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Top Gun (1986)

by Chip Proser. Revised draft, April 4, 1985.

More info about this movie on IMDb.com


FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY


	     NOTE: Aerial dialogue in CAPS is UHF radio; 
			 plane to plane, plane to carrier.

	     Aerial dialogue in small case is ICS;
	     an inter-cockpit system; a live mike,
	     heard by pilot and RIO only. 

1.  EXT. NIGHT. - THE PACIFIC IS ANYTHING BUT

WINDS HOWL. Rain drives horizontal. The sea surges up, 
nearly to the flight deck of the Aircraft Carrier USS Kitty 
Hawk. The carrier plunges, driving its bow into a wall of 
grey water. The deck pitches forward and back, rolls left to 
right, and yaws in a corkscrew motion. The entire 93,000 ton 
behemoth rises and falls in the TYPHOON-DRIVEN SWELL. 


2.  SOMETHING DROPS DOWN OUT OF THE NIGHT

A ROAR. Silver wings flash by, a cockpit, fiery jet 
exhausts. A forty ton monster drops at 120 knots into an area 
the size of a tennis court in a CONTROLLED CRASH. 

2A.  A SHOWER OF SPARKS, A SCREECH OF RUBBER AND METAL as 
the gear hits the deck. The hook catches the 3 wire and the 
F-14 TOMCAT is slammed to a halt. It's the scariest thing 
you've ever seen, the most dangerous maneuver in aviation and 
just another day at the office for a Naval Aviator.

TITLES OVER 

HARD DRIVING ROCK AND ROLL - THE CARS - RIDE ME HIGH


3.  FLIGHT DECK - THE LANDING SIGNAL OFFICER - (LSO)

Leans almost horizontal into the winds. He holds the pickle, 
controlling the landing lights and speaks into a mike. His 
calm, professional commands belie the extreme conditions.

		LSO
POWER, POWER...DON'T CLIMB...
OKAY, HOLD WHAT YOU GOT.


4.  ANOTHER TOMCAT FLIES OVER THE RAMP

It slams in. The pilot hits full power, catches the wire, slams 
to a stop, cuts his engines.

5.  OMITTED

6.  AIR OPS - BELOW DECK 

Lots of scopes and electronic gear. The CARRIER CONTROL APPROACH 
OFFICER (CCA) watches a blip on radar, reaches for his mike key.



7.  EXT. THE TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING - (AERIAL)

We float like gods, above the storm, above the cloud cover, 
looking down. From overhead, a probe slides into frame, then 
a graceful nose. The cockpit sides by, Pilot, then Radar 
Intercept Officer (RIO) barely illuminated by the orange glow 
of their instruments. The fuselage gracefully swells to two 
enormous air intakes, then variable angle wings, swept back 
for high speed flight. Twin tailbooms cant outward, 
horizontal stabilizers make constant adjustments. Enormous 
twin jet exhaust ports glow red in the moonlight.


8.  INT. COCKPIT - (AERIAL)

We become aware of WIND WHISTLE, JET ENGINE SOUNDS, RADIO 
STATIC. The pilot, COUGAR, is calm, steady. The Radar 
Intercept Officer in the backseat, GOOSE, is a wildman, 
always an edge of humor in his voice. A UHF transmission 
breaks in..

		STRIKE (V.O. filtered)
GHOST RIDER, THIS IS STRIKE... WE 
HAVE UNKNOWN CONTACT INBOUND, 
MUSTANG. YOUR VECTOR ZERO NINE ZERO 
FOR BOGEY.

Almost immediately the RIO picks up a target and responds.

		GOOSE
CONTACT 20 LEFT AT 25, 900 KNOTS 
CLOSURE.


8A.  ANGLE - SECOND F-14 - 115 - COUGAR'S WINGMAN 

Come in on the cockpit with stenciled name and call signs: LT. 
EVAN MITCHELL is the pilot, MAVERICK. In flight suit and oxygen 
mask, we can only see his eyes. they are confident. In his 
mid-twenties, he is lean, hard, athletic...the archetype fighter 
pilot. His rear-seater is LTJG. WALTER MERLIN; WIZARD.

		MAVERICK
I'LL I.D. HIM, YOU HOOK 'EM.

Maverick peels off to right, to high cover position; 5 o'clock.


9.  INT. GHOST RIDER 117 - COUGAR'S POV

HEADS UP DISPLAY (HUD) glows dimly on the windscreen. Directly 
in front of the stick, two CRT screens display data. The bottom 
screen shows a radar sweep. Wedged between the instruments is a 
snapshot of a pretty young woman with a 2 month-old baby.


		GOOSE
Closing fast. MUSTANG, THIS IS 
GHOST RIDER ONE ONE SEVEN. CONTACT 
ONE BOGEY, 090 AT 15 MILES, 900 
KNOTS OF CLOSURE.
		COUGAR
Look for the trailer.

		GOOSE
I don't see anything.  MAVERICK, 
YOU HAVE A TRAILER?


10.  MAVERICK'S F-14 

Flying in combat spread, 1 mile abeam, higher. 

		GOOSE
NEGATIVE, COUGAR. LOOKS LIKE HE'S 
SINGLE.


11.  INT. 117 - COUGAR'S COCKPIT

		COUGAR
HANG BACK AND WATCH FOR HIM. HERE 
COMES...MIG ONE.


12.  EXT. SKY 

Closing at 900 knots, The MiG is a speck, then a flash and a 
ROAR, a knife-edge pass at 300 feet. It rockets past his left 
wing tip and disappears. Cougar kicks rudder, whips the stick, 
screams into a tight turning roll and dives after him. He slams 
the throttle forward to ZONE 5 AFTERBURNER.  


13.  EXT. - MAVERICK'S F-14

Maverick sees a SECOND MiG drop from above onto Cougar's tail.


		MAVERICK
BOGEY ON YOUR SIX. I'M ON HIS.

Maverick swings after him, lights it. 


13A.  ALL FOUR JETS SCREAM DOWN IN A POWER DIVE. 

They punch through cloud cover into the soup.



14.  EXT. COUGAR'S F-14 

He is closing on the first MiG when a shocking BLIPBLIPBLIPBLIP 
tone breaks into their headsets.

		GOOSE
I've got a six strobe.  I think 
he's locked on us.

		COUGAR
It's a MiG 21. They don't have 
radar missiles!

		GOOSE
Let's hope you're right!

		COUGAR
What is he doing?

		GOOSE
He's pissing me off!

Cougar swings mad gyrations, cutting back and forth across the 
front MiG's tailpipe, trying to break the lock-on. The TONE grows 
more insistant.

		COUGAR
Can't shake him.

		MAVERICK (V.O.) 
WHAT'S MIG ONE DOING?

		COUGAR
Maintaining course. Straight for 
Mustang.

		GOOSE
Stay with him.

The tone grows steady, BLIPBLIPBLIPBLIP.

		GOOSE
   (alarmed)
That's missile lock! 

		COUGAR
He better be kidding!

		GOOSE
Lordy!  Eyeball to Asshole.
Hope nobody burps!



14A.  INT. MAVERICK'S F-14

		MAVERICK
I'LL LOCK ON THEM, COUGAR. (to himself)  
Gotcha covered, don't nobody move.

		COUGAR
I'M UP HERE TOO, MAVERICK.

		MAVERICK
ROGER, COUGAR. (to himself and his RIO) 
Okay boys, pull out with your hands up 
and nobody'll get hurt.


14B.  INT. COUGAR'S F-14

Up front, Cougar checks his gunsight...He gets I.R. lock...

		COUGAR
We're locked on MiG ONE. Why 
doesn't he disengage?

		GOOSE
These guys are getting on my 
nerves.


14C.   FINALLY, MIG ONE TURNS AWAY.

		GOOSE
GHOST RIDER TO MUSTANG. BANDITS  
TURNING AWAY.

But Cougar presses forward, and MiG TWO stays on his tail.


		MAVERICK
COUGAR, BREAK LEFT. TRY A HIGH G 
ROLL UNDERNEATH. BREAK OUT THE 
BOTTOM.

Anger gives way to discipline. Cougar's Tomcat breaks left, 
dives into dense cloud. MiG TWO still follows.

		MAVERICK
HE'S STILL ON YOU, COUGAR.


15.  EXT. COUGAR - IN THE CLOUDS

Still hears the tone, BLIPBLIPBLIP...

		COUGAR

I KNOW. I KNOW.

He rolls over into wild evasive maneuvers, finally breaks lock. 


16.  INT. MIG

Breaks out of cloud, looks around, startled.  There is nothing, 
no F-14. He scans the sky frantically, while rolling the 
aircraft. ...Suddenly, he feels a presence. He looks straight up 
and behind him. A few feet away, a TOMCAT slides into position 
canopy to canopy, an incredible feat of flying. Maverick and 
Wizard stare at him. Maverick slides even closer, canopies nearly 
touching. The MiG pilot acknowledges them with a weak wave.  
Maverick stares for a moment, then flips him the bird. 

The MiG pushes negative G, hard down and away. He heads for the 
deck.

		WIZARD
He's running for it.


		MAVERICK
Ah, the thrill of victory and the 
agony of defeat.

		WIZARD
Speaking of feet, fuel's down to 
4.0.  We're gonna get them wet 
unless we find a Sonoco station.

		MAVERICK
COUGAR, THIS IS MAVERICK.  I'M 
GETTING HUNGRY, LET'S HEAD FOR THE 
BARN. ...COUGAR, WHERE ARE YOU?


17.  EXT. KITTY HAWK FLIGHT DECK - THE LSO 

Stands the on plunging deck, peering into the roaring night.

		CCA (Filtered)
GHOST RIDER ONE-ONE-FIVE, THIS IS 
MUSTANG.  WX THREE HUNDRED.  ONE 
MILE VISIBILITY WITH HEAVY RAIN.  
FINAL INBOUND BEARING THREE-FOUR- 
ZERO.  DECK IS MOVING.


18.  INT. COCKPIT 117 - COUGAR

		COUGAR

This is crazy. How the hell we 
supposed to land on something we 
can't even see!

		GOOSE
Hey, if it was easy, everybody 
would want to come up here and do 
it..... Instead of just us.

		COUGAR
   (corrects him)
You.

		MUSTANG (V.O. filtered) 
MUSTANG TO GHOST RIDER 115...110 
SPIN, 42 LOCK.  AT 5 MILES READ 
YOUR NEEDLES.


19.  INT. COCKPIT 115 - MAVERICK

		MAVERICK
NEEDLES READ DOWN AND LEFT.

		CCA (V.O. filtered)
CONCUR, FLY YOUR NEEDLES.

		MAVERICK
NEEDLES CENTER.

		CCA (V.O. filtered)
ROGER. CALL THE BALL.

		MAVERICK
Call the ball?  I don't see the 
ship!


20.  INT. COCKPIT 117 - COUGAR'S POV


BLASTS slam the airframe. Rain tattoos the canopy. A gust rolls 
the Tomcat, he straightens it, A gust flips it again.


20A.  MAVERICK'S POV 

The Carrier lights appear and disappear through the storm.


21.  INT. COCKPIT 117 - COUGAR

 	 	GOOSE
   (To Himself)

A walk in the park, Mustang. You 
with me, cat man?...Cougar...you 
with me?

Goose is thrown about as the wing dips, straightens, dips.

		COUGAR
Help me with this one, I'm really 
screwed up.

		GOOSE
Bring it left. Bring it left, 
You're high.

		COUGAR
This is crazy!

		GOOSE
What is?

		COUGAR
Wait! Hell!..Something's wrong!

		GOOSE
What?  What is it?

		COUGAR
Were upside down!

		GOOSE
You're crazy. We're level.

		COUGAR
Can't you feel it? I'm hanging in 
my straps!

		GOOSE
You're not. We're level. Look at 
the instruments, we're okay!

		COUGAR
They must be broken. I'm hanging in 
my straps! We're inverted!

		GOOSE
We're not! Trust me! We're okay.


22.  FLIGHT DECK - LSO CONTROLLING 115 - MAVERICK

		LSO
A LITTLE POWER...FLY THE BALL.    
LOOKING GOOD...HOLD WHAT YOU GOT.



23.  MAVERICK'S F-14 - ON FINAL APPROACH.


24.  INT. COCKPIT - MAVERICK

He hears Cougar's chatter over the air.

		COUGAR (V.O. filtered)
WE'RE UPSIDE DOWN! WE CAN'T LAND!

		GOOSE (V.O. filtered)
WELL, WE CAN'T STAY UP HERE EITHER.


