out?
JIM
Out? I was just talking to him.
MIRANDA
Sure you were. With a head like
this?
JIM
Aw...he's okay.
MIRANDA
Yes, all you Yanks have hard
heads, I'm sure.
JIM
We must have. To be over here.
MIRANDA
Weren't you the one I just saw
buzzing the field upside down.
JIM
I can explain.
MIRANDA
Don't bother. Far as I'm
concerned, this is a result of
your...your...antics.
JIM
The war, you mean?
MIRANDA
The war? Not the bloody war! This
crash. These stupid accidents.
JIM
Yeah, we crash a lot. Word has it
the Germans have something to do
with it.
She ignores him and accompanies the stretcher as they carry
Papa away. Jim watches her with interest. She looks good.
INT. AMBULANCE
Miranda tends Papa. Fiona crawls to the front. Jim hops in.
MIRANDA
Where do you think you're going?
Papa wakes, sees Miranda leaning over.
PAPA
Am I dead? Is this heaven?
MIRANDA
No. It's World War Two.
He turns, sees Jim.
PAPA
Then what are angels doing here?
JIM
These aren't angels...These are
nurses, British nurses.
PAPA
What's the difference?
JIM
I don't know, but heaven wouldn't
smell like this.
PAPA
Yeah. Couldn't be heaven. You
wouldn't be here. Why are you
here?
JIM
Just making sure you're okay.
Glancing at the nurses, smiling big.
PAPA
Fine. Never better. You just run
along and get debriefed.
With a dirty look in their direction, Miranda crawls up
front to join Fiona. Fiona glances at the Yanks in back then
winks at Miranda. Jim gets out, comes around the side.
MIRANDA
Pay no attention to them. It's
just blarney...Yank blarney.
FIONA
You don't like Yanks?
MIRANDA
I don't feel much of anything.
FIONA
Well, I like 'em, they're fun.
MIRANDA
You call this fun? Crashing?
FIONA
I really don't think they do it on
purpose.
Jim appears in her window, grinning.
MIRANDA
They're Yanks. You never can tell.
Jim holds up two chocolate bars.
MIRANDA
What's that?
JIM
Hershey's. Take good care of
my buddy.
MIRANDA
Is that a bribe?
FIONA
Chocolate, yum! I haven't seen
that in months. Thanks, Yank.
She grabs the bars.
MIRANDA
Fiona!
JIM
Don't mention it.
MIRANDA
I won't.
JIM
What's your problem?
MIRANDA
You're leaning on the door.
And we must get your 'buddy'
to hospital.
JIM
You could say thanks. For the
chocolate.
MIRANDA
Thank you. Drive, Fiona.
JIM
Oh, and if you like the
Hershey's, I've also got some
kisses.
MIRANDA
(gasps)
Drive, Fiona!
(Fiona pops the clutch.)
Did you hear that! Why, the
cheek of that...
The rest is lost in A ROAR as they peel away. Jim turns to..
INT. COMMANDER'S OFFICE - SHORT TIME LATER
The SQUADRON COMMANDER, NIGEL CLEESE, sits at his desk. He
is dark and thin, with clipped British moustache and accent.
The EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CLIVE MORGAN, a ruddy Scotsman, stands
nearby. Jim braces in front of them. Nigel rather likes Jim,
but must enforce discipline.
NIGEL
Now look here! We only have a few
Spits. Every one is precious. We
must use them to fight the Jerries
not prang them up doing loop de
loops for fun!
JIM
Fun! We just found out there's
something wrong with these things.
And we saved your precious Spits.
Nigel glances out the window, arches an eyebrow.
HIS POV
Papa's smoking heap and Jim's bent craft are being towed in.
JIM
(weakly)
Yah, well...The...brakes failed.
ANGLE - NIGEL
NIGEL
So I see. Well, what is it you
Yanks say, strike four and you're
out?
JIM
Ahhhh. Strike three, Sir. You only
get three strikes.
NIGEL
Even better! Consider this Strike
One.
EXT. OPERATIONS
Jim comes storming out. He stalks past the
CRASHED SPITFIRE
The ground crew picks through the wreckage... A mystery...
RIGGER
Doesn't look like storm damage to
me. 'ere, look at that!
He shows him where the metal has been ripped apart.
MAINTENANCE OFFICER
Strange scratchings.
RIGGER
Yes, almost like..teeth marks.
MAINTENANCE OFFICER
How do you explain it, then?
RIGGER
Ahhh...I dunno....
INT. CO'S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER
Nigel is aghast. The Maintenance Officer stands before him.
NIGEL
Gremlins!
MAINTENANCE OFFICER
Aaahh...yes. You know, fairies...
trolls. The little people.
CLIVE
Little People! Can't bloody well
put that in the report!
NIGEL
Good God no! The Yanks are very
important to the war effort. Can't
go about demeaning them as pilots
...no matter how many kites they
smash. Best to just get them up
again. Sooner the better.
CLIVE
Well, I've just the thing.
(whips out an intel report) A
rhubarb... Abbeville.
MAINTENANCE OFFICER
Good Lord! You can't send them up
against the Abbeville boys!
NIGEL
Why not? Give them bigger things
to worry about than... Gremlins...
