Final Destination

INT. KEN BROWNING'S CAR - NIGHT

Alex sits in the back against the door, looking out the window at the storm.

Clear Rivers is pressed against the other door. Everyone is slient. Outside,

the STORM angerily rages.

Alex is unaware that Clear is watching him, searching for some answer that

she will not now find. She looks up.

CLEAR

Here's good.

The car pulls over.

CLEAR

Thank-you for the ride.

She opens the door and flashes one more look at Alex, but he appears

unaware. She exits the car and as the door SHUTS...

CUT TO:

INT. ALEX'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

The room is empty, but the CAMERA is SLOWLY MOVING, as if ITSELF a PRESENCE.

O.S., FOOTSTEPS move up the stairs. Alex appears, his parents behind him. He

clicks on the light, sending a soft, safe, orange glow across the room.

ALEX

stands in the threshold of the doorway. His mother places a comforting hand

on his shoulder.

ALEX'S POV - PENNANT

Mt. Abraham High School Fighting Colonials.

ALEX

and now, the tears arrive. He begins crying, SOBBING, as his mother and

father hold him. O.S., OUTSIDE... lighting FLASHES... THUNDER RUMBLES...

CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM - BROWNING HOUSE - NIGHT - TV

CNN broadcasts video footage of the disaster. Seat cushions and personal

belongings float in the harsh floodlights.

LIVING ROOM

It is late and dark. Only the pale light of the Tv spills across the living

room. Ken and Barbara have fellen asleep, but their son remains awake.

Alex's red eyes are locked on the screen, mortified. O.S., a VICIOUS CRACK

of LIGHTNING and immediate THUNDER... as if calling Alex to the window. He

remains fixed on the TV.

ALEX'S POV - TV

An image of Hell as jet fuel burns on the ocean. O.S., as if furious at the

slight, THUNDER BANGS...

ALEX

He turns, stands... and moves to the picture window, pulling the curtains

aside as CAMERA PUSHES IN ON HIM...

ALEX'S POV - THE STORM

It is as if Nature is angry. Lightning BOLTS spider web across the sky.

THUNDER BOOMS.

A shard of lightning breaks across the front yard. Oddly, it does not make

contact. In the split second strobe of lightning flash, the bolt abstractly

appears as if it were a hand pointing directly at Alex.

ALEX

horrified, lurches away from the window, considering what he has seen. Just

felt on the ROAR OF THUNDER...

CUT TO BLACK:

Over black:

MINISTER (V.O.)

Thirty nine days have passed since

we've lost our thirty nine loved ones,

friends, and teachers.

FADE IN:

EXT. MT. ABRAHAM HIGH SCHOOL - DAY - CLOSE - ALEX

wearing a dark suit and tie, sits beside his parents on white folded chairs.

His head is bowed, guilty and sad...

MINISTER (CONT'D)

As each day passes without a

determining cause for the accident,

we ask ourselves, "Why?"

Alex raises his eyes and looks across the ceremony...

ALEX'S POV - TOD

sits with his mother, LINDA WAGGNER and his father, Jerry. Destraught, Jerry

stares off blankly at the minister.

MINISTER (CONT'D)

Ecclesiastes tell us, "Man no

more knows his time than fish

taken in the fatel net...

ALEX

guiltily averts his eyes. Ken notes this and wraps a comforting arm around

his son.

MINISTER (CONT'D)

...or birds trapped in the

snare...

Alex checks over his shoulder.

ALEX'S POV - OVER HIS SHOULDER - LAST ROW OF SEATS

Special agents Schreck and Weine subtly survey the area, taking notes.

Although their eyes are beyond sunglasses, the tilt of their head indicates

they are watching Alex.

MINISTER (CONT'D)

...like these the children of

men...

ALEX

turns away, tense. He looks at the minister.

MINISTER (CONT'D)

...caught when the Time falls

suddenly upon them."

CAMERA PUSHES INTO ALEX feeling eyes upon them. He looks up...

ALEX'S POV - CLEAR RIVERS

is actually sxy and a bit scandalous in her black dress. Still, she is off

by herself, eyes burning at Alex as if challenging him to challenge the

words being spoken.

ALEX

self-consciously turns away, unable to face her, let alone the words being

spoken.

MINISTER (CONT'D O.S.)

And so before we can heal, before

we can escape the presence of Death

Time, we must mourn and celebrate

theirs' with this memorial.

WIDER

A student with a guitar and harmonica stands at the microphone. Without

intoroduction, he begins Neil Young's "Long May You Run."