25.  FLIGHT DECK 

Maverick's plane settles in over the ramp, suddenly, BLASTS FROM 
IT'S AFTERBURNERS...it ROARS over the deck without touching and 
off into the night. The LSO is shocked into comment.


		LSO
WHERE THE HELL YOU GOING?


26.  MAVERICK'S COCKPIT  - (AERIAL)

		MAVERICK
I...FORGOT SOMETHING.

		WIZARD
What the hell you doing?

		MAVERICK
Helping him in.

		WIZARD
What makes you think we can get 
back in?  We don't have the fuel 
for this.
		MAVERICK
Just get me to him.

		WIZARD
He's nine o'clock high. We're two 
thousand pounds low!


27.  DARK TURBULENT CLOUDS

Maverick's plane pulls up behind Cougar's. Cougar's plane 
suddenly flips over, flying inverted.


		COUGAR
I'm pulling up.

		GOOSE
No! Now we're inverted!


Maverick pulls up off the wing of the inverted aircraft. His 
voice is calmness itself.

		MAVERICK
HEY, ANY OF YOU GUYS SEEN AN
AIRCRAFT CARRIER AROUND HERE?

Cougar looks over, surprised.

		COUGAR
WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

		MAVERICK
EVERYBODY'S GOT TO BE SOMEWHERE.
..NOW WE'RE RIGHT WITH YOU.
YOU ARE INVERTED.  ROLL IT, COUGAR.

Nothing happens.

		MAVERICK
COUGAR, THIS IS MAVERICK. HALF ROLL 
IT. NOW!


Cougar's plane completes the roll, is now upright.

		GOOSE
We're on vapor, Cougar, you got to 
put it down.

		COUGAR
It's crazy, man. Instruments are 
crazy. We're gonna have to eject.

		GOOSE
TELL HIM, WILL YOU TELL HIM? OUR 
INSTRUMENTS ARE OKAY.

		MAVERICK
YOU'RE STRAIGHT AND LEVEL, COUGAR.
		COUGAR
I'M HANGING IN MY STRAPS. I TURN IT 
OVER AND I'M STILL HANGING IN MY 
STRAPS. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON 
UP HERE?

		MAVERICK
YOU'RE NOT IN THE STRAPS.  IT'S 
VERTIGO, THAT'S ALL IT IS. STAY ON 
MY WING. I'LL DROP YOU OFF.

Maverick pulls up wing tip to wing tip, inches apart.

		COUGAR
MAVERICK.

		MAVERICK
YEAH, COUGAR?


		COUGAR
YOU BETTER NOT BE RAGGING ME...
IF YOU'RE FLYING UPSIDE DOWN...

		MAVERICK
NO JOKE, COUGAR. ON THE LEVEL.
	EVEN I WOULDN'T DO THAT TO YOU.

		COUGAR
I'M UPSIDE DOWN. I KNOW IT. I'M 
GONNA EJECT.

		GOOSE
Look at the weather! They'll never 
find us! We're near out of fuel. 
Put it down.

		MAVERICK
COUGAR, YOU'RE ON THE BALL.

		COUGAR
OKAY... OKAY. BUT IF I LAND THIS 
THING UPSIDE DOWN. AND I LIVE. I'LL 
HAVE YOUR BUTT!

		GOOSE
You'll have mine, Cougar. It'll be 
where your head used to be.


28.  EXT. FLIGHT DECK 

All eyes are on what they can see of the approach of the two 
planes. Maverick drops him off at the pattern and circles. The 
LSO watches the approach. The Tomcat drops a wing, straightens, 
drops the wing, straightens ... the approach of a pilot 
experiencing vertigo as Cougar tries to satisfy his inner ear.

		LSO
LEVEL...YOUR WINGS... EASY... 
YOU'RE SETTLING....FLY THE BALL.

A wind shear just off the ramp drives the plane suddenly down.

		LSO
POWER...POWER!..POWER!...WAVE OFF!  
WAVE OFF  WAVE OFF!


AFTERBURNERS BLAST, but the Tomcat horrifyingly settles tail-low 
toward the deck. The deck crew watches in terror as the plane 
wallows in toward them. The LSO'S turn, take a few steps and 
throw themselves off the flight deck.

They sail into the night toward the surging seas a hundred feet 
below, then are caught in safety nets hung off the side.


28A.  THE PLANE

Settles, settles, standing on it's engines, trying to arrest 
it's downward momentum. The hook raises sparks as it skids across 
the deck... The plane stops falling and hangs for a moment, about 
to blast back up, when the hook catches the last wire.. The wire 
snags it, plucking 45,000 pounds of fuel, metal and men out of 
the air and slamming it all to the deck. WHAMMMM! Right wheel 
flies up the deck and over the side...the gear collapses. The 
plane SCREECHES sideways. The crew watches helplessly as it skids 
slams into it and comes to rest in cloud of fuel vapor and steam.

The LSO runs up, shouting into the mike. 

		LSO
COUGAR, GOOSE...COME IN COUGAR! 
SHUT YOUR ENGINES DOWN, YOU'VE 
ARRIVED.

		AIR BOSS
GHOST RIDER! ACKNOWLEDGE!
GHOST RIDER! ACKNOWLEDGE!

Crash crew leaps into action. The fire crew is there. The man in 
the Silver Suit jumps up on the wing and crawls to the cockpit. 
The figures inside are not moving. He hits the canopy release. 
The canopy pops open. Silver suit grabs at the rear seat harness 
release. He screams through his suit's aluminized cloth...

		SILVER SUIT
Goose, can you hear me?  Goose!

Nothing for a moment. He's dead! Then the RIO'S helmet 
moves...His head turns. He tears the mask away from his face, 
looks up at Silver Suit. His head clears.

		GOOSE

Oh, Hello... Valet parking?

Silver suit is stunned for a moment. He straightens up, his head 
inclines quizzically. Then it hits him.
		SILVER SUIT
Son of a bitch!

		GOOSE
You will put it up front,
with the Porsches?

He grabs him under the armpits, drags him out of the plane. 

		GOOSE
Hey...easy...Take it easy...
I'm a veteran!


Goose grabs a passing crewman by the arm.

		GOOSE
Can you check under the hood. I 
thought I heard a funny noise.

Other crewmembers help Cougar out. He seems stunned, but Goose 
reacts to his fear with frantic one-liners. He grabs a crew 
member's radio, as Silver Suit helps him away and looks to the 
figures of the Admiral and the Air Boss far up on the bridge... 
He waves to them, does his best impression...Desi Arnaz.

		GOOSE
Lucy...Ricky...I'n Home!


28B.  BRIDGE FLIGHT DECK

A moment of disbelief... Then hysterical, tension relieving 
laughter.


28C.  FLIGHT DECK

Goose spots Cougar being helped out. He pulls away, reaches back 
into the cockpit and grabs Cougar's snapshot of wife and kid. 
They lead Goose away as firemen blast the aircraft with foam.

		GOOSE
Is it extra for the hot wax?

28D.  BRIDGE  - FLIGHT DECK - AIR BOSS

		AIR BOSS
Clear the flight deck.



29.  FLIGHT DECK

A TILLIE, a four wheel mobile crane, slams up to the plane and 
slings its lifting harness. Goose turns to Silver Suit.

		GOOSE
Well...there goes your tip.
30.  INT. MAVERICK'S PLANE

They have monitored the chatter. 

		WIZARD
It's Goose. He's alright. Bring it 
left...You're settling.  IS THE 
DECK CLEAR?

		LSO (V.O. filtered)
   (softly)
ROGER, BALL, LITTLE POWER...DON'T 
CLIMB...OKAY, HOLD WHAT YOU GOT! 

Wizard does a quick sign of the cross, reaches down, grabs his 
balls...as...


30A.  FLIGHT DECK 

The TOMCAT slams onto the deck, clearing the wreckage by inches.


31.  INT. CARRIER HATCHWAY - FLIGHT SURGEON, OTHERS 

Watch as they bring a shaken Cougar past. Goose, eyes wild, 
waves at Maverick and Wizard, rolling up. They flame out - 
VVOOOMMMMM! They sit there, immobile, waiting for a tow, looking 
numb.  Goose does his "stewardess".

		GOOSE
On behalf of your Captain and your 
crew, I want to thank you for 
flying VF101. And next time your 
plans include the middle of the 
goddamn ocean in the dead of 
frigging night, I hope you'll think 
of Naval Aviation.

The surgeon looks into Goose's eyes.

		SURGEON
Stress reaction...

		XO

Check his head.

		GOOSE
   (wobbling off)
Never mind my head, check my 
shorts!


32.  SICK BAY - LATER

Cougar lies alone in the dimness, staring at the overhead.

33. 03 LEVEL - BELOW DECKS - OFFICER'S COUNTRY

The usual CLANGS, WHISTLES, ENGINES of Navy life sound FORLORN 
ECHOING through the dim, deserted passage. From the distance, a 
single figure passes in and out of the glow of the overhead 
lights. Cougar comes closer, hobbling unsteadily.

He reaches a door, pulls himself erect and knocks on the sign:

Commander Tom Otawoczek
CO VF 101
STINGER


34.  STINGER'S CABIN

The skipper works at his desk, responds without looking up.

		STINGER
Come in.

He looks up. Cougar stands in the doorway, a strange, dazed look 
on his face.

		STINGER
Cougar, what is it? You should be 
in sick bay. What are you doing?

He walks over to the skipper's desk. His eyes are glazed, but 
his jaw is firm.

		COUGAR
Thinking of my wife and kid.

A determined movement. Hand to chest.


34A. OMITTED

Something metal hits it, skids across the polished surface and 
clangs up against the coffee mug: gold wings.



35.  PASSAGEWAY

Cougar comes out of Stinger's room, bumps into Goose, and 
Maverick. He turns the other way.

		GOOSE
Cougar!

He stops, turns to them. There is nothing to say. Goose hands 
him his snapshot. Cougar looks at his wife and kid for a moment, 
then looks up at them. He turns away.

		MAVERICK
Cougar?		STINGER (O.S.)
Maverick, Goose...Come in here.


36.  STINGER'S OFFICE - DOORWAY

Maverick appears, followed by Goose. They stand at 
attention.

		MAVERICK
Sir?

The Skipper says nothing. Maverick sees the wings on the 
desk. He enters, walks over, stares down at them. He picks 
them up. 

		GOOSE
Don't worry. I'll talk to him.

		STINGER
Don't.

		MAVERICK
He's a good pilot.

		STINGER
I talked a man back once. Three 
months later, we lost him. It's his 
decision. Only he knows.

		GOOSE
He's the best you have. He's going 
Top Gun!

		STINGER
Was.

		MAVERICK
What?


		STINGER
Was going. (Turns to Maverick.) Now 
you are.

		MAVERICK
Me?

Maverick stares at the wings, lost in conflicting emotions.

		STINGER
Well, he's going (indicating Goose) 
and he needs someone to fly the 
plane.

		GOOSE
Skipper, you can't do this!

		STINGER
I didn't do it, he did it himself. 
Something about a wife and kid. The 
fact is, he's lost it. He knows it. 
I know it. You were up there, you 
know it, too.
		GOOSE
Give him a break, Skipper. It was 
raining snakes up there. He'll be 
alright, soon as all the gorillas go 
home...

The Skipper stares at Goose, non-plussed for a moment.

		STINGER
I know some RIOS are a little 
wiggy...but you abuse the 
priviledge! I don't believe I'm 
going to have to put the two of you 
in the same cockpit...but there it 
is! It may be good for the Navy. It 
might be good for you, but most of 
all, it's good for me. It'll get 
you out of my sight.


		GOOSE
But, Skipper, Cougar's been picked 
for Top Gun...He's the best of the 
best!

		STINGER
Well, you'll just have to make do 
with him (indicates Maverick).

Goose and Maverick exchange looks.


		GOOSE
Mav's a great flyer but....

		STINGER
He's a hell of a flyer. In fact, 
he's so damn good he might have 
been picked for Top Gun himself. 
Except for one thing. (SCREAMS) He 
just can't seem to follow orders!


Stinger moves slightly, to stand now, directly in front of 
Maverick and speak eye to eye at four inches.

		STINGER
You just did an incredibly brave thing! 
What you should have done was land your 
plane. You don't own that plane, the 
taxpayers do. I should ream you out for 
it. But it just doesn't work with you. 
You're a hell of a flyer. You are maybe 
...too good. You never really stepped in 
it yet. So this is your chance. I'm 
gonna send you up against the best. They 
are better than you. Maybe they'll knock 
that shine off your eagle and you'll 
see, finally, where discipline and 
teamwork fit it. 
Maverick hasn't really heard anything but TOPGUN. He snaps out 
of it.

