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Tom Hanks plays Viktor Navorshi, a Krakozhian citizen, who arrives at New York's Kennedy airport following an overnight coup in his country. With civil war raging, the U.S. has suspended diplomatic relations, meaning that Viktor's passport is now null and void. He cannot enter the U.S. or return to Krakozhia. So, he is temporarily a resident of the International terminal. Viktor only came to the U.S. to fulfill the dream of his deceased father, who was a tremendous jazz enthusiast. In 1958, Viktor's father saw a picture in a Hungarian newspaper entitled "Great Day in Harlem". The photograph had the names and pictures of 57 jazz musicians, and Viktor's father vowed to get the autographs of all. Having optained 56, he died needing one more, tenor saxophonist Benny Golson, and Viktor came to New York expressly for his autograph, to complete his father's dream. Now, just a few miles away, he is trapped in the airport terminal, and forbidden to leave. Being very social, Viktor has managed to befriend all of the airport workers, from janitors, to customs workers, shop keepers, and food merchants. He even has sort of a relationship with a stewardess who passes through weekly, Amelia Warren (Katherine Zeta-Jones). She is infatuated with a married man who is just using her, but she just can't put him down. Viktor falls for her, but not being able to leave the terminal. . . A one point, he even gets an "off the books" construction job with a contractor renevating several gates at the terminal. The head of security at the terminal is a real jackass of a guy, Frank Dixon (Stanlet Tucci). This guy is Viktor's, defacto, jailer. He is up for promotion, and desperately wants to get rid of Viktor, but is afraid to do anything illegal to get rid of him. He won't afford anyone any reason to block his promotion. He tries to tell Viktor that if he just leaves the terminal, he can enter the U.S.A., but Viktor is an honest man, and he won't break the law either. During an evaluation of Dixon, a former Russian state individual is found to be in possession of medications for his dying father in Russia. He legally purchased the meds in Canada, but with the plane making an unscheduled stop in NYC, he is found to have illegal drugs because he has no importer license. Unwilling to be compassionate, Dixon tells his people to confiscate the drugs. Called in to translate, Viktor sees the man crying and begging them not to take the pills. After months of reading Customs law, Viktor intervenes saying that the drugs are for a sick goat, rendering them legal, since they are not for a human. Viktor has made Dixon looks like the cold, heartless, person that he is in front of the inspectors and from now on, Dixon does everything he can to screw Viktor. After nine months in the terminal, Viktor's country finally stabilizes, and he can enter the USA, but his visa requires Dixon's signature, and he refuses. Threatening to fire or deport several people who work in the terminal for minor things stemming from their help to Viktor over the months, Viktor relents, and decides he just can't complete his mission. But just as Viktor is going to leave, all of the airport workers come forward and help him leave the terminal. With the help of one of the security people, Viktor gets in a cab and makes it to the hotel where Benny Golson is appearing. With the final autograph in hand, and his father's dream complete, Viktor hails a taxi, telling the driver, "I am going Home".Read full review
This is a good film. Tom Hanks plays Victor Navorski who flies to the JFK airport from a fictional country. Unknowing to him, his country fell into war while he was on the plane, so now he can't go home, but he can't get into the states either! So he is stuck in the airport untill he can be allowed in the states. This is a pretty funny movie.