Flightplan Ending Explained, Plot, Trailer, Cast, and More
by A Maria
Updated May 08, 2023
Flightplan
Flightplan is a 2005 thriller movie that follows the story of Kyle Pratt, an American aircraft engineer who lives in Berlin with her husband and daughter. After her husband's sudden death, she flies back to the U.S. with her daughter and her husband's body. However, during the flight, she loses her daughter and has to convince the airline crew and passengers that she had brought her on board.
As she struggles to find her daughter, she also has to prove her sanity in a high-altitude environment. The movie stars Jodie Foster, Peter Sarsgaard, Erika Christensen, Kate Beahan, Greta Scacchi, Sean Bean, and Matt Bomer. Flightplan was released worldwide in September 2005 and distributed by Touchstone Pictures. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the movie was a box office hit, earning over $223 million against its $55 million budget.
The movie was praised for its direction, performances, and thrilling elements, especially Foster's acting. At the 32nd Saturn Awards, it received two nominations for Best Action or Adventure Film and Best Actress for Foster's outstanding performance.
Flightplan Ending Explained
Flightplan is a remarkable film featuring Jodie Foster, who delivers an outstanding performance. She portrays a loving mother who also shows immense bravery and fearlessness in facing a group of terrorists alone. The film has an intriguing premise that everything around her is an illusion, with her being repeatedly told that she doesn't have a daughter.
There is no record of her daughter boarding the plane and even the stewardess who assisted her claims to have never seen her daughter. As the movie progresses, the audience discovers that the stewardess, pathologist, and Carson, are all part of a multi-stage plan to commit a $50 million crime. They intended to present Foster's character as a terrorist who stole the plane and threatened to blow it up.
Ultimately, Carson is revealed to be responsible for the death of Foster's husband and the kidnapping of her daughter. The plan was to blame everything on Foster's character. They aimed to detonate explosives near her daughter during an emergency landing and leave Foster's character with the detonator, which would incriminate her.
Flightplan highlights the significance of courage, assertiveness, and self-confidence in facing challenging situations, and the protagonist's bravery ultimately leads to the defeat the criminals. The movie is a gripping experience that keeps the audience engaged until the end.
Flightplan Cast
Jodie Foster
Kyle Pratt
Marlene Lawston
Julia Pratt
Peter Sarsgaard
Gene Carson
Sean Bean
Capt. Marcus Rich
Kate Beahan
Stephanie
Matt Bomer
Eric
Amanda Brooks
Irene
Jesse Burch
Row 19 Male Passenger
Erika Christensen
Fiona
Assaf Cohen
Ahmed
Shane Edelman
Mr. Loud
David Farkas
Steward
Stephanie Faracy
Anna
Mary Gallagher
Mrs. Loud
Christopher Gartin
Mike
Gavin Grazer
FBI Agent
Lois Hall
Main Deck Grandma
John Benjamin Hickey
David Pratt, Kyle's deceased husband
Michael Irby
Obaid
Jana Kolesarova
Claudia
Forrest Landis
Rhett Loud
Tonje Larsgard
Flight Attendant
Haley Ramm
Brittany Loud
Greta Scacchi
Lisa
Judith Scott
Estella
Brent Sexton
Elias
Fred Tungulsten
Jordan
Kirk B. R. Woller
Grunick
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Flightplan Plot
Kyle Pratt, an American aviation engineer living in Berlin, boards a flight to the US with her six-year-old daughter Julia and her husband's casket. Kyle helped design the aircraft, a new Elgin E-474, and she is familiar with its systems. After awakening from a nap, Kyle discovers that Julia is missing, and no one on board remembers seeing her daughter.
The flight attendant informs Kyle that there is no record of Julia boarding the flight, and Kyle is unable to find her daughter's boarding pass and backpack. The captain is informed that a Berlin hospital has confirmed that Julia died with her father, and he believes that Kyle is delusional. Kyle is certain that her daughter is on board and becomes increasingly distressed, and she is restrained to her seat by a sky marshal.
A therapist tries to console Kyle, but she doubts her own sanity until she sees a heart drawn in the condensation on the window next to her seat. Kyle goes to the bathroom and sabotages the aircraft's electronics before discovering that her husband's body is the only thing in the casket. Carson, the sky marshal, escorts Kyle back to her seat in handcuffs, and they land in Newfoundland for an emergency stopover.
Carson and the flight attendant reveal that they have conspired to hijack the aircraft for a $50 million ransom and frame Kyle because of her knowledge of the aircraft. They abducted Julia to force Kyle to unlock the casket, where they hid explosives. Carson plants the explosives in the avionics section, and they plan to detonate them, killing Julia, and leaving Kyle with the detonator, framing her for the attack.
Kyle confronts the captain, who reveals that the ransom has been paid, but she realizes that Carson is the perpetrator. Kyle takes charge of the situation, commands Carson to remain aboard, and locks herself in the cockpit. After an altercation with Kyle, the flight attendant flees the airliner. Carson reveals that he murdered Kyle's husband to hide the explosives, and he pursues Kyle, who takes Julia to the aircraft's non-combustible hold.
Kyle detonates the explosives, killing Carson and damaging the aircraft's landing gear, but she and Julia emerge unscathed. The crew realizes that Kyle had been telling the truth, and she is reunited with her daughter. The captain apologizes to Kyle, and the hijackers are arrested. As Kyle and Julia exit the plane, the passengers realize the truth.
About Flightplan
Directed by
Robert Schwentke
Written by
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Flightplan Ending Explained - FAQs
The movie stars Jodie Foster, Peter Sarsgaard, Erika Christensen, Kate Beahan, Greta Scacchi, Sean Bean, and Matt Bomer.
Flightplan follows the story of Kyle Pratt, an American aircraft engineer who flies back to the U.S. with her daughter and her husband's body. During the flight, she loses her daughter and has to convince the airline crew and passengers that she had brought her on board, while struggling to find her in a high-altitude environment.
Flightplan was released worldwide in September 2005.
Flightplan was distributed by Touchstone Pictures.
Flightplan received mixed reviews from critics, but was a box office hit, earning over $223 million against its $55 million budget. The movie was praised for its direction, performances, and thrilling elements, especially Jodie Foster's acting.
Flightplan received two nominations at the 32nd Saturn Awards for Best Action or Adventure Film and Best Actress for Jodie Foster's outstanding performance.