		MAVERICK
Sir?

		STINGER
That is all. Tell me about the MiG 
some other time...

		MAVERICK
Yes sir!

He snaps off a salute and does an about face.

		STINGER
Maverick..

He turns back.

		MAVERICK
Yes sir..

		STINGER
The wings..


He looks down at the wings in his hands, slowing walks over 
places them gently on the Skipper's desk.

		STINGER
Gentlemen!

		MAVERICK/GOOSE
Sir?


His facade cracks just slightly.

		STINGER
Good luck.


37.  INT. PASSAGEWAY

Maverick and Goose push through a gauntlet of aircrews. They 
have become notorious. Guys grab at them...questions...the 
MiGs?..What happened up there? How close did they get? What did 
the MiGs do? One word is heard over and over..."TopGun". Goose is 
left behind in the crowd. Maverick pushes through. He walks 
fast...faster. Up ladders, around turns, down ladders, through 
passageways. Faster. He breaks into a trot, then a canter, 
squeezing past enlisted men, parts lockers, then he breaks into a 
run...

38.  EXT - CARRIER - NIGHT AND STORM

A hatch slams open on the side of the Carrier. He's out on a 
catwalk, instantly soaked, running on rain slicked stairs 
cantilevered high over the breaking seas. He plunges forward to 
the bow of the ship, stands on the very peak. He is yelling 
something. He stands there as the bow plunges terrifyingly into 
the trough. The water rises like a green mountain, up, up to 
break just a few feet below him, showering him with spray. The 
noise is incredible. 

Come around on his face. It is maddened. He raises his fist and 
punches the night.


The foaming slope of the wave rushes up, changing color as it 
DISSOLVES TO:

Desert Sand whipping by...

39.  MOJAVE DESERT - 1 WEEK LATER

A big bike, a real big bike, a turbo...rockets across the 
desert. Fast. Real fast. Aviator shades low above the handlebars 
--Maverick. Goose hangs on in back. It cranks faster, pulls 
closer...ENGINE SCREAMING. It cranks up a notch, it's going to 

explode. It can't go faster, but it does. It SCREAMS HIGHER. It 
ROARS under, by and away, leaving dust...


39A.  THE BIKE - STILL

Silence. Just the HISS AND POP OF METAL COOLING. Maverick sits 
on it, staring out past us. Goose looks over Maverick's shoulder.

We see why. Feet come into the frame. Then the uniform: 
California Highway Patrol.


40.  COUNTRY ROAD - NEAR SAN DIEGO

40A.  ANGLE ON MAVERICK. CHP enters the frame, the usual 
hypercivil arrogance tinged with awed disbelief. The usual 
questions are spaced for effect as if he might be talking to some 
other form of life. Maverick is off the bike, standing at 
attention. Goose follows more slowly.

		CHP
Son. Do you know why
I stopped you?

Maverick has some good idea how to deal with authority.

		MAVERICK
Yes sir. I do sir

The CHP adjusts his own aviator shades.
		CHP
Well... What   is   it?

		MAVERICK
   (more than sincere)
Sir. You are going to give me a 
warning, Sir!


CHP - A touch of a smile, quickly surpressed.

		CHP
License and registration.

Maverick hands them over with his Navy ID. CHP scans them, 
hesitates a moment over the last, looks up with a touch more 
respect.

		CHP
Lieutenant, do you know how fast  
you were going?


		MAVERICK
Yes sir. I do, Sir.

		CHP
Well? 

		MAVERICK
Sir. I was going Mach point one 
five.

CHP nods sagely.

		CHP
One SIXTH the speed of sound!

		MAVERICK
Yes sir.

		CHP
   (a guess)
Lieutenant... What do you...  
usually fly?

		MAVERICK
F-14's sir.

		CHP
   (new respect)
Tomcats?

		MAVERICK
Yes sir!

A long pause. Respect in the cop's eyes. He taps the Navy ID on 
the handlebars...staring at this sincere young man.

		CHP
Lieutenant... Is there...
a Russian attack?

		MAVERICK
No sir! But you have to be ready. 


The cop nods and stares at him.


41.  EXT. MIRAMAR NAVAL AIR STATION - LATER


41A.  OMIT


The bike is BLURPING... barely going fast enough to stay 
upright. Maverick cool in shades and campaign cap dorks past the 
hanger with the sign: FIGHTERTOWN, USA. He pulls ahead. In back 
of him, escorting with flashers...the CHP. They pull up at the 
gate. Maverick and Goose salute the guard, hands over their ID. 
The CHP gets out of his car, leans against the door.

		CHP
Lieutenant.

Maverick turns to him.

		MAVERICK
Yes, Sergeant?

		CHP
Remember one thing.

		MAVERICK
Sir?

		CHP
Outside of this gate...
I...am Top Gun.

		MAVERICK
Yes sir!

He salutes. The CHP returns a snappy one. He gets back in his 
car and turns away. Maverick receives his ID and clearance. As he 
passes through, a couple of pilots in flight suits (ICE AND 
HOLLYWOOD) stare at him. The taller, dark, cool one speaks in a 
dry voice, meant to be overheard.

		ICE
Uh oh, police escort. This one must 
be a real killer.

The second pilot grins big at them. Maverick turns slightly 
stares over his shades at them as he passes. Goose grins back the 
challenge.

42.  AERIAL COMBAT - VIETNAM ERA - F4'S, MIG 17'S - STOCK 

The Doors on the soundtrack.  Jets swoop, missiles fire, a plane 
explodes. Gun camera views of MiGs, SAMS, flak, bombing runs...

		VIPER (V.O.) 
During the Korean War, the Navy kill 
ratio was twelve-to-one. We shot down 
twelve of their jets for every one of 
ours. In Vietnam, this ratio fell to 
three-to-one. Our pilots depended on 
missles. They lost their dogfighting 
skills.



F-14's fighting with F-5's. Music becomes current. 

		VIPER (V.O.) 
Top Gun was created to teach ACM. Air 
Combat Maneuvering...Dogfighting. 
Richthofen, Guynemer, Rickenbacker, 
Galland, Rudel, Bong would envy us. We 
do just what they did, but we do it 
beyond the speed of sound. 


43.  INT. DAY - TOP GUN ORIENTATION ROOM.


VIPER - A tough-looking, confident leader in a blue flight suit, 
stands before a video-tape monitor. Behind him, on the monitor, 
the dogfighting continues.

		VIPER
By the end of Vietnam we upped our 
kill ratio to thirteen to one. 


He turns on the lights. We see his audience in F.G.

		VIPER
You're here 'cause you're the top 
one per cent of all naval aviators.

THE CLASS 

Sixteen young men - eight flight crews - sit at attention. They 
are trim, fit and confident - high school heroes, college jocks.

		VIPER (V.O.) 
You're the elite, the best of the 
best. We're gonna make you better, 
because you're job is damned 
important. 

ANOTHER ANGLE - THE MEN 

The camera moves among them. Hold on one of the men; the one who 
greeted Maverick at the gate, Ice.

		VIPER (V.O.)
With the tensions in the world today, the potential for confron- 
tation is greater than ever, and 
carrier pilots will be the first 
ones there. Air combat excellence 
is vital.


Ice is not looking at the speaker, but, rather, in our 
direction. HOLLYWOOD, a blond, good-looking pilot, whispers 
something to him, and gestures. Ice is getting the lowdown on 
someone. The camera moves and we see who that someone is, as 
Maverick enters the frame. 

		VIPER
 ...Someone once asked me if 
training men for air combat made 
the world less safe--flying loaded 
guns... an accidental confrontation 
and so forth...

Maverick feels the stare of the other man and glances in his 
direction. Their eyes meet. Ice smiles coldly.


ANGLE - VIPER 
 		VIPER (Con't)
My answer is: the dangerous thing 
is being unprepared. You want 
trouble, that's what you get when 
things don't work out, when you 
can't do what you say you can. When 
you don't know what you can do. And 
when your opponents aren't sure 
either. We are not policy. We don't 
make policy. Elected officials 
...civilians, do that. We are the 
instrument of policy. The tip of 
the spear. So we had best be sharp.

Maverick has turned to look at Ice. Ice glances back in his 
direction. Maverick looks at the back of the room where guys in 
blue flight suits stand. They are the instructors. They look 
relaxed, poised, mean.  Goose is looking up front...Where Viper 
has stopped. Goose nudges Maverick. 

		GOOSE
   (whispers)
What are you doing?

		MAVERICK
Nothing...That's McGown...that's 
Singer, isn't it?
		GOOSE
Turn around, pay attention. What 
are you doing?

		MAVERICK
    (musing to himself)
...Just wondering...(turns back) 
...who is the best.


He's shocked to find Viper staring right at him, with a killer 
grin on his face. He's feels caught like a naughty schoolboy.

		VIPER
Really...    (smiles)
Ya know. We'd like to know who's 
best too. That's why we've got that 
plaque on the wall... with the Top 
Top Gun crew from each class. You 
think maybe your name's gonna be on 
it?

Maverick knows he's in trouble, considers the social 
alternatives, then tells him the truth.

		MAVERICK
Yes sir.

A couple of ooo's and aahh's from the guys. The instructors 
stare the challenge at him. He slides lower in his seat.

		VIPER
Considering the company you're in, 
that's a pretty arrogant attitude.

		MAVERICK
    (somewhat chastised)
Yes sir.

		VIPER
I like that in a fighter pilot.  
(couple of laughs from the guys) 
It's okay to be confident. You have 
to think you're King Kong to want 
to try to land on carriers. Just 
keep in mind the other component of 
success...teamwork.

Viper gathers his notes, the lecture is over.

		MAVERICK
Yes sir.

Viper turns back for one more thought.

		VIPER
Gentlemen, this is about combat. 
Remember, there are no points for 
second place. Dismissed.
Viper walks out. Maverick finds Goose looking at him, 
quizzically. Others mill around the plaque.  A big, friendly bear 
of a RIO speaks.



		WOLFMAN
A plaque?

		HOLLYWOOD
It's not the plaque. The winner can 
get assigned here as instructor. He 
gets to fight every day.

They move closer to examine the names on the plaque.


44.  EXT. "O" CLUB - NIGHT.

Fast cars in the driveway, fast music blares into the 
night. It's Wednesday; Animal Night. Maverick, Goose 
Hollywood and Wolfman walk to the entrance.



45.  INT. WOXOF BAR


Loud music, low ceiling, plaques of the squadrons line the 
walls. A dancer gyrates on stage, largely ignored by pilots 
talking with their hands. Every pretty girl in San Diego 
seems to be here. It's a noisy, rowdy place--a "steam 
releaser" for people under pressure. Nevertheless, there is 
a control to it all, there are none of the usual bar types, 
just pilots and Naval Officers.

The Ghost Riders enter. The place is on fire:  a mob of 
dancers, flashing lights, blaring HARD ROCK MUSIC. Beer 
flows. Pilots talk flying and hustle girls.

NEARBY - AN A7 pilot stands by the bar. He knows Goose and 
speaks loudly for his benefit.. 

		A7 PILOT
You know the Fighter Pilots motto? 
It's better to be dead than to look 
bad.

They grin broadly. Goose replies as they brush past.

		GOOSE
I don't know, Frank, anybody gets 
off on bombing the shit out of dirt 
has got to be queer.

Goose exchanges friendly punches with the attack pilots. 
Maverick's introductions and friendly barbs are drowned by the 
music. Maverick is a bit reserved. He doesn't move among the 
crowd as naturally as Goose does. Hollywood and Wolfman drift 

away, searching for quarry. Goose orders beer. He nods toward a 
TALL YOUNG MAN across the room.

		GOOSE
Keller, Black Lion Squadron. I knew 
him at Pensacola. He's damn good.

		MAVERICK
Is there anybody in the Navy you 
don't know? 

		GOOSE
Gotta keep track of the 
competition.

Goose suddenly reaches out and grabs a guy moving past.

		GOOSE
Slider -- they let you into Top 
Gun? If you're among the best in 
the Navy, I tremble for the 
security of this country.

		SLIDER
Why Goose, whose butt did you kiss 
to get here?

		GOOSE
The list is long, but 
distinguished.

		SLIDER
So's my Johnson.

		GOOSE
This is Maverick.