AERIAL - OVER THE CHANNEL - NEXT MORNING
Jim leads Blue Flight of four Eagle Squadron Spitfires. Red
and White flights are stepped up behind in combat spread.
JIM
Okay, follow me! Keep alert!
They drop to the deck, skim over water, then treetops.
LOW LEVEL - NAP-OF-THE-EARTH
Jim leads them down, roaring over fields, swerving around
trees. Down a river valley, he threads the stream bed,
pulling just inches over the falls.
JIM'S POV
Branches whipping past, tattooing the wingtips and fuselage,
then fields and cows. He crests a ridge. Ahead, cliffs.
Jim stomps rudder, slams stick. The flight arcs around the
cliffs, wingtips scything corn in the fields below. Jim
loves it to death. It doesn't get any more exciting or
dangerous than this. He gives a cowboy hoot into his mask.
They zip across lakes, upsetting boaters. Skim over roads,
driving German troop trucks into the ditch.
A BRIDGE
Tanks on the top spot them and start to traverse their guns.
JIM
Spots the bridge and leads them directly toward it.
ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE opens up from the bridge FLAK TOWERS.
Suddenly, it's a gauntlet, a curtain of fire just above. Jim
starts to pull up, but tracer fire is intense. Streamers hose
at him. He pushes down again.
ON THE DECK - A TRAP!
Geysers splash. Waterspouts from the gun form a fence in
front. Collision with any watercolumn would knock him down.
EXT. BRIDGE - GERMAN GUN SIGHTS
Jim is just about to fly into the crosshairs.
GERMAN OFFICER
(German)
Achtung...Ready to fire...
INT. COCKPIT - BLUE TWO
BLUE TWO
Where now, Ace?
INT. COCKPIT - JIM
Nothing else to do...
JIM
Lower.
EXT. AERIAL - JUST BARELY.
GREEN TWO
I'm low enough now to be a boat!
They HOWL wildly as Jim leads them directly TOWARD THE
BRIDGE, Then drops even lower, flies UNDER the span and out
the other side. The Germans guns can't traverse.
EXT. ABBEVILLE - LUFTWAFFE FIGHTER BASE - SAME TIME
The German pilots swagger out. Suddenly, the SIREN goes off.
HANS
(German)
Air raid!
LUTHER
(German)
On our Base?! They're not
that crazy!
THE TOWER EXPLODES behind him. Spits swoop down the runway,
gunning German planes. Heinkels explode. Ammo rockets into
the air. Crews run for cover.
EXT. AERIAL
Jim orbits overhead, watching the strike.
HIS POV - A HANGER
It's suspiciously hidden, off alone, under the trees.
ANGLE JIM
He gets it in his sight, presses the trigger. Cannons BLAZE.
THE HANGAR DOOR.
EXPLODES! Inside, ground crew run to cover a plane.
EXT. AERIAL - JIM'S SPIT
He swoops down low, roars in just off the deck.
JIM'S POV
A glimpse of the plane as he flashes by. Very sleek in grey,
two engines slung under the wings... And something else...
EXT. AERIAL - JIM'S SPIT
He arcs around the hanger, dodging AAA. The fire is deadly
this low, but he presses on.
EXT. RUNWAY
The Abbeville Boys run to their ME 109's. Some are on
take-off rolls as the Spits swoops in, strafing the runway.
INT. SPIT COCKPITS - INTERCUT
JIM
Green Flight, break away.
GREEN TWO
Where you going?
JIM
Just in for a look.
GREEN THREE
You crazy? Don't go around twice!
EXT. JIM'S SPIT
He's already swinging away. His wingman's forced to follow.
Jim rolls down, passes behind trees that are CUT TO KINDLING
by the guns. He stands the Spit on its wingtip, slices
through a gap in the trees, roars over an ME lifting off,
driving it to the ground with turbulence. Others swerve,
crash trying to avoid him. He passes behind the Germans.
Gunners fire into their own planes as he rockets in.
He lines up on the mystery plane and fires. He looses off a
few rounds when the guns jam. Helpless, he pulls up, knocking
a Swastika off the hanger as he skims the roof.
EXT - GROUND
A GENERAL runs out, showered in plaster dust. He's hopping
mad. Face bulging purple, he kicks the stunned pilots.
GENERAL
(German)
All of you! UP UP! Get that plane!
He mustn't get away!
EXT. AERIAL
Jim arcs around, heads for home. 109's cut inside his turn
and head him off. The rest of his Spits are long gone.
Four ME's chase Jim and TEX, his Wingman. They have the
advantage of height. They also have guns that work. Tracers
spray. Jim flies wildly, swears and bangs at his guns.
LOW-LEVEL AERIAL - OVER FRANCE
Jim flies desperately, crazily. The wild chase leaves
civilians below slack-jawed.
He cuts through passes and zips over towns, down hills,
through streets and around a cathedral, twisting between two
bell towers. One German tries to follow him and crashes into
a spire. The others don't dare.
Jim slips down to the docks and weaves between the masts of
fishing boats, then down the tidal flats and out to sea.
OVER THE CHANNEL
Jim's skims the waves, weaving like mad.
JIM'S POV
AHEAD in the distance, THE WHITE CLIFFS. He looks up. A
second flight of 109s...cutting them off.
