Script File

Knight's Law

RENO, NV. Annie Ng, 24, has a left lower arm prosthesis. She has had her disability since birth. She has just earned her Aviation Technology Certificate from Truckee Meadows Community College, as her first real step towards achieving her dream of being an air freight pilot, like her dad Francis Ng. She knows the medical exam is going to be a problem, but she plans to press on anyway, hoping for a change in the regulations. On her way home from graduation with her mom Marie, Annie gets pulled over for speeding. Luckily, she just gets a warning. We get the idea, however, she's not the best driver. When she gets home, where she still lives with Marie, Annie gets her third employment rejection letter in the mail. This time it’s from Viking Airfreight where her dad worked most of his flying career. And she gets another letter from Liberty University School of Aeronautics in Las Vegas, informing her they can’t modify their training aircraft to meet her specific disability, but she’s welcome to come down and meet with a flight examiner anyway. She thought it would be so easy. Francis passed away three years ago we learn as Marie and Annie clean out his hobby room. Francis and Annie were very close. They used to build remote control airplanes together. Now Marie has a new boyfriend, Clive. Marie tells Annie she plans to let Clive move in with them. Annie tells Marie if Clive moves in, she’ll move out. Annie makes it clear he'll never be her dad. The two are like oil and water Annie is not ready to take no for an answer from James at Viking Air Freight, and goes to visit him personally, unannounced. James sees Annie and restates his position - nothing is available for her. But he recommends she go talk to a retired pilot he knows, Lawrence, who’s running a kids’ program at South Lake Tahoe. He quit flying cold turkey one day, but never said why. Might be worth looking into. He gives Annie Lawrence’s contact info. Annie heads home, a bit discouraged. Clive moves in. Not willing to live in the same house with Clive, Annie packs up her stuff and leaves. It’s the first time she’ll be away from home. Marie gives her a wad of cash and her favorite gold heart necklace for good luck. Marie doesn’t look good.

Thrust rudely into the world, Annie’s job search plan immediately starts going off the rails. She plans to go to Las Vegas, at least to explore that option with a flight examiner. But first, she decides to stop up at South Lake Tahoe to meet that retired pilot, Lawrence, who James at Viking recommended, for advice. She looks for a cheap motel for the night, but after looking at a few, and settling on one that is gross, she ends up sleeping in her car instead. The next morning she wakes up and counts her money – she’s got about $5,900 left. She gets coffee, but while she’s having that, her car gets stolen by punks. She buys a beat used camper van for $4,000, and eventually finds Lawrence. Lawrence tells her flying is not what it used to be, now it's mostly managing autopilots systems, doing tons of paperwork, etc. But Annie is still not totally discouraged. Before heading to Las Vegas, she decides to take a break and do a little sightseeing and camping near Graeagle. On her drive north, she passes a car with a flat tire. An elderly man and his very frail elderly wife flag her down for help. She fixes their flat, then heads off to a campground in Graeagle. She gets a campsite, and as the sun sets, she fires up the propane stove, makes a cup of tea, and counts her money. $1750 left. She settles in with her book, Jonathon Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. The next day, while driving east out of Graeagle, Annie stumbles across a fun little airport in Beckwourth. But while watching a yellow Piper Cub land and refuel, her van catches fire from a gas or propane leak, and burns up, leaving her without wheels or a temporary home. George (a flight instructor) and his student pilot who are refueling the Piper Cub, jump into action and help put out the fire. She is only able to save one duffel bag, her computer backpack and her purse. But it’s getting dark, and George and his student need to fly back to Sonoma Sky Park. Annie is left at the airport all alone. She tries hitchhiking into Portola, but cars just go on by. Needing help, supernatural or not, she rubs the gold heart necklace Marie gave her, hoping for some luck. A Porsche Cayenne pulls over. It’s John and Sarah, who give her a ride into Portola. But both hotels there are full. Nothing nearby on Airbnb either. So John and Sarah offer to put her up in their beautiful mountain home in Grizzly Ranch. Over dinner there, John, a satellite company executive, suggests Annie come up with a Plan B in case her flying dream doesn't pan out. Maybe think of flying drones instead, he suggests, no medical requirements to pass. That idea, however, is discouraging. It's not really flying. Annie borrows an extra Jeep from John and Sarah, and says she’d like to go thank George down in Sonoma properly before continuing with her plan to go down to Las Vegas. At Sonoma Sky Park, Annie meets the cagey George. She asks if she can take an intro flying lesson in his Piper Cub. George gives Annie a very sneaky "intro flying lesson” of sorts, but in her Jeep, which goes very badly for Annie, as she truly is a bad driver. At the conclusion of her lesson, George catches Annie totally off guard. "You're not ready to fly a plane," he says. “Like a lot of kids your age, you’re unaware of your unawareness.” This discourages Annie further. While sulking back in Reno in a cheap room at Circus-Circus Hotel, with only $1650 left, she asks the Universe to throw her a bone, even a tiny one. Her phone rings, it's the hospital. Her mother Marie is dying from cancer, and is expected to live just 2-3 weeks. Annie says, "I think the world hates me." A bit later, Annie buries her mother's ashes in the woods, goes to her house, kicks Clive out, but finds it too lonely there. And she’s only got $950 left. She goes back to Sarah and John's house. Sarah and John have in the meantime, visited George in Sonoma. George has devised a plan that might help Annie - if not immediately achieve her dream - at least get her one step closer. John and Sarah buy Annie six flying lessons with George, and the next morning they present their gift to Annie, who is completely taken by surprise. "I used to think the world hated me. Now I'm not so sure," says Annie. "Maybe it's actually trying to love me." And she heads off to Sonoma.