Smiles good-naturedly, shakes hands with Mav. 

		SLIDER
So I've heard.

		GOOSE
Who's your pilot?

		SLIDER
Tom Kazansky.

		GOOSE
    (very impressed)
No shit. The Iceman....

		SLIDER
Mister to you.


		GOOSE
You think you can stay up with us.

		SLIDER
I think, yeah, we'll show you a 
thing or two.

		GOOSE
This is Evan Mitchell, he steers 
the thing. 

		SLIDER
So I heard. Steers it pretty close. 
Sorry to hear about Cougar. He was 
a good man.

		MAVERICK
Still is..
		SLIDER
Yeah. That's what I meant.

Suddenly, behind them, a flame shoots up. Someone ducks his head 
and swallows it. The pilot sets an empty glass on the bar.

		SLIDER
What was that?

		GOOSE
Flaming Hooker. Sort of an 
institution around here. Or maybe 
this is the institution, I forget 
which. It's the house drink. It'll 
warm the cockles of your heart ... 
and other things depending on where 
you spill it.

He motions to the barmaid and she moves over, sets them up. 
GOOSE holds a demitasse glass. The barmaid pours Drambuie. They 
look at Goose apprehensively. Goose looks at nearby flyers in 
Camo fatigues.
		GOOSE
You can't show fear in front of 
Marines...They're like Doberman's 
they'll go for your throat, it's 
instinctive.

He takes out match and lights it. Maverick holds his arm.

		MAVERICK
You ever done this before?

		GOOSE
What, been drunk? Sure! Plenty!


He downs it all in one gulp, slaps the glass on the bar, still 
aflame. He stands there, blinking. 

		SLIDER
How was it?

		GOOSE
Could use a dash more jet fuel.

The others are duly impressed. Maverick's gaze falls on Ice 
watching from the end of the bar - Slider takes one, Maverick 
takes one too, downs it in a gulp. Sundown, taking up the 
challenge, motions for one. The barmaid pours it.

		GOOSE
Careful, don't make an ash of 
yourself...

He tries to drink the flaming concoction. He tries to go for a 
sip, but it's too close to his face, he tries to tilt the flame 
away, but that doesn't work. Finally he goes for the gulp. He 
burns his lip and misses.  He sets his hair on fire. It goes up 
in a WHOOOSH!!

		SUNDOWN
Yeow!

		GOOSE
Mayday! Down in flames! 

He throws a beer in Sundown's face, quenching the fire. Sundown 
blinks through the beer.

		SUNDOWN
Thanks, I needed that.

		HOLLYWOOD
You guys are not only crazy, you're 
dangerous!

Ice comes up from the end of the bar. He motions the Barmaid for 
another; it comes. Goose lights it. He gulps it down, cool as 
hell.
		ICE
    (Disdainfully)
Frat boys.


He walks away. Slider goes after him.

		MAVERICK
Who is that guy?


		HOLLYWOOD
That's Kazanski.

		GOOSE
No shit! That why they call him Ice?

		HOLLYWOOD
Nope. It's the way he flies - Ice cold. 
No mistakes. Wears you down. After 
enough time, you just get bored and 
frustrated, you do something stupid, and 
he's got you.

Maverick moves in Ice's direction. He passes Wolfman dancing 
with a girl with bright purple fingernails.

ANGLE - DANCEFLOOR.

		GIRL
Why do you all have such funny 
names?

		WOLFMAN
You gotta have a call sign that's 
just your own...never changes...you 
have to recognize it immediately. 
Then, if someone shouts "Wolf, 
break left!"..you react right away.

		GIRL
Why do they call you Wolf?

		WOLDFMAN
   (smiles)
Oh, I don't know.

Goose comes up with his arm around a girl.

		GOOSE
Hey Mav, this is Sally. She doesn't 
believe a word I say. Tell her I'm 
married, will you?

		MAVERICK
Yeah, he's married--but then again, 
he,s not dead.

Sally laughs and tries to pull Goose back toward the dance 
floor. Something in Maverick's eyes makes him hang back with his 
partner.
ANGLE - THE DANCE FLOOR - DANCERS

		GIRL
Could I get a call sign?


		WOLFMAN
Well, I don't know. That depends.

		GIRL
On what?

		WOLFMAN
Well, it doesn't just happen, you 
gotta do something famous.

		GIRL
Like what?

		WOLFMAN
Oh...I'll think of something.

Maverick smiles at this, but seems on edge... He watches a few 
pretty girls enter and eye the pilots in their flight suits, then 
turns and walks up to Ice, who sits, drinking with Slider.
Maverick walks over to him. Ice notices Slider's attention going 
to Maverick. He turns and grins at him.

		ICEMAN
Figured it out yet?

		MAVERICK
Figured out what?

		ICEMAN
Who is the best.

		MAVERICK
Nope.

		ICEMAN
Need a hint?

		MAVERICK
I think I can work it out on my 
own.

		ICEMAN
You like to work alone. I've heard 
that about you. 

		MAVERICK
I've heard of you, too. You were in 
124 with Bargamian.

		ICEMAN
And you were with Cougar. He was my 
roommate in flight school.


		MAVERICK
He's a good man.
		ICEMAN
The best.

		SLIDER
You must have soloed under a lucky 
star. First the MiG, then you slide 
into Cougar's place.

		GOOSE
It's not Cougar's place. It's ours. 

		ICE
What do you think it was? Was it 
that MiG contact that did it?

		GOOSE
Did what?

		ICE
Got you here.

		GOOSE
We're here because we're the best 
flyers in the wing. Not because of 
some MiG encounter.

		SLIDER
What luck! Guys fly their whole 
career without seeing a MiG up 
close...You're famous.

		ICE
You mean notorious.

Something in the way he says it. It's not quite a joke, more an 
insult. Maverick's about to take the whole conversation too far 
when something...someone catches his eye. She catches quite a few 
eyes in this room. She is very pretty and she's walking in on the 
arm of a Commander. Maverick turns back, but the moment has 
passed. Ice dismisses him with a nod and weak smile. Goose pulls 
him away.

		MAVERICK
What do these guys think, I made 
Cougar quit?

		GOOSE
Pay no attention to it. They're 
just trying to rattle you. It's all 
psychological. Sit down..and drink.


He deposits Maverick at a chair by a table where other pilots 
cluster watching and listening to Bugs shoot down his wristwatch. 
Maverick broods...
		BUGS
We were just really diving down and by 
then we were right over downtown 
Haiphong.  It was some great shit. Jack 
says, "What are you doing?" "What, what 
am I doing, Jack?" He says, "What are 
you doing?" I said, "I'm rolling in, 
Jack." "Bugs, we're at thirty-two 
hundred feet. Oh shit, we were like 
zooom... So we scraped down at hundred 
feet right over--downtown Hanoi!  Oh 
shit, goddamn it! And blowing down the 
river. And so once we were there we let 
down to about fifty feet just going down 
the river and Jack says... "Bugs... 
don't ever do that again!" "Okay, right, 
Jack, I'll never do that again!"

Maverick pays little or no attention. He broods and drinks. 
Suddenly, Hollywood nudges him, he turns.

		MAVERICK
What, what is it?

		HOLLYWOOD
Target passing. Check your six.

		MAVERICK
Never mind mine. Check hers.

They turn. Long legs, great ass, beautiful.

		HOLLYWOOD
Her six is a ten! Uh oh, a turn to 
engage.



HIS POV - ACROSS A CROWDED ROOM

Maverick sees a stranger, and somehow he knows, he knows even 
then.  Wolfman turns, sees her walking too.

		WOLFMAN
Bogey...9 o'clock level.

		SUNDOWN
Nine thirty. Bogey?  You presume 
that hostile?

		HOLLYWOOD

Well, we should contact and check 
it out.


She has turned toward them. She passes by. They start to make a 
move for her. But just then she finds her date at the bar; a 
distinguished man with Captain's stripes. Their smiles freeze and 
they slide back in their chairs. Maverick can't stop looking at 
her...After a while, the intensity of his gaze draws her 
attention. She feels him. She is nodding and smiling to her date, 
but her eyes scan the room like radar. A warning tone goes off in 
his brain dolu dolu dolu as they lock on him. He feels that 
thrill of excitement and fear you get when you know you're 
targeted in someone's scope. Her eyes hold on him for a long 
moment...long enough, and then sweep by the rest of the room. She 
turns her attention back to the Captain and laughs at something 
he says.


Over in a corner, Goose chats up a couple of San Diego girls.

		GOOSE
The family unit -- that's the most 
important thing. It's the only 
thing you can count on. I'm married 
--did I tell you that?

		FIRST GIRL
Four times. We don't believe you.

		GOOSE
I've been married since I was 
eighteen. Why don't you believe me?

		SECOND GIRL
Because you don't look married. 

		FIRST GIRL
You're not even wearing a ring.

		GOOSE
    (big smile)
I take it off when I'm chasing 
women. It's the only honorable 
thing to do.


ANGLE - MAVERICK

He's half listening to Bugs rattle on.  His eyes are drawn back 
to the woman. He tries not to stare. She seems to know a lot of 
people in the club. He looks away. Hollywood is chatting up a 
girl with a sincerity that cannot be taught. His line is just as 
polished as his appearance.


		HOLLYWOOD
You don't think about death up 
there, but you think a lot about 
the danger. One mistake and you're 
a smoking hole in the ground.

		GIRL
I never knew it was so dangerous.
		HOLLYWOOD
Oh yeah, it makes everything down 
here more meaningful. You feel a 
certain intensity of life, and you 
want to grab onto every moment.

Maverick looks up at the bar again. A shock. She (Charlie) is 
staring right at him, intensely, as her date whispers something 
in her ear. She notices him, staring back, quickly looks away, 
embarrassed. She says something to the man. He nods and turns 
away as someone else grabs his attention. The woman, now wouldn't 
look this way for anything. She picks up her purse from the bar 
and walks through the crowd and out of the room. Impulsively, 
Maverick's up, he follows. 


46.  INT. HALLWAY - OUTSIDE THE BAR

He breaks out, looks around, doesn't see her. Someone disappears 
around a corner. He moves after.

CORNER - A door slams shut. Impulsively, before he realizes what 
he is doing, he's through it. 


47.  WOMEN'S ROOM. 

A feminine GASP!  He should have looked at the sign on the door. 
The realization of where he is hits him too late. She is standing 
by the mirror, with her make-up out, looking back at him. He's 
not quite sure what to do. A hasty retreat would be appropriate, 
if embarrassing. Ah, what the hell, he is a fighter pilot!  He 
just walks right over to her...no idea what he will say. She's 
got her lipstick out, twisting it. She looks over at him with an 
amused smile.

		CHARLIE
Long cruise, was it?

She leans over the sink, puts on lipstick, sees his eyes cover 
her.

		CHARLIE
Anything I can do to help, Lieutenant?


		MAVERICK
Lots of things. 

She laughs. He is sort of attractive, but there are other girls 
in the room, she doesn't want to be too encouraging...She tries 
not to grin at his embarrassment.

		CHARLIE
I'll bet!

		MAVERICK
Uhhh...Anything I can do for you?
She laughs again, doesn't know what it is...could be chemical, 
but she's instinctively attracted.

		CHARLIE
Yeah. Hold this. It might be safer.

She hands him a makeup mirror. Starts redoing her lipstick. He 
just stares at her...She looks up at him, than back to her 
warpaint. Finally, when it comes, it is cool and amused.

		CHARLIE
Now I know why all the girls come 
here. They know how horny you guys 
get. But this...is ridiculous.

		MAVERICK
It's not that.

Mock anger. She's toying with him.

		CHARLIE
It isn't?

		MAVERICK
Well, it is. It is that, too.

		CHARLIE
That's a big comfort to me.

		MAVERICK
I could be, too.

 		CHARLIE
How so?

		MAVERICK
Save you from a big mistake with 
that other guy.

		CHARLIE
And on to a bigger one with you?


		MAVERICK
Yeah, most likely.

		CHARLIE
Was there ever a girl who didn't 
like fighter pilots?

		MAVERICK
I heard of one once.

She laughs again, shakes her head...another cowboy! She gently 
takes the compact out of his hands, snaps it closed.

		CHARLIE
I'm really flattered, Lieutenant, 
but I don't go out with pilots.
		MAVERICK
Then what are you doing here?

Three pretty blondes enter and look at Maverick quizzically but 
not without interest.

		CHARLIE
I think the question is...what are 
you?

She tries to keep a straight face as she walks out of the room. 