JIM
No use, we'll never make it.
He pulls away, comes round on the following German's tail.
EXT. AERIAL - DOGFIGHT
They go round and round; Spit and German, Spit and German.
Each on each other's tail. Each trying to pull tighter, get
the enemy in his sights on the inside of the turn. They
spiral lower to the sea. But he who pulls out gets shot...
JIM'S POV
He tries his guns. They still don't work. Things look grim.
The German flight SWOOPS DOWN. Even the weather has turned on
him. Those DARK THUNDERHEADS cover the sky just above.
INT. SPIT COCKPITS - INTERCUT
JIM
Green two. How you doing?
TEX
If I wanted to fly this low, I'd
have joined the submarines.
JIM
When I say break, give it full
boost. Head for those clouds.
TEX
Those! They'll tear us apart!
JIM
It's them or the Jerries. Break!
EXT. AERIAL
Jim reverses and pulls for all he' s worth. The Spit stands
on its tail and roars for the clouds, machinegun fire
following all the way. His wingman's not so fast. There's a
German glued to his tail, pumping out lead. Tex panics.
TEX
He's on me!. Get him off!!
JIM
Hang in there, I'm on my way.
But suddenly, the world disappears. He's in cloud. He looks
around, his eyes widen. Other things are in there with him.
Machinegun bullets, for one. Tracers rip by. Cannon fire
blows swirling holes in the fluffy billows.
THEN - SOMETHING ELSE.
Small, moving fast. Colors stream by. AN ANGRY WIND-SCREECH.
INT. JIM'S COCKPIT
WHAM! He's hit! Something slams into the plane. His head
slams into the canopy, hard. He's out for a moment.
CLOSE ON JIM
When he comes to, his head is spinning, so is his Spit.
JIM'S POV
Below, the earth tumbles. He sees double.
CU JIM
He doesn't believe what he sees... His plane vibrates
wildly! And dozens of LITTLE CREATURES crawl over its skin,
ripping it, stomping it, shredding it with their teeth.
TEX (V.O.filtered)
Green Leader. Where are you?
Only one word escapes Jim's lips.
JIM
Gremlins...
A gremlin smacks against his canopy, punches a small fist
through the glass. A BLAST OF AIR knocks Jim's goggles off.
The gremlin is blown into Jim's mouth! It SCREAMS, wriggles
wildly. Jim spits it out, squints into the wind. Can't see!
The propeller shatters, wings crack and buckle. His
tailplane tears loose. The plane tumbles out of control.
JIM
Mayday, Mayday. Bailing out!
(to himself)
Sure hope I'm over England.
He pulls the canopy back, flips the Spit on its back,
unbuckles his harness and drops out.
EXT. AERIAL - JIM SPINNING AND DROPPING THROUGH CLOUDS.
WHAM! Jim's parachute SLAMS OPEN. The SOUND of his plane
dies away. All is quiet as he floats down through clouds. But
what clouds! Vaulted cathedrals of complex and beautiful
architecture. And WIND-WAILING HARMONICS. Nice, but strange.
JIM
wipes his eyes, disbelieving...then his mouth opens in awe.
JIM
Holy...mackeral!
HIS POV - A BETTER LOOK
Below, puffy, silver-rimmed clouds drift over land and sea.
And he can't quite believe it, but all around...
AN OZ-LIKE CITY
of turrets and towers, ramps and battlements and columned
arches...all pink and frothy and seemingly made of mist.
And worse of all...all around ...swooping and diving...
LITTLE CREATURES... GREMLINS! Some are gracefully diaphanous
cloud people of regal bearing...but others who attack the
plane who are in a maniacally agitated state.
JIM
drifts down toward a ledge of cloud vapor on which two
Gremlins stand. They watch him glide past and look curiously
down after him. Suddenly, SWOOSH, they are caught in the
descending parachute and pulled down with it.
THE CHUTE - THE GREMLINS
...flattened against the bulge of the canopy. They struggle,
but they're stuck. They CHATTER MADLY at Jim, at each other
in a strange tongue of CLICKS, BLOOPS AND WHISTLES. One is
rotund like Oliver Hardy, the other thin and Goofy like Stan
Laurel. And they seem pissed!
AERIAL - JIM
Jim's eyes are so riveted on the funny little guys spread
eagle in his chute, that he doesn't see the GROUND coming up
fast. And he doesn't see the tree! WHACK! DARKNESS!
EXT. ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE - SOMETIME LATER
Jim's out cold. He lies on his back, arms spread, his
parachute above him, tangled in the tree.
JIM
He opens his eyes and lies still, listening to the distant
LOWING of cows, CHIRPING of birds, CHATTERING of squirrels in
the trees. WEIRD SOUNDING squirrels. His eyes focus.
JIM'S POV
Gremlins; the rotund one, ALBERT, and the goofier LUCKY.
Albert is straightman to Lucky's twit. Composed mostly of
water, they're semi-transparent and refract light into colors
depending on their mood. Right now, both are red.
Their
bodies bulge under surface gravity like half-filled water
balloons and they squish and wobble as they walk.
ALBERT
Now look what you've done!
LUCKY
I didn't do anything, Albert.