Annie starts flying lessons with George, to see if she can handle it. He lets her stay overnight in the Pilot’s Lounge to save money. George preps her to get a Sport Pilot student license, which only requires a valid driver's license - and a demonstrated ability to operate a Light Sport aircraft safely. George’s Cub just happens to be a qualified Light Sport Aircraft. Annie, with George's help, overcomes her physical challenges and does okay on her flying lessons, which include a few hairy and dangerous aerial maneuvers. Then she solos, but not after almost wrecking on her second solo landing. George reassures her, telling her, "Any landing you walk away from is a good landing." Realizing she’s about out of money, George offers her a job working with him, where she can start building flight hours, and take the next step towards achieving her dream of maybe one day flying professionally. She says she’ll think about it. In the end, she accepts George’s offer, and launches her career in aviation, knowing she’s got a lot of work ahead of her still.

  • Eric Roberts
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Screenplay
  • Genres:
    drama, independent
  • Number of Pages:
    119
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 2021 Portland Screenplay Awards
    Portland, OR
    May 17, 2021
    Semifinalist
  • 2021 PTS First 15

    Quarterfinalist
  • 2021 Emerging Screenwriters Genre Screenplay Competition

    Quarterfinalist
  • 2022 Portland Screenplay Awards
    Portland, OR
    September 23, 2022
    Semifinalist
Writer Biography - Eric Roberts

Born in Reno, NV 1961. Attended Colorado College, Brooks Institute of Photography and UCLA Extension. Most of my career has been in graphic design. Some film set (lighting) and video experience.

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Writer Statement

'Knight's Law' is my first serious screenwriting project. I've been working on it since before covid broke out, learning the system, tweaking it. I try to write stories that lift people up. I think that's important now more than ever. I really believe Knight's Law is a story that does this. I’ve worked with many athletes with disabilities and seen videos revealing their world. It puts a lump in your throat. This film attempts to capture that power and magic of one person ignoring her disability - never letting it stop her from achieving her goal. It’s also got a universal theme, relevant to anyone who has tried to control their destiny, only to have life choose it for them. And maybe that’s how it works. If you understand this story and it's primary theme, your going to come away from this film with a good feeling about life.