The other girls look at him expectantly.  A beat.  He just 
stands there, then realizes he's holding her lipstick. 

		MAVERICK
Hi. I'm here to talk about a new 
concept in cosmetics...

47A.  WOXOF BAR. She returns, spots the Captain, motioning to 
her.  Maverick enters, goes to the other end of the bar. He 
orders a drink. It comes. He drinks it, pays for it, moves off 
toward the door. Someone backs into his path, he moves quickly 
and bumps into someone else; her. 

		CHARLIE
Sorry.

She sees it's him.

		MAVERICK
My fault. Should have watched
where I was going.

Her hand goes to his collar. She adjusts his insignia. She 
smiles.

		CHARLIE

Where's your wing man? Who's 
watching your six?

		MAVERICK
Uh, nobody, I guess.

One final adjustment.

		CHARLIE
Too bad.

She breaks the spell abruptly, turns away.

		CHARLIE
See you around.

Maverick finds his voice.

		MAVERICK
Can I walk you out?She turns back to him, a smile.

		CHARLIE
I'm with someone. 


48.  EXT. "O" CLUB - LATER THAT NIGHT

P.O.V. - 

From a car in the parking lot, we see Charlie and the Captain 
leave the club. They walk directly toward us and stop. She turns, 
says something polite...a peck on the cheek. He turns away. A 
dome light briefly illuminates the interior of the car as a door 
opens. It rocks slightly as someone gets in. Charlie turns back 
and walks over, taking her keys out. She opens the door to the 
car and gets in. 


48A.  EXT. CAR - NIGHT

She starts the car and pulls away. Suddenly, a figure sits up in 
the back.

		MAVERICK
I thought he'd never leave.

		CHARLIE
Yeow!

Startled, she nearly drives off the road. She turns to him, 
startled.

		CHARLIE
You! What are you doing here?


		MAVERICK
Everybody's got to be somewhere.

		CHARLIE
What if Captain Dawson had come 
with me?

		MAVERICK
It would have been really 
embarrassing!

		CHARLIE
How did you know this was my car?

		MAVERICK
Simple deduction. It's fast. It's 
pretty. Sleek and stylish...It's 
your color...matches your lipstick.

		CHARLIE
That's all!

		MAVERICK
And I asked someone.
		CHARLIE
You think you're pretty smart.

		MAVERICK
I think I'm in love.


49.  EXT. GUARD GATE

She pulls up at the guard gate, a MARINE CORPORAL is on duty. He 
sees the pretty girl pull up and stop, leans over helpfully.

		MARINE
Can I help you, Ma'am?

She smiles even more sweetly.

		CHARLIE
I don't know, Corporal. Can you do 
anything about this lunatic?

The car door swings open. Maverick gets out. The car roars away. 
He stands in the glare of the spotlight...rocking on his heels, 
looking across at the guard, who snaps to attention and stares 
holes in his chest.


50.  INT. TOP GUN - NEXT MORNING. 


Two guys in flight suits run down stairs past stencils of MiG 
kills on walls, then down corridor.

		FLEX
Not so fast...my head.

They skid to stop outside a door.


51.  INT. HANGAR

Ground crews work on planes in B.G. Jester in middle of lecture.
Door bursts open. Sundown and Flex skid to a halt when they see 
whole class looking at them.

		JESTER
Who are you?

		SUNDOWN
I'm Sundown.

		JESTER
Yeah, right. You're late.


Viper breaks in, indicating Flex.

		VIPER
And who are you?

		FLEX
Flex 

		VIPER
Flex...? You don't look like Flex  
to me. You call that muscle? 
Doesn't look like muscle. Looks 
like...Pork.

They laugh. Even Sundown has to laugh, scratching his chest.

		VIPER
What're you laughing at? You're 
Fungus.

Stops scratching.
		SUNDOWN/FUNGUS
Fungus!

		PORK
Don't make an issue of it, it'll 
stick.

		FUNGUS (Unhappily)

It'll stick anyway. 

Viper turns away...

		VIPER
Now to continue. In this class we 
will be dealing with F-5's and 
A4's, as our MiG simulators. 
Technically the F-5 does not have 
the thrust to weight ratio of the 
MiG-21--it also does not bleed 
energy below 300 knots like the 
MiG-21 does. The A4 does not turn 
as well as the MiG-17 but has 
significantly better visibility.

Maverick looks back to his notes. SFX footsteps...door 
opening. Viper looks up to back of room door.

		VIPER
Hi, Charlie. Good, our TAGREF's 
here. Charlie's the most qualified 
to get into P subs and curves, and 
VN diagrams.

Maverick turns to see the TAGREF walk forward.  Maverick 
stares at her as she passes without acknowledging him. He is 
surprised, embarrassed.

		VIPER
Charlotte Blackwood--code name Charlie-- 
not your ordinary TAGREF. Charlie has 
her Ph.D. in astrophysics--she's a 
civilian contractor so you don't salute 
her...or anything else. Is that clear?

She walks to the front and starts her presentation. She 
talks about something very technical, arcane. MiG tactics, 
technology. As the briefing rattles on, Maverick reacts to 
her. Goose glances over at him. He, too, recognizes the girl. 
He looks at his partner. Maverick feels his stare.

		CHARLIE
Hello, I think I have some new data for 
you...Now a MiG 21 has a problem with 
the inverted flight tanks. It won't do a 
Negative G push over. Even below one G, 
they risk a flame out. Operationally, 
they will do a zero to one G only.

A snicker from the audience. She hesitates momentarily, goes 
on.
		CHARLIE

The latest intelligence shows that 
the most they will do in operation 
is one....is there something wrong, 
Lieutenant.

		MAVERICK
I don't think you're altogether 
right...about the MiG, that is.

She stops--some of the pilots look at him. Viper glares.

		CHARLIE
I beg your pardon.

		MAVERICK
No, I beg yours. But I don't think 
you're right on that.

		CHARLIE
Why not?

		MAVERICK
I saw one.

		CHARLIE
You saw a MiG 21?

		MAVERICK
I saw a MiG do a 4 G negative dive.

		CHARLIE
    (She doesn't believe him)
Where did you see that?

		MAVERICK
It's classified.

Nervous buzz in the room. Viper goes rigid. Charlie can't 
believe it.

		CHARLIE
It's what?

		MAVERICK
It's classified. Like Hollywood 
says, I could tell you, but then 
I'd have to kill you.

Pork stifles a laugh, the others chuckle. Viper is 
embarrassed.

		VIPER
Maverick!!!


She stops Viper with a glance.

		CHARLIE
It's all right.

She can handle it. She is very cool, not overbearing. She 
says it calmly. She doesn't want to embarrass him any more 
than he is, but she has to get the facts straight.

		CHARLIE
 Lieutenant, I have a top secret 
clearance. The Pentagon sees to it 
that I know more than you.

		MAVERICK
Not in this case.
		CHARLIE
    (Flatly.)
You saw a MiG push negative 4G?

		MAVERICK
Yes, ma'am.

		CHARLIE
Where were you?

		MAVERICK
On his six.

Little stifled laughs.

		CHARLIE
He was in a 4G Negative dive and 
you were on his six?

		MAVERICK
Yes, ma'am, At first. Then I was 
directly above him.

She stares at him for a moment, then she has him. She goes 
for the kill.

		CHARLIE
If you were directly above him, how 
did you see him?

		MAVERICK
I was inverted.

A real buzz in the room.  Ice laughs audibly.

		CHARLIE
You were in a 4G inverted dive with 
a MiG 21?   (She can't believe it.)

At what range ?

		MAVERICK
Two.

		CHARLIE
Two miles.

		MAVERICK
Two meters.


Chuckles, barely suppressed. Goose pipes up to deflect 
attention.

		GOOSE
One and a half, actually. I got a 
polaroid.

		CHARLIE
    (Flatly.)
Lieutenant...
		MAVERICK
Ma'am?

		CHARLIE
What were you doing there?

		MAVERICK
Giving him the bird.

Open laughter. She thinks it's at her. She grows red.

		CHARLIE
The what?

		MAVERICK
You know. The finger.

He shows her, but she can handle this. 

		CHARLIE
So you're the reason those
SALT talks failed.

The room breaks into laughter. At him. Now he grows red. 
Goose puts his hand on Maverick's arm, shakes his head as if 
to say: "Let it go, pal, she got you". 

She looks at Viper. He doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. 
He knows there's something here he doesn't control.

		VIPER
Lieutenant!


		GOOSE
It's just like he says, sir.

		VIPER
    (He snaps)
I don't care!


51A. CORRIDOR - OUTSIDE LECTURE HALL

She walks away. He runs up and stops her.

		MAVERICK
Why didn't you tell me you were a 
TAGREF?

She studies him coolly for a moment, like a specimen.

		CHARLIE
It never came up.

		MAVERICK
You let me make a fool of myself.

		CHARLIE
You seemed determined to do that 
anyway.. Why didn't you tell me you 
were a famous MiG insulter?
		MAVERICK
Would it have made a difference? 

		CHARLIE
No.

		MAVERICK
What would?

		CHARLIE
You know, I'm assigned to this 
school. I see sixteen new hotshots 
every eight weeks. Your attention 
is flattering, but not really 
productive. Why don't you keep your 
mind on flying.

She reaches over and aligns his collar insignia.

		CHARLIE
Why can't you keep this straight?

She smiles at him and walks away. Maverick turns, sees the 
others sizing him up. Most of them grin. Maverick moves down 
the corridor past the CO's Office. Viper leans against the 

doorsill. He lights a pipe, laconically eyes Maverick. His 
tone gives away nothing, like an ELINT probe eliciting a 
response.

		VIPER
Maverick... Where'd you get that 
call sign?

		MAVERICK
Ahhh... Runs in the family, sir.

		VIPER
You're father was Marvin Mitchell..

		MAVERICK
Yes sir.

		VIPER
A good man. Good flyer.

Viper turns away. 

		MAVERICK
Yes sir. Thank you sir.

Maverick watches him for a beat, he's been tested, but he's 
not sure how or why. He turns to catch up with Goose and the 
others.

EXT. SKY - LATER

At twenty-eight thousand feet, the two planes circle each 
other, going in opposite directions. As they jockey for 
position, they snap past each other like ends of bullwhips.

The earth spins, the horizon appears and disappears. With 
each hard turn, Maverick and Goose can be heard "grunting" to 
keep blood in their brains, to keep from passing out.

The fight is hard, physical, and exhausting. The extreme G 
forces--6.5--flatten them against their seats, causing their 
heads to weigh over one hundred pounds. Maverick strains to 
turn his head and track the other jet as it streaks past at 
Mach One. 
		MAVERICK
I've lost him -- where is he?

		GOOSE
On your six -- coming hard. Four 
hundred. Losing airspeed! He's on 
your six and closing fast!
Hard left! HARD LEFT!


Maverick jerks the stick left, and the F-14 takes an 
astonishing turn. Jester ROARS past into a wide arc.

		GOOSE
Great move. Great

		MAVERICK
He should've had me.
		GOOSE
Take it down. Let's bug out of 
here. Call for a draw.

		MAVERICK
No way. I'll nail him this time. 
Going vertical.


THE PLANE EXPLODES INTO AFTERBURNER - rocketing toward 
space. Jester is left in direct line with the sun, and his 
canopy is sprayed with a blinding glare. Going ballistic is 
dangerous. The plane flys like a bullet, obeying the laws of 
physics, not the pilot's touch on control surfaces. The 
ballistic call warns other aircraft that he is, for the 
moment, out of control.

		GOOSE
He's blind -- you got him!

		JESTER
NO JOY! NO JOY! WHERE ARE YOU?
I'VE LOST SIGHT.

		GOOSE
He's out of energy! You got 
control? Unload!

The F-14 peels over the egg, in a backward dive. It rockets 
down the outside, gaining energy. Over the ROAR of jets, the 
SCREAM of the wind, Goose shouts data, but it is muffled, a 
distant voice in a typhoon. Through the canopy, we see 
Jester, and he hangs in the air like a sparrow in the path of 
a falcon.

PILOT'S POV - HUD in windscreen - a diamond in a box. 
Maverick lines up the diamond with Jester, and we hear the 
high pitched tone BEEPING.

		JESTER
WE'RE BELOW THE HARD DECK. FIGHT'S 
OFF.

		GOOSE
He's right. We're at ten thousand.


		MAVERICK
No way. I got you, sucker. You're 
going down.

Jester maneuvers, but Maverick keeps him in the gunsight. 
The BEEPING is louder, faster.