ALBERT
I feel so heavy! Look at my body,
look how I bulge! Another fine
mess you've gotten us into!
LUCKY
Don't think it's a mess, Albert.
Think it's a tree.
ALBERT
How would you know? Ever been in a
tree before.
LUCKY
Well, no. But I've heard of them.
I've seen them before.
ALBERT
Where?
LUCKY
Below. Way below.
ALBERT
Well that's just where we are,
then, aren't we?
LUCKY
You mean...
ALBERT
Yes.
LUCKY
We're in trouble again?
ALBERT
Again?! Always!!! Why do I ever
listen to you!?
LUCKY
Albert, I'm scared. I've never
been Way Below before.
ALBERT
Neither have I. Nobody has. It's
hot, down here. I'm starting to
melt. And there are humans...Look!
He points at the groggy pilot, trying to rise on his elbows.
LUCKY
Aie! Wait! He doesn't look so bad.
ALBERT
"Why don't we get close?" he said.
"Why don't we get close!"
LUCKY
I was only trying to help.
Albert grabs him, presses his face against him until it
bulges. He SHOUTS a comical Gremlin language of BLIPS,
SQUEEKS AND SQUEALS. Lucky turns and looks at us Nonplussed.
LUCKY
Look, someone's coming!
ALBERT
A car!
LUCKY
Older model. Only one horsepower.
THEIR POV
A horse-drawn wagon. The farmer driving the wagon has
spotted the downed parachute.
LUCKY
What do we do, Albert?
ALBERT
Stay with this one. Remember,
"What goes down, must come up!"
ANGLE - THE FARMER
Stops his cart, gets off, tentatively advances, brandishing
a pitchfork. He moves under the tree. Acorns rain down.
JIM
Watch out!
FARMER
What?!!
He waves his pitchfork at the woods...En garde!
JIM
Gremlins.
FARMER
Germans?! Where?
JIM
Not Germans, Gremlins.
FARMER
Gremlins?
JIM
Little creatures.
FARMER
I see. Take a bit of a bump on the
head, did you?
JIM
Well, yes, I hit my head, but...
FARMER
(picks Jim up)
Right! Leprechauns?! That's what
we call little people. Trolls,
nymphs... Course haven't seen them
in a bit. The war, you know.
(pulls Jim's chute down,
rolling up Gremlins inside)
Of course, these Gremlins...
they're just stories. They don't
exist now, do they?
A beat. Jim slowly shakes his head no. They climb in the
wagon. As the wagon passes, HOLD ON gremlins laying back in
the folds of the chute. They look at each other and shrug.
EXT. AERODROME - DEBDEN - SHORT TIME LATER
The wagon pulls up. Jim arrives with nasty bruises, a mild
concussion and a couple of hidden Gremlins.
JIM
Thanks.
FARMER
Sure thing, Yank. Ahhh...about the
little people...
JIM
The Gremlins.
FARMER
Yahhh. Wouldn't say too much about
that if I were you, Might think
you were a bit off. In the head,
you know...
JIM
Yeah. I know.
INT. OPERATIONS OFFICE - SAME TIME
Nigel, Clive and others listen and watch the farmer leave.
NIGEL
Gremlins! Not again!
Other pilots mutter to themselves.
TEX
More like...lost his nerve.
MOGGY
Bugged out. Abandoned the squad.
CLIVE
I'm sure he has an explanation.
NIGEL
But until I hear it, I must
consider this Strike Two.
(turns to Pilots)
That'll be all. Dismissed.
They salute, go, brushing past Jim, who enters. MAJOR
BRENDAN MILES stands in the corner, puffing on his pipe.
JIM
Sir, there's something...
(notices Brendan, clams up)
It's kind of a secret.
A beat. Nigel looks to Brendan. Brendan surreptitiously
nods. Nigel leads Jim away to an alcove, holds up a report..
NIGEL
Yes, you defied doctrine again.
Made a second pass at that
airfield. Now what in the world
made you do that?
JIM
What I saw on the first pass.
NIGEL
Yes. Gremlins no doubt.
JIM
No. Those were later.
NIGEL
Really.
JIM
Yes. What I saw in the hangar was
a plane.
NIGEL
Quite! Good place for it.
JIM
Yes, but this one's different.
NIGEL
Yes. How so?
JIM
It...well, it didn't have any
propellers.
NIGEL
Maybe they were under repair.
JIM
No. These're new engines.
Something I've never seen.
NIGEL
And where were the Gremlins?
JIM
They were later. In the clouds.
They weren't with the Germans.
NIGEL
I say! That's a relief! We have
enough on our plate with the
Italians and the Japanese.
JIM
You don't believe me!?
NIGEL
Little people who live in the
clouds and fly propellerless
planes? Sounds perfectly
reasonable to me.
(winks at Brendan)
But you see I have a squadron to
run here, so...
JIM
Wait! I've got pictures!
NIGEL
Where?
JIM
My gun camera. In my Spit!
NIGEL
The one that crashed.
JIM
Uh....well...yeah.
Nigel puts his hand on Jim's shoulder.
NIGEL
Take a few days...
JIM
What for?
NIGEL
To mend... settle that business
with the... the...
JIM
Gremlins.
