The Terminal - Plot

Plot

Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) arrives at JFK International Airport, but finds that his passport is suddenly not valid, so he is not allowed to enter the United States. While he was en route to the U.S., a revolution was started in his home nation of Krakozhia. Due to the civil war, the United States no longer recognizes Krakozhia as a sovereign nation and denies Viktor's entrance to the U.S. territory. As his passport is unrecognized, he is unable to leave the airport, but he is also unable to be deported back to Krakozhia. Viktor instead lives in the terminal, carrying his luggage and a Planters peanut can.

CBP Head Frank Dixon (Stanley Tucci) wants Navorski removed from the airport. Navorski collects money for food by retrieving vacant baggage trolleys for the 25-cent reward from the machine, until Dixon prevents this. He then befriends a catering car driver named Enrique Cruz (Diego Luna) who gives him food in exchange for information about Customs and Border Protection officer Dolores Torres (Zoë Saldana), with whom Enrique is in love. With Viktor's help, Enrique and Dolores eventually marry each other. He meets flight attendant Amelia Warren (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who asks him out to dinner, but he tries to earn money in order to ask Amelia out instead. He finally gets an off-the-books job as a construction worker at the airport.

Viktor is asked to interpret for a desperate Russian man with drugs without MLPs (Medicinal Purchase License) for his dying father. Viktor claims it is "medicine for goat," barring the drug from confiscation (undocumented drugs, if proved to be for animals, can pass at the U.S customs) and resolving the crisis. Under pressure and the watchful eye of the Airport Ratings committee, who is evaluating Dixon for an upcoming promotion, Dixon chastises Viktor. Though Dixon is advised that sometimes rules must be ignored, he becomes obsessed with stopping Viktor from exiting the airport.

One day, Dixon pulls Amelia aside to his office and questions whether she really knows Viktor or whether she knows what's in his Planters can. After confronting Viktor in his gate 67 home, he explains to Amelia that the purpose of his visit to New York is to collect an autograph from the tenor saxophonist Benny Golson. It is revealed that the peanut can Viktor carries with him contains an autographed copy of the "A Great Day in Harlem" photograph. His late father was a jazz enthusiast who had discovered the famous portrait in a Hungarian newspaper in 1958, and vowed to get an autograph of all the 57 jazz musicians featured on the photograph. He succeeded in obtaining 56, but he died before he could finish his collection, so Viktor traveled to New York to obtain the autograph in order to finish the collection.

After 9 months of living on the JFK terminal, he is woken up by Enrique and the other friends, who inform him that the war in Krakozhia ended, and Amelia reveals that she had asked her 'friend' — actually a married government official with whom she had been having an affair — to assist Viktor in obtaining a one-day emergency visa to travel within the U.S., but Viktor is disappointed to learn she has renewed her relationship with the man during this process. To add to his disappointment Dixon needs to sign the one-day emergency visa granting Viktor the right to remain in the United States, but refuses. He instead blackmails Viktor into returning to Krakozhia, or he will have Mulroy fired for having evening poker games with friends and bringing alcohol and marijuana into the airport, have Enrique fired for allowing Viktor into the restricted food preparation area, and deport Gupta back to India, where he is wanted for assaulting a corrupt police officer back in 1979. Upon hearing this, Viktor proceeds to his plane, but Gupta learns of this and runs in front of Viktor's plane, asking Viktor to go anyway. The plane is delayed, giving Viktor enough time to go into the city and obtain the autograph; Viktor then leaves the airport and hails a taxi.

Dixon, watching Viktor leave the airport, decides not to pursue him. As Viktor prepares to take the taxi to a Ramada Inn where Benny Golson is performing, he observes Amelia exiting from a cab, where she gives him a wistful smile, telling him to go. At the hotel, Benny Golson is doing a sound check and asks for Viktor to wait while he finishes his rehearsal. Viktor listens to him play and collects the autograph, finally completing the collection. Afterwards, Viktor leaves and hails a taxi, telling the driver, "I am going home." The taxi drives off and the credits roll.