		MAVERICK
In the envelope. FOX TWO MISSILE 
SHOT. YOU'RE GONE, JESTER, DEAD! 
		GOOSE
    (stunned)
Goddamn! We beat him!

There is an edge of anger in Jester's voice.

		JESTER
ROGER FOX TWO. GET YOUR BUTTS ABOVE 
THE HARD DECK. RETURN TO BASE 
IMMEDIATELY.
              
They are brought up short for a moment, then the thrill of 
victory gets the best of them. Goose lets out a war whoop. 
The F-14 sweeps up, rolls into an Immelman..

		MAVERICK
We did it!

		GOOSE
Look, Ma, top of the world!


52A.  EXT. MIRAMAR - LANDING PATTERN.

Maverick's Tomcat breaks hard and high, rolls over on its 
side, wings perpendicular to the ground. Goose sees the world 
go sideways.

		GOOSE
Ahhh...A little high on the left, 
don't you think?

		MAVERICK
Right.

He aileron rolls another quarter turn. Inverted, they pass 
right down the runway.  Goose looks out and insouciantly 
watches the world go by at 300 knots, upside down.

		GOOSE
Right. Much better. ...Ahhh...what 
do you call this?



		MAVERICK
It's a victory roll.

		GOOSE
I wouldn't call it victory.  It's 
more like...self immolation.


52B.  INT. CONTROL TOWER 

Controllers work. Officers watch the landing activity. One 
old salt, turns from the coffee machine, a cup of steaming 
Java microns from his lips. A ROAR. VABOOM! The Tomcat roars 
over. He yelps as hot coffee flys all over his shirt.         
                                                    52C.  
EXT. MAVERICK'S F-14

They complete the roll, bank left, zoom right by the tower, 
level with the observation window. 

                                                             
52D.  F-14'S POV. Controllers look out at the F-14, mouths 
drop open. 


52E.  ANGLE GOOSE

He waves jauntily.

		GOOSE
Hi...Hi there. How ya doing in 
there?  Mav... Ahhh...you know, at 
one point I did want a Navy career.

		MAVERICK
Come on, relax...

		GOOSE
You see all those guys with gold on 
their shoulders!!?... Oh, no, I 
think that was Johnson, Air Boss of 
the Kitty Hawk! 

		MAVERICK
Come on, we beat an instructor. How 
many times in your life do you get 
to do a victory roll? 

		GOOSE
Just once, if they take your plane 
away.

They roll out, break over the runway.


                                                      ***
52F.  EXT. FLIGHTLINE. 

Maverick and Goose walk by parking Tomcats...Ice is 
unstrapping, Slider is climbing down. Ice looks at Maverick, 
says one word.

		ICEMAN
Cowboys!

Maverick keeps walking...Goose hangs back.

		SLIDER
Nice. Always a good idea to show up 
your instructors.
He nods toward Jester, glaring at them from his A4. Goose 
indicates the backseat of the Tomcat.

		GOOSE
Hey, see any controls back there? 
   (thinks about team loyalty, 
   reacts to Jester's glare...)
And anyway...we beat the Son of a 
Bitch!

He turns and runs to catch up with Maverick.


53.  INT. LOCKER ROOM - DAY

Pilots half undressed. Maverick and Goose enter the room, 
carrying their helmets. The students look up at them, and 
Goose suddenly flashes a thumb's up sign with a grin. The 
students react with clenched fists, ad libs, high fives, 
victory punches.

		WOLFMAN
You won?!!!

		MAVERICK
Didn't everybody?

"Oooo" -- they all go "ooo" and laugh.
                                                 
		WOLFMAN
No, we...got our butts kicked.

		HOLLYWOOD
Thirty seconds. That's all it took 
to blow us out of the sky.
                                                
		WOLFMAN

We went like this, he went like 
that. I say to Hollywood: Where'd 
he go? Hollywood says: where'd who 
go?

		HOLLYWOOD
And he's laughing. Right over the 
radio, He's laughing at us.

Attention turns to the doorway as Ice and Slider enter. Ice 
gives a brief dramatic pause, then flashes thumbs up and 
smiles. The students celebrate Ice's win.  Ice handles the 
attention with the easy composure of one who is used to it. 
Maverick ignores him and begins to peel out of his G-suit. 
Ice moves toward his locker.
                                                      ***
		GOOSE
You won. 
Congratulations.		HOLLYWOOD
Maverick and Goose won too.

Ice talks into his locker.

		ICE
That's not what I heard.

		GOOSE
We won! 
Ice turns back, stares them down, then turns back into his 
locker, dismissing them.

		ICE
Below the hard deck doesn't count. 
You guys are the second team, 
aren't you?

Maverick gets up, moves to him, starts to say something, 
when Jester, breaks into the room.

		JESTER
Maverick, Goose. Viper's office. Now!


53A. INT. TOPGUN CORRIDOR OUTSIDE CO'S OFFICE.


SCREAMING AND YELLING.  A lot of screaming and yelling, 
muffled by the door.

                                                             
53B. INT. ANTEROOM. 

Enlisted Yeomen and Chiefs go about their clerical duties in 
acute embarrassment mixed with curiousity. Behind the CO'S door, 
someone is screaming his head off.


BOOM! The door bursts open. A big, brawling Officer - Johnson, 
the Air Boss - blasts out, nearly smashing into a female petty 
officer. She almost spills her coffee. Johnson looks right and 
left in fury too strong for words. He looks like he wants to 
smash something. They move out of his way, but he justs blasts 
through the door and disappears down the hall.
The enlisted men turn to Viper's office.


53D  THEIR POV

Jester stands inside stonefaced. Maverick and Goose are 
rigid. Viper...with excess calm deliberation, softly walks 
over, grasps the doornob. He glances in this direction. The 
glance is totally without expression, and even scarier for 
that.
                                                  ***
53D. ANGLE ENLISTED (MEN)

In a flash, each man finds something totally engrossing in 
his work, or something terribly important to do elsewhere. 
Slowly, steadily, Viper swings his door closed.54.  INT. 
VIPER'S OFFICE 

He moves over to face Maverick. There is a SILENCE like 
after a train wreck; nothing but the POPPING of sprung metal 
and the low GASP of escaping steam. Viper speaks quietly, 
like a funeral director consoling the living. Makes you want 
to scream.

		VIPER
Well....That about covers the 
flyby. 

Jester almost breaks into a grin.

		VIPER
Now...in addition...you broke two 
major rules of engagement. And... 
That's ...not good.


Maverick gives no response. Viper continues.

		VIPER
Lieutenant Candela lost sight of 
you, and called "no joy". You 
failed to respond. 

He stops and looks at Maverick... A beat. Maverick finally 
nods 
		VIPER
Why?


Maverick is exhausted. It's been a long, rough day. His 
voice is a horse whisper.

		MAVERICK
I had him in view. I was peeling 
over the egg, into a dive. He saw 
me when I moved in for the kill. 
There wasn't any danger...

		VIPER
    (to Goose)
Is that how you remember it?

		GOOSE
Yes, sir. By the time we could 
respond, we were diving right into 
his view.

Viper is not satisfied with the answer, but he moves on.

		VIPER
The hard deck for this hop was ten 
thousand feet. Jester, at what 
point did you call off the fight?

		JESTER
Just below ten thousand.

		VIPER
But you continued to fight.

Another pause, another grudging nod.

		VIPER
Why?

		MAVERICK
We weren't below for more than ten 
seconds. There was no danger. I had 
the shot. I took it.

		VIPER
The rules of engagement are not 
flexible. They exist for your  
safety. You will obey them.
Is that clear?

Maverick thinks about continuing the discussion, but the 
thought is momentary. He quickly cuts his losses, gives Viper 
what he thinks he wants...He is just on the cusp of too 
sincere.

		MAVERICK

Yes sir, perfectly clear. I guess 
we were ...I was... just a little 
over enthusiastic.

Viper measures him for a moment, then lets it go.

		VIPER
I guess you were. Dismissed.

Maverick and Goose leave the room. Viper looks at Jester, 
picks up Maverick's fitness report. Doesn't read it, looks 
back at Jester.

		JESTER
I don't know what to tell you, 
Skip.

		VIPER
Tell me one thing.

Jester waits.


		VIPER
...If you had to go into combat, 
would you want him with you?

Jester turns, walks slowly around the room. The walls are 
lined with pictures; planes and pilots...history. There are 
MiG killers, attack squadrons, ground personnel...There's one 
picture of a Phantom in flight with the backseater mooning 
the camera. Other pictures show carriers, famous flyers, 
previous CO's. Finally Jester replys.   

		JESTER
Yep.

Viper slaps shut the fitness report. 

		JESTER
He's seat of the pants... 
Completely unpredictable -- nothing 
by the book. All over the sky. But 
I don't know, Skip, he's really got 
something.

		VIPER
Yeah, we get one of these guys 
every damn class.  (laughs) 
"Maverick!" 

He throws the report on the desk.

		JESTER

Yup, a wild pony.


55.  OMITTED


56.  INT. COCKPIT - NIGHT

Wind ROAR, jet WHINE. Hollywood and Wolfman are being thrown 
about as Hollywood fights the stick.


		WOLFMAN
No. No. Look out, you lost it.


They depart flight. Tumble. The horizon swings wildly as 
they go into flat spin.

		WOLFMAN
We're dead!


A face appears at 12,000 feet, right in front of their 
canopy. Goose's eyes bug at them.

		GOOSE
Man, you guys gooned it. Your laser 
butts are scattered across KANSAS.

		HOLLYWOOD
    (disgusted with himself)
Come on. I died enough for one 
night.


56A.  EXT. COCKPIT

They climb out of the simulator - A cockpit sprung on 
moveable rams, surrounded by a dome on which video images are 
projected.

As they climb down, Maverick and Goose climb up into the 
cockpit to take their place.

		GOOSE
Have you guys ever considered 
career counseling?


57. OMITTED


56B. SIMULATOR CONTROL ROOM - Filled with computers, tape 
transports and video screen representations of computer 
generated combat. Now Maverick flies it as Charlie and other 
techs watch.

56C. COCKPIT

Maverick flys the heck out of it. It's real. It lurches and 
bumps, the NOISES and sights look real. He gets on the tail 
of a MiG. It breaks, he breaks, then what he does is just too 
fast to follow. It screams around in a turn. Suddenly, there 
is a WHUMMP...ALARMS...the lights come on.

		GOOSE
What happened.

		TECH (V.O. FILTERED)
What did you do in there?

		GOOSE
What did you do? You broke it!
58. COMPUTER ANALYSIS ROOM 

Maverick and Goose enter. The techs cluster around the 
keyboards trying to reprogram, to figure out what went wrong.

		CHARLIE
You flew it off the template. 
Nobody ever did that before.

		GOOSE
That's what she said last night.

She stares at Goose until he grins and moves off to give the 
others his valuable opinions on how to reprogram the 
computers.

		CHARLIE
What is it about you?

He just shrugs at her and smiles.

		MAVERICK
What would you say, too fast...too 
quick...

		CHARLIE
And far too aggressive.

		MAVERICK
It is combat. Every second counts. 

		CHARLIE

The hottest moves in the world 
aren't gonna help you if you wind 
up alone.  Your wingman's got to be 
able to follow you. Trust you. Know 
that he can depend on you. It's 
more than just fancy flying.

		MAVERICK
Well, what you need...what you have 
to keep looking for...what you want 
to get is a wingman who can stay up 
with you. Who can match you move 
for move. Then you've got 
something.  I'm sorry.

		CHARLIE
For what?

		MAVERICK
That stuff about the MiG. I was out 
of line.

		CHARLIE
Apology acknowledged.

		MAVERICK
Is that all?
		CHARLIE
What else do you want?

		MAVERICK
Um. You.

		CHARLIE
There you go with those moves 
again.

		MAVERICK
Too aggressive?

		CHARLIE
I don't mix with the boys. I work 
here. Let's keep it professional.

		MAVERICK
I'm special.

		CHARLIE
   (laughs)
Yes. I'll give you that!

		MAVERICK
Give me a break, I'm asking you 
out.


		CHARLIE
I can't.

		MAVERICK
I thought there was something... 
That night in the club...

		CHARLIE
Lieutenant...

		MAVERICK
Evan... or Maverick.

		CHARLIE
Maverick...you know the rules of 
engagement.

		MAVERICK
    (can't believe it.)
	The what?

		CHARLIE
Some one comes up hot on your six, 
what do you do?

		MAVERICK
What are you talking about?