NIGEL
Yes. The gremlins. You do see how
hard this is to believe?
JIM
Yeah. I wouldn't believe it myself
except that it's true.
Nigel shows him the door, gives him to Brendan with a wink.
NIGEL
Have a talk with Brendan.
JIM
Why?
NIGEL
Come back soon as you're fit. We
need every pilot. All I need is a
rational explanation.
JIM
Don't exactly have one.
As he goes out, the officers exchange glances.
NIGEL
Get him up again.
EXT. AERODROME HEADQUARTERS - SAME TIME
Lucky and Albert hide by the side of the building and watch
a squad of airmen drill on the field.
DRILL SERGEANT
Detail form up. Left face, march!
Right face, march! About face,
march! Column left...march!
After a beat, Lucky mimics them. He stiffens up into a tiny
British Airman and marches about at Prince Albert's command.
ALBERT
Left face, right face, about
face...funny face.
Lucky pulls a big funny face. He pulls his cheeks wide,
sticks his tongue out, spirals his eyes. He's cute as hell.
ALBERT
Column left, march!
Lucky turns left, smacks into a wall and flattens himself.
He drips down like paint into a puddle on the ground.
ALBERT
Detail...form up!
Lucky sucks himself up into his familiar comic form.
ANGLE - HQ DOORWAY.
Jim marches out. Pilots stare, riggers mutter. Miranda waits
impatiently. He walks off, she joins up with him.
JIM
Hello. What do you want?
MIRANDA
I'm to take you to hospital.
JIM
Hospital, why?
MIRANDA
You've hit your head.
JIM
Not that hard.
MIRANDA
Sorry. Orders.
She opens the Ambulance door. He stares, then gets in. She
walks around to the front. Fiona winks at her. She glares.
ANGLE - UNDER AMBULANCE
Unseen, Gremlins slip aboard.
INT. AMBULANCE - TRAVELING - MIRANDA AND JIM
JIM
I don't really need the hospital.
MIRANDA
Yes you do. You crashed again.
JIM
Actually...I bailed out.
MIRANDA
It's all so reckless. How can you
take these risks?
JIM
It's a war. Everybody does it.
Look... you have to be agressive
or you don't come back.
MIRANDA
You're more than that, you're
suicidal.
JIM
What's the difference? Have to die
sometime. The odds catch up with
you sooner or later.
MIRANDA
Don't you care?
JIM
About what?
MIRANDA
About anything? ...Anybody?
JIM
Sure. I mean... I used to...
MIRANDA
About what?
JIM
Some friends of mine. They got
killed. Now I...well...it's stupid
to care.
MIRANDA
It's stupid not to.
JIM
Yeah? What do you care about?
She has no answer for that.
ANGLE - GREMLINS - HIDING IN BACK
ALBERT
Yes. Those are the creatures
making all the noises.
LUCKY
They're very strange.
ALBERT
They're called...people...or
humans. She is a finella human.
He is a pilot, a gremlin human.
LUCKY
How do you know?
ALBERT
Don't you see how they act toward
each other. Just like Fleeble acts
toward me.
LUCKY
What do you mean?
ALBERT
See, she really likes this pilot
human, but she doesn't even know
it yet.
LUCKY
You mean like...Fleeble likes you?
ALBERT
Of course.
LUCKY
Thing is, Fleeble doesn't like
you.
ALBERT
Sure she does. She just doesn't
know it yet.
LUCKY
Oh..? Look! Then he likes her too.
ALBERT
How do you know?
LUCKY
He's looking at her just like you
look at Fleeble.
ALBERT
What do you mean?
Lucky bulges out in an impression of Albert with big
love-sick eyes.
EXT./INT. - HOSPITAL
The Gremlins ride in with the Ambulance, slip out. Miranda
brings a gurney, Jim hops aboard and rides in. Lucky gets
stuck in the gurney's wheels and goes round and round. Albert
plucks him out. He spins away under the bed.
ANGLE - MIRANDA
She and a Nurse, MAGGIE, get Jim on the bed, he struggles.
JIM
But I'm fine, I tell you.
MIRANDA
You must get in your bed.
JIM
Only if you tuck me in.
MIRANDA
Are all you Yanks this fresh?
JIM
Well, I've been over here six
weeks. Most of us are fresher.
She shakes her head, Maggie comes up with a little cup.
MAGGIE
Now, you'll take this little pill,
get some sleep. Whatever little
people are dancing in your head,
they'll be gone, come the morn'.
ANGLE - LUCKY - UNDER THE BED
LUCKY
Oh yeah, what's she know!
Albert clamps a hand over his mouth, pulls him out of sight.
MIRANDA AND MAGGIE
look around for the source of that voice. They don't see the
gremlins. After a beat, they shrug and turn away.
MAGGIE
We'll all be seeing things too.
It's the stress of war. Now, come
on child, you must get some rest.
Maggie takes Miranda's arm and leads her out. Jim slumps.
ANGLE - UNDER BED - GREMLINS
Albert releases his hands from Lucky's neck. Lucky swoons.
LUCKY
I'm feeling weak, Albert.
ALBERT
I'm feeling light-headed myself.
You know what happens then.
Their heads swell up and grow translucent. They lift off
like helium balloons and drift helplessly around the room.
