AIR FORCE ONE written by Andrew W Marlowe
Genre Type: Dude With a Problem
Die Hard on Air Force One. The screenwriters make the most of the premise -- fictionalized parachute ramps and escape pods, attacks by MIGs on the plane, a crash landing/takeoff, Zip-lining to another plane.
OPENING:
Paratroopers descend on a Kazakhstan building. A special forces team nabs General Radek, the leader of the ‘terrorist regime’.
SETUP:
President Marshall is in Russia celebrating the joint mission with the Russian leader Petrov. He gives an improvised and tough speech (can anyone say Axis of Evil) where he states that "real peace" is the presence of justice along with absence of conflict. The speech signals a change in foreign policy. It's dubbed the ‘be afraid’ speech. His cabinet members are worried.
Marshall gets on board Air Force One and meets up with his supportive wife and daughter; most of his cabinet is aboard. We get a feel for how much of a regular guy he is and how his life is pretty much all about work.
A Russian TV crew is also boarding, getting exclusive access to the President. They get the tour of the plane (and so do we – laying out where the action is happening).
THEME:
During his speech the President says “political self-interest will no longer stop America from doing what is right and that the capture of Radek is the start of a new offensive against terrorism and vows that he will never negotiate with terrorists, and that it's their "turn to be afraid"
The theme is really the question of self-interest vs. ideology. Oldman believes guys like the President order smart bombs while dressed in a Tuxedo. Oldman has personally witnessed war and justice.
The President has made a tough speech, but over the course of the film he’ll be forced to put his money where his mouth is – possibly sacrificing his wife and daughter for his ideology.
Similarly, the VP will be forced to make a judgment call – should she do the logical thing and take over as President thus endangering her friends/colleagues on Air Force One. The question arises – “is he making his decision as a father or as the president?
As for a morale premise, it’s something along the lines of:
Blindly following rules/laws without weighing them on a case-by-case basis leads to death and helplessness; using carefully applied judgment leads to heroism and success.
The President is willing to sacrifice everyone including his wife and daughter, blindly following his ‘do not negotiate with terrorist’ edict until he witnesses his Press Secretary’s murder. Then, he tries the new way of make choices based on saving lives – he attempts to save the hostages and even eventually gives the terrorists what they want when his daughter has a gun to her head.
This theme is pretty much THE theme of the TV show 24. Jack Bauer is the type of guy who makes the tough decisions but he's constantly having to weight the cold demands of his job vs. the lives of his wife/girlfriend/friend/etc.
CATALYST:
The Russian TV crew (led by Gary Oldman) attacks! They’re terrorists! One of the President’s security guys is a turncoat (Gibbs) and gives the Russian bad guys access to the weapon cabinet.
DEBATE:
Several passengers and crew are killed. Security Agents hustle the Pres to the escape pod before he can be captured.
When the flight crew attempts to make an emergency landing at Ramstein Airbase Oldman executes the pilots and wreaks mayhem in the base before setting the plane on a course back to Russia.
Oldman gathers the prisoners into the conference room and contacts the White House situation room (specifically the Vice President Glen Close). He gives his demands -- he will kill one person every hour until Radek is released. And he kills the National Security Advisor just to prove he’s Gary Oldman.
BREAK INTO ACT 2:
The Escape Pod is found and it’s empty! President is alive…and the Situation room realizes he’s the best chance they have to save the plane.
B-STORY:
The Vice President is advised to ‘take control of the presidency’; her struggle with this decision makes up the B-Story.
FUN & GAMES:
President Marshall is downstairs and kills two bad-guys.
Marshall is able to contact the VP via a mobile phone. Just as he does, another terrorist takes him prisoner. Pretending to talk to the terrorist, he secretly signals the VP to have fighters fire on the ship so its auto-pilot defense will take over. He uses this to get the jump on the terrorist.
He orders the VP not to give in, no matter what, sticking to his ‘tough justice’ policy. Kind of cold considering his wife and daughter are on board.
Oldman finds out and, thinking the man downstairs is a Secret Service agent, demands through the plane's intercom that the man surrender in ten seconds, or he will kill White House Deputy Press Secretary. The President is indecisive and Mitchell is killed.
This is his Moment of Grace – the President must witness firsthand what it’s like to personally sacrifice for an ideal.
The Prisoners begin to worry.
The President gets some experts to talk him through dumping some fuel. Oldman immediately demands an in the air refueling by the VP or he’ll kill a person a minute.
The Pres sneaks into the conference room where the prisoners are held. They come up with a plan – if they can get the plane to slow down and drop altitude they can parachute out the back.
The plan works, the hostages jump out of the plane, but the terrorists figure it out at the last moment and capture the president and a few others. They’re taken to the cockpit.
Oldman forces the US fighters to back off as they enter Russian airspace.
The president is beaten savagely by Oldman in front of his family. Oldman demands that he call president Petrov personally and arrange for Radek to be released.
ALL IS LOST:
Oldman holds the gun on the President’s daughter. The President is forced to make the call to Petrov. Radek will be released.
DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL:
The White House intercepts the call. The Attorney General wants the VP to take control of the presidency, but she refuses.
In Russia, Radek is being released.
BREAK INTO ACT 3:
The President cuts himself free with a piece of glass. They take out the remaining terrorists.
FINALE:
President makes call to stop the Radek release. Radek is shot.
Oldman grabs the first-lady and attempts escape. Once in the parachute bay he throws away all the remaining shoots but one claiming they’ve killed the only pilot.
The President gets the drop on him and pulls his shoot, killing him.
Now, the President – a former chopper pilot – is forced to fly the plane. But some MiGs attack…US forces intercept, one pilot takes a missile headed for Air Force One. But Air force One is damaged.
Their only hope is to zip line from Air Force One to a cargo plane. One by one they do it. The President Turncoat security guard pulls a gun and a fight ensues. But the president zips aboard at the last minute.
Air Force jets escort them home.
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