Two other students remove a cloth, unvieling a memorial sculpture, etched

with the names of the departed. The gathered stand and begin paying their

respects to the memorial.

MEMORIAL LINE

Carter and Terry appear IN FRAME. Terry holds a rose. As they move slowly up

toward the memorial, Alex gets in line behind them. Carter knows Alex is

there, but will not look at him.

CARTER

Hope you don't think, Browning,

that because my name ain't on

this wall... that I owe you

anything.

ALEX

I don't.

CARTER

(re: victims)

All I owe is these people.

(turns to Alex)

To live my life to the fullest.

Alex winces from Carters breath...

ALEX

Then, maybe you should lay off

the J.D.

Carter has an angry reflexve reaction, grabbing Alex threateningly by the

forearm. Terry immediately tries to get Carter to release his hold.

CARTER

Don't ever fucking again tell

me what to do. I control me. Not

you.

Carter and Alex lock eyes, Alex refrainingfrom showing any pain caused by

Carter's grip. Terry fianlly gets him to release.

CARTER

I'm never gonna die.

He moves off. Terry, however, holds a beat, eyes Alex and gently rubs the

area of his arm, as if this is the only manner she can extend her gratitiude

in Carter's presence. As Alex pats her arm, Terry quickly moves off.

Shaken, Alex considers whether to move foward to the memorial. He steps

aside to let the others go ahead as Billy Hitchcock, who as finished paying

his respects, spots Alex and heads back up the line.

BILLY

I took my driver's test this

week at the DMV...

Alex turns to him, increudlously..

BILLY

Got a 70. Lowest score, but I

passed. When I was done with the

test, the guy who drives with

you, during the test, he goes,

"Young man, you're going to die

at a very young age."

(beat to Alex.)

That true?

ALEX

Not here, not now.

(beat)

Not EVER!

Billy sighs, and moves OUT OF FRAME, only to quickly RE-ENTER...

BILLY

If I ask out Cynthia Paster,

will she say "no?"

Alex flashes Billy and angry glare. He gets the message and moves off, for

good. Alex returns in line, moving toward the memorial.

Valerie Lewton places a rose at the base of the memorial then studies the

engraved names as the students move past behind her. Alex approaches,

watching her as she reaches out with a trembling finger, touching the etched

names...

CLOSE - MEMORIAL

Linda Krauss... Thomas Lewis... John McConnell.

RETURN

Alex stands near her, sympathetically, understanding her pain....

ALEX

Ms. Lewton...

Her eyes fill with tears and fear. Alex places a comforting hand on her

shoulder, but she reacts quickly, pulling it away from him, her eyes

piercing at him.

MS. LEWTON

Don't talk to me. You scare the hell

out of me.

Alex is shattered as the teacher moves away. Tod ENTERS and faces the

memorial.

TOD

(a greeting)

Hey.

Alex notices Tod is in line behind him. Alex looks around for Tod's father.

He is not in line...

ALEX

I don't want to sound gay, or

nothin, but... I miss you.

Tod subtly nods, reaching out to the memorial.

CLOSE - MEMORIAL

Tod's hand moves across his brother's name... GEORGE WAGGNER.

RETURN

As Tod longs for his brother, then looks at his friend.

TOD

Me, too.

(beat)

But my dad doesn't understand.

When he's better; you and me,

road trip to the City. Catch the

Yanks.

ALEX

That's a plan.

Tod nods. The two friends stand uncomfortably foar a beat before Tod

gestures to the podium.

TOD

I gotta go. This thing Ms. Lewton

showed me in her class, they're

gonna let me read it. It says what I'm

feeling.

Tod holds his friend's arm for strength as he passes. Clear Rivers appears

in line, holding a rose. She looks at the memorial, before her startling

eyes turn to Alex. Even away from these circumsatances, Alex would have

trouble handling her intense maturity. As he begins to step away, she

thrusts the rose to him. He looks up puzzled.

CLEAR

Because of you... I'm still

alive. Thank-you.

Alex takes the rose and she walks away. CAMERA PUSHES IN ON HIM as he

eyes... feels... the red flower.

TOD (V.O.)

We say that in the hour of death

cannot be forecast...

TIME CUT:

EXT. MT ABRAHAM HIGH SCHOOL - DAY - THE PODIUM

Tod nervously stands before the assembly, reading aload with a sad, yet

opimistic resolve. CAMERA PUSHES IN, at an ominous ANGLE and rhythm, to the

podium.

TOD (CONT'D)

But when we say this, we imagine

that the hour is placed in an obscure

and distant future.