WIDE ANGLE - THE ROOM
It is semi-private, just the unconscious PAPA and JIM who
closes his eyes and doesn't notice as...
THE GREMLINS
drift to a table holding a radio. Lucky lands on the radio
and slips inside.
INT. RADIO
He pokes around in the tubes, fiddles with them. He clicks a
switch, the radio turns on. Albert is standing on the tuner.
As the current flows, he shorts it. The RADIO BLARES! A
Churchill speech BLASTS. LUCKY, who vibrates as he acts as a
speaker. He opens his mouth and the Churchill speech pours
out. Lucky mimes along. He becomes a tiny Churchill!
Albert, FRAZZLED by the current, moves changing the tuning:
Now Lucky speaks German. Another slip from Albert and Lucky
dances around miming Chevalier in French. Then, into an
English Music Hall ditty.
ANGLE - PAPA
He wakes, sees the gremlin dancing around, singing a snappy
jingle. The sight sends him right back into the coma.
ANGLE - RADIO
Finally Albert breaks the circuit, leaps off. He grabs
Lucky, who is still strutting around. Lucky breaks away.
LUCKY
When I get light-headed, I want
to sing! Laa Laaaaa!
ALBERT
Quiet, you'll wake everyone!
FOOTSTEPS APPROACH. They scurry to the window. Maggie enters
as they slip out. She looks at the sleeping ward, shakes her
head. She must be hearing things.
EXT. HOSPITAL - NIGHT
The gremlins sneak out and scurry to the next building. Like
squirrels, they scamper up onto the windowsill and peer in.
GREMLIN'S POV
Miranda gets ready for bed. Fiona brushes her hair.
FIONA
Well I don't care. I rather fancy
that furry one. What do they call
him, Papa Bear? That means I could
be Momma Bear. Have little baby
Bears. And yours is rather cute.
MIRANDA
Mine? Not mine!
EXT. WINDOWSILL
Lucky and Albert are curious about human activity.
ALBERT
See. I was right. Even that
finella can tell.
(presses his face to the glass)
But I don't get it.
LUCKY
What, Albert?
ALBERT
The humans most involved with each
other seem to know the least about
it. We better study them more.
MONTAGE - THE BASE - NIGHT
Grems study human activity.
OFFICER'S BAR
Men and women are drinking, dancing and blowing off steam.
They laugh, fight, hug each other. A pilot whispers to a
girl. She slaps him, walks off. Outside, the pilot and woman
have more words. Then, without warning, they embrace and kiss
passionately. The grems look at each other and shrug. Lucky
turns beet-red. They turn back to the bar where humans dance
the jitterbug...which the grems find strange. Lucky tries it
until Albert stares him down. Sheepishly, he stops. Curious,
Lucky sneaks in, creeps in front of a round striped object.
He turns and freaks out.
LUCKY'S POV
Humans throw winged projectiles at him.
LUCKY
Jumps, duck, twists, contorts, barely escapes being nailed
to the dartboard. With a SQUEAK he jumps out of there.
LUCKY
These humans are dangerous!
He notices a tiny darthole in his leg. Water drips out,
draining him. He quickly sticks a finger in the hole.
EXT. HOSPITAL - DAWN
Bandaged, Lucky drinks dew drops from flower petals.
LUCKY
I feel much better now.
ALBERT
Cloudwater. And just in time.
LUCKY
I want to go home, Albert.
ALBERT
We will. Soon as this pilot goes
up.
He hops back up on the windowsill.
INT. HOSPITAL - NURSES STATION - MORNING
Brendan and Maggie sip tea.
MAGGIE
Don't rightly know. The two of
them jabbering all night long.
BRENDAN
(musing)
Two Yanks seeing Gremlins. Some
kind of mass psychosis...
MAGGIE
Awww...they're just Yanks.
BRENDAN
Yes, Well. Let's separate them.
Get him out in the air. What about
that pretty nurse he's an eye for?
MAGGIE
Miranda? No, I don't think...
BRENDAN
Just the thing. Pretty girl, take
his mind off things. Have her take
him out... get him to talk. Talk
it all out.
ANGLE - MIRANDA - MOMENTS LATER
MIRANDA
What...the bloody Yank!
MAGGIE
An RAF officer! A volunteer. As
are you.
MIRANDA
But...I can't...
INT. WARD - MOMENTS LATER
Angrily, Miranda bundles Jim into a gurney. He is surprised
and confused but smiling from ear to ear.
MIRANDA
Well, you seem cured.
JIM
No, I'm sicker than ever. I need
care. Constant attention.
MIRANDA
I don't handle mental cases.
JIM
I'm not mental, except...maybe ...
about you.
MIRANDA
You see little people.
JIM
Oh...that. Okay...so maybe...
What if I didn't see them?
MIRANDA
Then, I suppose I wouldn't have
to take you out.
JIM
Well...uh...sometimes I see 'em,
sometimes I don't.
She wheels him out. The doors nearly smash the Gremlins on
the way in.
LUCKY
Hey, watch it, sister!
They hop up on Jim's bed, look down in panic.
LUCKY
Hey, he's gone!
ALBERT
Come on! We can't lose him. We'll
never get home.