		CHARLIE
You turn into him, check him out, 
identify friend or foe.

		MAVERICK
I'm not your foe.
		CHARLIE
And if he's harmless, you 
disengage.

		MAVERICK
Harmless!

		CHARLIE
Uh hum.

		MAVERICK
What if he's not?

		CHARLIE
You have to shoot him down....If 
he's smart, he'll turn away before 
that happens.

		MAVERICK

Harmless. Nobody ever called me 
harmless before...

		CHARLIE
And probably never again. It's 
nothing personal. It's just...I 
know a lot of pilots. Maybe I'm 
immune...

		MAVERICK
Don't worry, I'm a new strain. And 
I don't give up. Everything I've 
ever wanted I've had to work like 
hell for. Well, how about it?

		CHARLIE
How about what?

		MAVERICK
How about anything, anything you 
want to do.

		CHARLIE
Hard to argue with that, isn't 
it...

		MAVERICK
A date... Coffee... A drink...A 
walk in the park.

		CHARLIE
What about the plane?

		MAVERICK
What plane.

		CHARLIE
Most of them invite me to sit in 
the cockpit...play with the levers 
and things. 
		MAVERICK
Well, get used to it.

		CHARLIE
Used to what?

		MAVERICK
I'm different. 

		CHARLIE
I'm starting to sense that now.

		MAVERICK

You're slow to engage. But you'll 
come around.

She pushes him out the door

		MAVERICK
Let's make it at eight.

		CHARLIE
Make what?

		MAVERICK
Anything.

		CHARLIE
Okay, anything. Just...go. I've 
gotta work.

She closes the door, turns back to her screen.


59 thru 61 OMITTED
                                                
***
59A.  BEACH LA JOLLA - DAY

A day off. Pilots, other personnel are enjoying a day at the 
beach. There are bikinis, and beer, sunfishes and water 
skiing. The annual Over-the-Line (a variation of softball) 
tournament is in progress. The team from the Teddy Kennedy 
Driving School is whipping another known as Scum de Terre. 
The pilots are doing pretty well at blowing off steam.

59B.  UNDERSEA

Undulating sea grass. Muffled HISS of the surf. A pretty 
fish comes into view. A spear shoots through it, and nails it 
to the ocean floor.

59C.  SHORELINE

Two figures pop to the surface and wade in to the beach. 
Maverick holds the wriggling fish. Charlie is repulsed. She 
pulls off her mask and snorkle, follows him in to shore..
59D. THE BEACH

They flop down. He drops the fish in front of her, sees her 
reaction at watching its death throes.

		CHARLIE
Why'd you do that?

		MAVERICK
   (surprised)

I had the shot.

She looks at him for a moment, then turns away, fiddles with 
her mask.

		MAVERICK
It dies. We live.

		CHARLIE
You're an animal.

		MAVERICK
That's true. What are you?

		CHARLIE
I don't enjoy watching things 
suffer.

He smashes the fish on a rock. It is still.

		CHARLIE
No!

		MAVERICK
It's not suffering anymore.

		CHARLIE
   (she looks at him strangely,  
   half jokes)
You're horrible

		MAVERICK
You're not, cause you eat frozen 
meatballs?   (he puts it down)
Things die. Every time you breathe, 
you kill millions of tiny 
organisms. Every time you eat, 
something had to die. 

		CHARLIE
You don't have to kill it.

		MAVERICK
Somebody does. It's more honest 
this way. You do your own dirty 
work.

		CHARLIE
You ever think about killing 
another human being?

		MAVERICK
About as much as they think about 
killing me.


		CHARLIE
Does it bother you?

		MAVERICK
They know the rules...(this is too 
strong for her, she turns away, he 
comes around to her.) That's the 
deal. That's why you're up there. 
It's him or me. That's the price of 
admission. (she draws away) It 
bothers you, why? You're part of 
it. (She stiffens, he's losing her. 
He softens)  Everybody dies. Most 
people don't get to die for 
something.

You don't want to confront it, do 
you. You want to keep it all clean, 
cerebral... velocity vectors, 
wing-load diagrams...You ever been 
up?

		CHARLIE
Flying?
		MAVERICK
You use your mind to keep things at 
a distance. You ever just let go?

She doesn't answer.

		MAVERICK
You know what really scares me? 
Living too long. Losing my hair and 
my teeth...and my guts and my wind. 
And my brains...Sitting in a room 
with my hands in my lap, watching 
daytime TV. 

		CHARLIE
You don't believe any of this. You 
don't think you'll ever die.

		MAVERICK
That's it, of course. When I'm up 
there and doing it, I'm cheating it 
every second. I'm subverting all 
laws...gravity...whatever. I'm 
skating the edge of it.

		CHARLIE
Winston Churchill.

		MAVERICK

What?

		CHARLIE
What he said..."There's nothing so 
exhilarating as being shot at 
without result."

		MAVERICK
All you've got is one life. I guess 
it's worth about the same to every 
body. You ever see an old woman 
after her husband has died? And the 
meaningless years of decline 
stretch ahead...  When you're in 
the air and doing something really 
dangerous, you can look ahead... 
maybe ten seconds. That's your 
whole future. That's as far as it 
goes. But imagine what those 
seconds are worth.

		CHARLIE
What if you kill yourself? Think of 
everything you'll miss.
		MAVERICK
There is lots of stuff I don't know 
about...  Fine wine... great art... 
the opera. I guess if I live long 
enough, I'll get to it. If I don't, 
I'll never miss it.

		CHARLIE
Are you really that brave?

		MAVERICK
    (shakes his head no.)
I watched my mother die. Cancer. 
She had a long time to think about 
it. They say you reach an agreement 
with death. Come to accept the fact 
that pretty soon you won't be here. 
I didn't see that. She... was very 
brave...braver than I am. You go up 
there, there isn't time to think. 
If you make a mistake, you're just 
a smudge on the ground. Simplifies 
funeral arrangements.

		CHARLIE
It's just as I thought.

		MAVERICK
What?


		CHARLIE
You're totally insane.

		MAVERICK
   (he smiles)
Thanks very much.
   (he lifts the fish)
Care for some suchi?.


59E.  THE OTHER END OF THE BEACH - LATER

A killer volleyball game in progress. Maverick and Charlie 
wander toward it, talking softly to themselves. Goose runs up 
and grabs him away. 

		GOOSE
Come on, we're next.

		MAVERICK
What?

		GOOSE
Come on, I got over six bucks on 
the line.

Maverick looks up and sees the other two-man team, the 
victors, waiting on the other side of the net for them. Of 
course it had to be Ice and Slider.Charlie sits and watches 
as the game gets immediately out of hand. In moments, 
Maverick and Ice rotate to forward positions directly 
opposite each other across the net. Other revelers turn to 
watch as it degenerates (?) to more than a game. Maverick 
glances at Charlie. He seems uncomfortable, but irrevocably 
drawn into the confrontation. She says nothing, but her 
attitude is apparent. Back to the game: Slider and Goose set 
them up, as they try to spike the ball in each other's face. 
The final point...up over the middle. They both go up, 
Maverick smashes, Ice blocks, but the ball sails away, off 
his forearm. For the first time ever, Maverick beats him. He 
looks over at Charlie, she is staring out to sea. She looks 
back at him and he's suddenly had enough competition. They 
call for another game, but Maverick turns away...

		GOOSE
Come on, come on! It's double or 
nothing.. We're talking twelve 
bucks American, here.

		MAVERICK
I've had enough...for now.

He grabs Charlie and his gear..


		MAVERICK
Come on.

		CHARLIE
Where?

		MAVERICK
You want to go ballistic?

		CHARLIE
I don't know. I don't like being 
out of control.


He looks back at Ice, bouncing the ball and staring at him.

		MAVERICK
Stick with me, you'll get used to it.


59F.  EXT. DESERT

The Bike doing 130, 140, 150 mph. Charlie is unfazed. He 
turns to check her out, she smiles back at him.

CUT TO

59G.  EXT. RUSTIC ADOBE CANTINA - SUNSET

The bike is parked in front.

MONTAGE ON LOCKED OFF CAMERA - to show the passage of time...the 
latticed terrace, streaks of light. Maverick is feeding a dog. 
Charlie sits on a rail watching him.

		MAVERICK
I always wanted to fly... ever 
since I first saw a jet. I wanted 
to fly jets, then I wanted F-14's, 
then I wanted to fly off carriers, 
then I wanted Top Gun.

		CHARLIE
And now?

		MAVERICK
And now I want you.

		CHARLIE
You always get what you want?

		MAVERICK
I don't know yet.


DISSOLVE

He puts money in jukebox. She watches him...eye to eye 
contact. The music comes on.

		CHARLIE
I want it understood.

		MAVERICK
Anything.

		CHARLIE
No fooling on base, no signs,
no comments, no talk. By anyone.

		MAVERICK
Why?

		CHARLIE
I'm a professional. You guys are
in my line of work.


A long beat. He looks at her -- makes the pact: like a 
sailor.

		MAVERICK
Acknowleged.

She looks at his eyes for any sign of a put-on, insincerity. 
Finally he smiles at her but she can read it. It's time. She 
moves in and covers his grin with a gentle kiss.
DISSOLVE

To them sitting within striking distance at a table. The dog 
sleeps beneath. Their eyes are now locked. The electricity 
almost arcs between them.

TCU Scrub pine table. Their fingertips touch.

TIGHT SHOT. Waist to head. Holding, close together, swaying 
in time with the music. Their lips gently brush.

60. 61. OMITTED


62.  EXT. DAY - DESERT - TACTS RANGE

An F-14 swoops over the desert, ROARS over an antenna 
complex.

The JET.- In it's missile rack, it carries a TACTS 
transponder. The TACTS Range is an area of the desert 
completely enveloped by computerized radar. The computers 

calculate a number of aircraft's positions and velocities by 
means of transponders in the ships and ground stations that 
talk to each other thousands of times a second.  Using this 
system, it is possible to track aerial combat instantaneously 
and give pilots directions and also to play back the combats 
for analysis.


63.  INT. TACTS RANGE TRAILER - DAY

The double viewing screens are five feet high; high 
technology, state of the art. On the screens are computer 
animated figures showing jets from various angles. Flight 
data is displayed. The operators punch buttons to show 
various points-of-view of the battle: a pilot's p.o.v.; God's 
p.o.v. from overhead, a long range p.o.v., showing topography 
of the landscape and height of mountains.

Students and instructors sit on chairs in the peanut 
gallery, facing Viper at the front of the room. Charlie is in 
the back.

		VIPER
The bandit has good position right 
here. All right, freeze here. The 
moment of choice -- Maverick is 
defensive. He has a chance to bug 
out right here....Better to retire 
and save your plane than force a 
bad position. Stay in the diamond 
another three seconds, the bandit 
will blow you out of the sky...make 
a hard right, select zone 
5...(turns to Maverick to drive 
point home) you can extend and 
escape. You make a bad choice. Roll 
forward.

The computerized rendering resumes on the screen.
		VIPER (Con't)
You perform a split S. That's the 
last thing you should do. The 
bandit is right on your tail -- 
Freeze there...the bandit has you 
in his gunsight. What were you 
thinking here, Maverick?

		MAVERICK
I wasn't thinking. I just did it.

		VIPER
Big gamble with a thirty million 
dollar plane!


		MAVERICK
    (smiling)
No guts, no glory.

It's a joke. Viper doesn't like that answer at all, but some 
of the students laugh and mockingly whistle at the cockiness 
of it. They give Maverick the high sign. Slider leans forward 
to him.
		SLIDER
Your guts. His glory.

Maverick slumps down in his chair under Viper's glare.  The 
computer rendering rolls forward again. He glances back at 
Charlie. She smiles sympathetically at him.

		VIPER
Unfortunately, the gamble worked, 
or you might have learned 
something. The bandit never gets a 
clean shot...Maverick makes an 
aggressive vertical move here, 
comes over the top and defeats the 
bandit with a missile shot. The 
encounter was a victory, but we've 
shown it as an example of what not 
to do. Ice is next.

Another computerized rendering comes up on the screen. 
Hollywood leans close to Maverick and speaks quietly.

		HOLLYWOOD
Gutsiest move I ever saw.

Maverick gives him a small nod of appreciation.

		VIPER
And the dumbest...Okay, look at 
this. It's textbook. Ice takes 
control of the battle immediately. 
He never gives the bandit a chance 
to take the offensive. An early 
turn here -- excellent. He goes for 
the jugular, and it's over just 
that quick. Let's run that again, 
it's exactly how it should be done.


