Airplane! (1980)

Film and Plot Synopsis

After Elaine Dickinson dumps her longtime boyfriend Ted Striker, she heads off to work at Trans American Airlines where she’s a stewardess. In a desperate attempt to win her back, he buys a ticket on her flight and boards the plane. However, poor Ted has a deep fear of flying after he lead a squadron of planes in the war that resulted in many fine men dying, and Ted surviving. Unfortunately, when the entire crew (and the majority of passengers) become seriously ill due to bad fish, Ted finds himself the only healthy person onboard capable of flying that plane. Now, it is up to him to land that bird safely in Chicago before the poisoning kills people. He might even salvage his relationship with Elaine along the way.

‘Airplane!’ Movie Summary

War hero, Ted Stryker (Robert Hays) has a checkered battle record. Back in Nam, he made the decision to fly too low and the men he led died. He lost his confidence, and he now he won’t fly again, but he also lost more than his wings that fateful day in the war. The lingering effects of his mistake eventually drove his girl, Elaine (Julie Hagerty), away too.

Elaine is an absent minded stewardess who dances to disco, and whines when she speaks. She can’t stand Ted and Ted can’t stand to live without her. So, when she boards an LA to Chicago flight, Ted buys a ticket; hoping he can convince Elaine to give him one last chance.

Soon after take-off, people start getting sick from some bad fish. We’re not talking about little stomach cramps, but full-fledged vomiting, nausea, and unconsciousness. Unfortunately for the passengers, the pilot, Clarence “Over” Oveur (Peter Graves), co-pilot, Roger “Roger” Murdock (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), and navigator, “What’s your Vector” Victor Basta (Frank Ashmore) all ate the fish; leaving Otto, blow-up doll co-pilot, at the helm.

Meanwhile, the stewardesses look to see if there’s a doctor on board, and luckily there is in the form of Dr. Barry “Don’t Call Me Shirley” Rumack (Leslie Nielsen). As he starts to help out, he realizes that if the plane doesn’t land soon, people will die. His smooth talking convinces Stryker to land the plan because he’s the only one with any flight experience.

Meanwhile on the ground, Steve “I picked a bad week to stop smoking, drinking, sniffing glue, and popping pills” McCrosky (Lloyd Bridges) and Captian Rex Kramer (Robert Stack) join forces to help Stryker out. Fortunately for the passengers, the rampant sickness, sight gags, and satire aren’t enough to distract him as he successfully overcomes his PTSD to land the plane safely in Chicago.

Now freed from the effects of his PTSD, Elaine and Stryker share a passionate kiss as Otto commandeers the plane and flies away with his blow-up doll girlfriend for a happy ending.

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