EXT. HOSPITAL
They race outside and see Jim leaving with Miranda. They
scurry after the car, hop a ride on the bumper. Lucky makes
faces in the chrome. They climb up onto the window, peer in.
GREMLIN'S POV
Miranda drives. Jim sits next to her, watching the scenery.
But every now and then he sneaks a glance at her. She's very
pretty. In the mirror, she sneaks a glance back.
ANGLE - GREMLINS
ALBERT
See, I'm right. Look how they look
at each other.
EXT. CHESWICK VILLAGE - SHORT TIME LATER
The car pulls in to a street of quaint shops. They get out.
The townsfolk know Miranda and tip their hats to her. Some
mumble comments on her companion. She's steamed, especially
at one old biddie with a romantic twinkle in her eyes.
BIDDIE
Why Miranda. So good to see you.
And your new Gentleman...
MIRANDA
He's not a Gentleman. He's a Yank.
Jim grins broadly. Tips his hat.
BIDDIE
But the uniform...RAF?
MIRANDA
(leans in, conspiratorial)
Well, they're terribly, terribly
short-handed.
Jim just grins at her, glances at a storefront behind her.
ANGLE - TOY STORE WINDOW
with porcelain dolls, dressed as members of the armed
forces...Sailors, soldiers and even miniature pilots...and
two tiny creatures sneaking around. Jim pulls Miranda away.
INT. TOY STORE
Lucky steals the dolls' clothing. He presents a tiny
pilot's costume with helmet and goggles to Albert.
LUCKY
This way, no one will notice us.
We'll blend right in.
CU - PICNIC BASKET - PULL OUT
INT. GROCERY STORE
The clerk puts a sandwich in the basket, nearly squashing
Lucky who is curiously nibbling the goods. The clerk
appraises Jim and the impatient Miranda.
CLERK
'ere you are, Yank. Last of the
French wines. Just the thing for
her.
He winks. Jim reaches for his wallet. The clerk stops him.
CLERK
No charge, Yank.
JIM
No? Why...thank you.
CLERK
No. Yank. Thank you!
Jim's moved. He nods thanks, turns to her, but she's gone.
ANGLE MIRANDA - TRAVELING - SHORT TIME LATER
JIM
See, some people appreciate us.
She ignores him.
ANGLE - COUNTRY HOUSE
They pull up. Jim wanders toward a wonderful old barn.
JIM
Nice. Your place?
MIRANDA
My Grandfather's.
INT. BARN
Faded paintings of early hot air balloons line its walls.
MIRANDA
One time headquarters for the East
Cheswick Hot Air Society.
JIM
Balloonists?
MIRANDA
No. Grandma liked to talk.
Grandad'd do anything to get out
of the house. Including going up
in this.
She pulls a tarp back...beneath, covered with dusty cobwebs,
a wicker basket and folds of brightly colored cloth.
JIM
He went up in this thing?
MIRANDA
So did I once or twice.
JIM
Really.
He looks at her with new interest.
MIRANDA
It's not as hard as you think.
JIM
No, not hard. Slow. I'd think.
MIRANDA
Well, it's not as fast as your
Spit, I suppose. But it works.
JIM
I'm sure! It's just... I don't
think I'd have the patience.
MIRANDA
For what?
JIM
...to fly so slowly, to...just
drift...not to be in control. I
like speed.
MIRANDA
Yes. And danger.
She turns away.
JIM
I don't get it, why you're so
hostile to fliers, and yet you're
in the WAAF.
She doesn't answer, walks off.
EXT. COUNTRY HOUSE - MIRANDA - TRAVELING
She walks down the lawn and toward the bank of a lovely,
willow-bordered stream. Jim scurries to catch up.
JIM
Don't you understand...It's
just...well...fun.
MIRANDA
Fun. In a war?
JIM
Yes. Teddibly sorry. Don't tell
anyone. They find out I'm having a
good time, they may stop the
bloody thing.
MIRANDA
It's war! It's not fun!
JIM
Sorry. But it is! I can't help it.
I just love to fly. What about
you? You're so tightly locked.
So...so...British! Have you ever
just once...done anything... Just
for...for no reason, just for fun!
MIRANDA
Of course I have.
JIM
Never. You have never!
MIRANDA
Have too!
JIM
No you haven't.
MIRANDA
Oh, yeah!
Totally furious. totally exasperated, Miranda impulsively
leaps into a stream, fully clothed. Jim is startled.
Then he happily jumps in after.
JIM
Geez. Maybe we really do have
something in common.
MIRANDA
I doubt it.
She climbs out, embarrassed, walks off. He catches up.
MIRANDA
No. There's a distinction. I
believe in living life to the
fullest. You seem to have to dare
death just to feel alive.
JIM
Don't have to. Like to! But I feel
alive, really alive right now.
He moves to her. She moves away.
MIRANDA
The death, destruction, fiery
crashes, is flying worth all that?
JIM
Of course. What is your problem?
MIRANDA
War is a serious business. You
treat it as a lark.
JIM
That's what you don't like, my
attitude!?
MIRANDA
You don't have to be here. It's
not your country, not your war.
You don't even have the decency to
treat it seriously. You're just...
an adventurer, a romantic.
