The Terminal
The Terminal is a 2004 American comedy-drama film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Stanley Tucci. The film is about an Eastern European man who is stuck in New York's John F. Kennedy Airport terminal when he is denied entry to the United States, but is unable to return to his native country because of a military coup. The film is partially inspired by the true story of Mehran Karimi Nasseri who lived in Terminal 1 of Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, France, from 1988 to 2006. After finishing Catch Me If You Can, Spielberg decided to direct The Terminal because he wanted to next make a film "that could make us laugh and cry and feel good about the world". As no suitable airport was willing to provide their facilities, an entire working set was built inside a large hangar at the LA/Palmdale Regional Airport, with most of the film's exterior shots taken from the Montreal–Mirabel International Airport. The film was released in North America on June 18, 2004, to generally positive reviews and was a commercial success, earning $219 million worldwide.
Mr. Navorski, you cannot get into New York without a visa. You cannot get a visa without a passport, and you cannot get a new passport without a country. There's nothing we can do for you here. I give you light green. I'm sorry, but you've wasted an entire day. At this time, you are simply...
The Terminal
Why doesn't he walk out the doors? Why doesn't he try to escape? - Sir, you told him to wait. - I didn't think he'd actually do it. I mean, he's in a crack. Who the hell waits in a crack? No news from the State Department, but we can deport him in a few days. Yeah, it could be a few days. It could be a week, two weeks, a month. Who knows what this guy is thinking, what gulag he escaped from.
The Terminal
Airports are tricky places, Mr. Navorski. I'm about to tell you something. Something you can never repeat to anyone. Do you understand? It's a secret. - Secret? - Yes, a secret. At 12:00 today, the guards at those doors will leave their posts and their replacements are going to be five minutes late. Late five minutes. Yes. Late five minutes. At 12:00. Just today. Just this once. No one is going to be watching those doors. - And no one will be watching you. - So, America not closed. No. America, for five minutes, is open. Have a nice life, Mr. Navorski. United Airlines, final boarding call...
The Terminal