JIM
What kind of guys do you think
become fighter pilots?
MIRANDA
I know only too well.
A HOOT in the distance. The CHUGGING of a train. Puffs of
smoke zoom through trees by the railroad track. The train
appears, chugging to the station. Jim stares hard.
MIRANDA
What is it?
JIM
Just thinking.
MIRANDA
Don't hurt yourself.
(a beat. She softens.)
What about?
JIM
A stunt we used to do as kids.
We'd jump the local train, climb
to the front and lean into the
wind. It was as close to flying as
a kid could get.
MIRANDA
And very dangerous, I'm sure.
JIM
That's what made it fun.
MIRANDA
Can't quite figure your obsession.
JIM
I don't know. My parents are dead.
There's nothing really holding me
down to the ground. It's funny.
Every time you go up, you're just
seconds from buying it. It's like
not so scary anymore. The gap
between living and dying...the big
difference between life and death
...it's not so big anymore.
MIRANDA
Quick and clean, that it?
JIM
Something like that.
MIRANDA
Except for those you leave behind.
JIM
Well, I don't have anybody, so it
doesn't matter.
MIRANDA
Yes it does.
He looks at her. She moves away, embarrassed by her feeling.
ANGLE - THE PICNIC BASKET
swelters in the sun.
INT. BASKET
ALBERT
Boy, it's hot down here.
And these uniforms don't help.
Lucky props a sandwich side with a toothpick as canopy. He
lies on a cool slice of cheese, at his ease, nibbling. But
Albert peers over the edge of the basket studying them.
LUCKY
What are they doing, Albert?
ALBERT
Arguing again. You know what that
means?
LUCKY
Like...
ALBERT
Yes. Like me and Fleeble.
LUCKY
Oh, no.
ALBERT
Yes. If they fall in floop, pretty
soon there'll be a bunch of little
human bogrillas running about.
LUCKY
Oh, gorsh!
ALBERT
Yeah. We wouldn't want that.
LUCKY
Yeah. Ummm. Why not, Albert?
They're probably cute.
ALBERT
Because...the more humans, the
more planes, the worse for us.
LUCKY
Why, Albert?
ALBERT
Don't you get it? They seem to be
our enemies.
LUCKY
Oh, Albert, I don't think so. they
look alright to me.
ALBERT
They tear through our homes like
we aren't even there.
LUCKY
Maybe that's it. They don't even
know we are. Maybe we should just
...tell them.
ALBERT
Are you blooky? Look how dangerous
they are!
LUCKY
Them? Dangerous?
Lucky pulls himself up. They both look over at the humans.
GREMLIN'S POV
Jim picks flowers and hands them to Miranda to arrange.
LUCKY
They look kind of..nice to me.
ALBERT
Oh, yeah! What do you call that?
Murdering flowers!
LUCKY
I think they're just...
ALBERT
They're killing them, aren't they?
LUCKY
I guess so.
ALBERT
Still think they're harmless?
JIM AND MIRANDA
He reaches toward her. She stiffens. To be cool, he reaches
past her to the picnic basket. The Grems drop down. Lucky
hides in the sandwich. Jim reaches in, grabs the sandwich,
takes a bite. She moves closer. He forgets the sandwich,
touches her. Lucky gets stuck in their embrace. He begins to
melt from the heat! He drips out of the sandwich.
ANGLE - ALBERT
quickly knocks over a glass, dumps the iced tea out, lets
his melting partner drip into it. He runs off, carrying the
glass of liquid with eyes bobbing around in it. He plunges
the glass into the cool stream. Lucky starts to gel.
JIM AND MIRANDA
She likes it but then breaks. She withdraws, gets up.
MIRANDA
Well, now you do seem cured.
JIM
No, I need care. More than ever.
MIRANDA
I told you, I don't handle mental
cases.
JIM
I'm not mental, except about you.
MIRANDA
You see gremlins. As long as you
do, you'll be grounded.
JIM
Okay, so if I didn't see them?
He tries to kiss her, but she pushes him away.
MIRANDA
Come on. We've got to get back.
She gets up, goes to the ambulance. He throws the rest of
the flowers down and follows.
THE STREAM
The gremlins wobble out, squishing, see the picked flowers.
ALBERT
See, they kill them then throw
them away. Dangerous creatures.
EXT. AERODROME - LATER
INT. OFFICE
BOFFINS, - Supersecret British Scientists - peer through
curtains, listening. They study reports and a sketch.
INTEL OFFICER
We want to know more about that.
BRENDAN
What? Gremlins?
BOFFIN
Propellerless planes.
INT. NEXT ROOM - AERODROME HOSPITAL - SAME TIME
Papa is awake and adamant. Jim sits sketching...sketches of
LUCKY, of ALBERT, of the PROPELLERLESS PLANE. The
psychiatrist is the acerbic Irish officer, BRENDAN.
BRENDAN
Hallucinations. Could have been
oxygen deprivation.
JIM
Ah, yes. Now, I remember. My
fingernails turned blue just
before I saw the little men. Makes
perfect sense! Thanks for setting
me straight.
PAPA
But I saw them!
Jim kicks him under the table.
BRENDAN
Ah... Perhaps a way of explaining
away your fears.
MORE...