64.  through  75B. OMITTED

76.  EXT. MIRAMAR RUNWAY - DAY

In full flight gear, carrying their helmets and trying to 
stuff food down their gullets, the students rush/stumble 
toward the flight line. Hollywood takes a bit of a sandwich 
and makes a face.
		GOOSE
What the hell is this?

		MAVERICK
Don't chew it, you won't have it 
that long. Easier to clean the 
cockpit if it comes up in big 
chunks.

Jester yells from the distance.

		JESTER
On the run. Let's go. Move it!

		GOOSE
A fighter pilot's lunch... a hot 
dog and a puke.


They scurry ahead, overtaking the others. 

		HOLLYWOOD
I was a victim of circumstance.

		GOOSE
They should have warned you about 
that one.

		HOLLYWOOD
She's kinky for flight suits--said 
that she'd never seen so many 
zippers--played with them all 
night. The noise alone kept me up.

		GOOSE
What'd you do?

		HOLLYWOOD
Pulled left, rolled out, 
underneath.

		WOLFMAN
It's kind of ironic. All you guys 
have women troubles and I don't.

		HOLLYWOOD
That's because you don't have any 
women.

		WOLFMAN
Until last night. Did you see the 
moves I was making on that girl at 
the party?

		HOLLYWOOD
The girl with the purple 
fingernails?

		WOLFMAN
That's her--tall hungry woman with 
fire in her eyes. It was great.

		MAVERICK
It was bad.

		WOLFMAN
Bad?

		MAVERICK
The girl with the purple 
fingernails was Coogan's sister.

They all laugh. Wolfman looks stunned.

		HOLLYWOOD
Coogan spent half the night looking 
for her. He said he was gonna kill 
the son-of-a-bitch who ruined his 
sister.

		WOLFMAN
I didn't ruin her.

		MAVERICK
You didn't help.

		WOLFMAN
No, really. She came ruined!...   
Ya think he knows it was me?

		GOOSE
Seemed not to. But it's hard to 
know. You never can tell what's in 
the mind of a psychopath.

Wolfman looks very unsettled.

		HOLLYWOOD
Hear about Ice?

		WOLFMAN
What now?

		HOLLYWOOD
He won again.

Goose walks beside Maverick now.

		GOOSE
Something bothering you?

		MAVERICK
Nothing. Let's just go fight.


Wolfman looks very apprehensive as they approach the F-14's. 
MECHANICS surround both planes, making last minute checks of 
all systems. Among them is COOGAN, six and a half feet tall, 
looking mean. Maverick tosses him a wave.

		MAVERICK
Morning, Coogan.

		WOLFMAN
How's it goin', Coog?

		HOLLYWOOD
Ever find your sister, Coogan?

		COOGAN
You guys know somethin' about that?

Wolfman swallows hard and hurries quickly into the plane. 
Coogan glares at them all with a look that could kill.


77.  OMITTED

78.  EXT. F-14'S - DAY

Hollywood leads, Maverick follows. They point their noses 
down and dive. Two bogies fly side by side at five thousand, 
outlined against the blue Pacific. Smaller, slower, they seem 
helpless for a moment. We hear the instructors in the F-5's.


		VIPER (V.O. filtered) 
TWO AT SEVEN O'CLOCK, JESTER. 
SCRAMBLE.

		JESTER
ROGER. COMING LEFT.

		HOLLYWOOD 
Holy shit, it's Viper.

		MAVERICK 
Keep your shirt on, he's saying 
holy shit it's us.

The bogies split. Bogey One hard left. Bogey Two hard right. 
Hollywood sweeps left, pursuing Bogey One. Maverick hangs 
back to cover him.

Bogey One makes a strong vertical move. Hollywood stays on 
him.
		MAVERICK
STAY WITH HIM, WOOD... YOUR SIX 
CLEAR!

Bogey One loops and comes down, and Hollywood almost loses 
him for a moment before regaining the angle.

		MAVERICK
STAY WITH HIM! TIGHTEN YOUR TURN!

		GOOSE
Bogey at three o'clock high! Nose 
on!

Maverick looks quickly at three o'clock high, sees Bogey Two 
returning to the fight. He jerks the stick right, and the two 
planes make a quick pass.

		VIPER
SNAPSHOT..MISSED HIM..

		MAVERICK
ENGAGING THE OTHER GUY.
WOOD, YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN.

		GOOSE
Just cover Wood, Maverick.
Mutual support, man!

		MAVERICK
I'm gonna take him, Goose.

		GOOSE
Don't be greedy. Stay with Wood.

		MAVERICK
I want him!

Maverick goes suddenly vertical, zooms straight up.

		GOOSE
Hey, come on--hey!

Maverick loops the F-14 down to get the quick angle on Viper 
in Bogey Two. Viper takes off, running from the fight again. 
Maverick looks over his shoulder and sees that Hollywood 
still has a good position on Bogey One. He takes a hard right 
and streaks off after Viper.

		GOOSE
What what are you doing?
We're cover!

		MAVERICK
Wood's okay. I want Viper.

Goose looks back at Hollywood and Bogey One.

		GOOSE
But we're cover!


Viper streaks across the sky with Maverick close behind. He 
pushes the throttle forward to ZONE 5 - full afterburner.
Viper shows all his tricks...hard left, hard right, rolling 
into vertical, flipping into a dive. Maverick stays with him. 


		VIPER (To himself)
Goddamn, rookie, you're all right!


79.  INT. F-14

Maverick turns to get Viper in the diamond. He hears a 
SIDEWINDER GROWL in his headset.

		MAVERICK
What's the range, Goose. I've got a 
good tone.

Viper jinks but Maverick stays with him.  Viper is in the 
diamond, and the TONE GOES CRAZY. But suddenly....

		GOOSE
Two bogies ! Three o'clock high, 
nine o'clock high! Break!

They come out of nowhere, flashing down toward Maverick--a 
crossfire ambush. Maverick's eyes are startled.

		JESTER
ATOLL ON THE NORTHERN F-14. HE'S 
OUT OF THE FIGHT..

Maverick is stunned. He has been tricked, humiliated. 
There's a little salt for the wound as Viper and Jester 
celebrate.

		VIPER
 	WALKED RIGHT INTO IT.

		JESTER
NOT ONLY THAT, BUT ZORRO GOT YOUR 
WINGMAN. NICE GOING. 

		GOOSE
THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT REGRETS TO 
INFORM YOU THAT YOUR SONS ARE DEAD 
BECAUSE THEY WERE STUPID! 

Slaps his helmet like a dolt...

		VIPER
KNOCK OFF THE CHATTER, TOP GUNS. 
LET'S RTB. VIPER HAS THE LEAD.


80.  INT. LOCKER ROOM - DAY

Silence. Several pilots in various forms of undress. 
Maverick and Goose sit with their heads down, a hangdog 
expression on their faces.

81.  INT. DIRTY DAN'S - A BAR - 
LATER

Maverick mopes at the bar, a figure comes up behind him.

		VIPER
Ya know, that was the best flying 
I've seen since Nam...(He grins) 
...Right up to that part where you 
got killed.

Viper sits down. He's in a jovial, taunting mood.  Maverick 
watches him guardedly.

		VIPER
Twenty years' experience, I 
couldn't shake you. You may be a 
great flyer. I mean that.

		MAVERICK
I lost.

		VIPER
Of course you did. I said a great 
flyer, not a smart one. You fly 
reckless. Great instincts. No 
discipline. That ambush today, you 
followed your emotions instead of 
your wingman. Of course you got 
killed...and well deserved to. It 
was a really stupid mistake. In 
battle, it gets people killed.

Maverick nods and stares at his beer.

		MAVERICK
I can take care of myself.

		VIPER
Talent is no holy shield. Von 
Richtofen was killed by a farm boy. 
Instincts are not enough. Do it our 
way. We've worked these things out. 
The good pilots can become better 
and the great ones can learn how to 
stay alive.  (he studies him for a 
moment)  Why do you have to do 
everything the hard way?

		MAVERICK
It's my own way. It works for me.  
I don't care about the rest of that 
stuff.

		VIPER
Then why are you here?

		MAVERICK
For the same reason you are.

		VIPER
Oh, you mean the thrill!

		MAVERICK
The flying. The fighting.  I'd go 
up there ten times a day to fight. 
I'd win at least nine of them. 
That's all I want to do. It's what 
I do best. I am real good.  Just 
give me the jet.

Viper studies him,

		VIPER
It's not a gift, just a loan...

He finishes his beer, then rises.

		VIPER
Nine out of ten is okay, as long as 
it's only fun and games. But this 
isn't about that. This is serious 
business. It is dangerous up there! 
At 500 knots, things can change a 
lot in a second. Discipline is what 
protects us.

He signals the bartender and drops some money on the bar. He 
stretches, looks around. 

		VIPER
It was a good day. You learned 
something. You lost and you're 
still alive to think about it. And, 
you lost your wingman. That's a 
cardinal sin...don't ever do it 
again. You owe Hollywood an apology 
and you owe me a beer.

Viper touches Maverick's shoulder as he moves away. It was 
just the gesture Maverick needed, for he seems to relax from 
his tension. He sips his beer alone.


82.  INT. SAN DIEGO AIRPORT - NIGHT

Maverick and Goose move through the terminal, 
anxious/expectant looks on their faces.

		GOOSE
Relationships are a bitch, here. 
It's hard enough to concentrate 
...under the pressure. Having a 
woman here is asking for it.

		MAVERICK
I guess that's what I'm doing, 
then.

		GOOSE
Where do you find the time? Where 
do you find the energy. It's tough 
enough to keep your mind on school. 
A woman here is a real pain in 
the...


A pretty woman emerges from the crowd and spots them first. 
She rushes them, happily, carrying her sleepy four-year-old, 
RICKY. Goose undergoes an immediate change, beaming a big 
smile that he has practiced on her for years. She sets down 
the kid.

		GOOSE
...butt...Hi, honey, God, am I glad 
to see you! I missed you.

Goose wraps his arms around Carol, smack, a kiss. She smiles 
at Maverick, turns back to Goose.

		CAROL
I had to come, Willard, I got so 
lonesome I just couldn't stand it.

		GOOSE
Sure, honey, I understand. It's 
great to see you. Hey where's your 
backseater, where's the world's 
smallest RIO..

He looks all around and then down at the kid, hiding shyly 
behind his mother's skirts. Goose grabs up the kid and zooms 
him around, a game they've played before, every six months or 
so. The kid laughs happily.  Maverick just sort of smiles to 
himself and shakes his head.

83.  OMITTED

84.  A POOL (OR BEACH)

Maverick comes to the surface. She enters frame by the side 
of the pool.  She hands him a split fresh pineapple. He eats 
it in the  most salacious manner possible. He's so contented, 
he's babbling.

		MAVERICK
Food...and you...my F-14!

		CHARLIE
In that order?

		MAVERICK
Well no...inverse order.

		CHARLIE
I'm still second best.

		MAVERICK
You ever fly an F-14?
    (She laughs.)

		CHARLIE
I don't fly in anything that
	doesn't show movies.

He gets out, grabs a towel, moves over to some chairs. His 
flight suit is draped over one. He moves it to sit down.


		MAVERICK
Ahhh, you'd love it. Night carrier 
landings! The most dangerous thing 
you can think of! ...next to 
you...And the most exciting. You're 
living at one hundred and ten per 
cent. Greatest high in the world... 


		CHARLIE
Danger?

		MAVERICK
    (of course).
Yeah! 

		CHARLIE
Doesn't it ever bother you?

		MAVERICK
Why, what's gonna happen?

His flight suit slips onto the ground. Charlie retrieves it. 
As she lifts the suit, something falls out of the pocket. 
Looks like a gold coin. She picks it up. Maverick is drying 
his hair. She holds the object out to him, questioning. He 
sees it, quickly takes it, stuffs it back into his pocket.

		MAVERICK
Lucky charm.

		CHARLIE
What do you take me for? It's a 
Navy Cross.

		MAVERICK
Just good luck.

		CHARLIE
Where'd you get it.

		MAVERICK
Pawn shop. What's to eat?

He roots through a picnic basket.


84A.  MONTAGE - PREFLIGHT ACTIVITY

		VIPER (V.O.) 
...MiG sweep over the water.  You 
will proceed down the one-seven 
-zero degree radial looking for 
MiGs. You will engage all that you 
find, destroy them, and return to 
base. Maverick, has the lead. Any 
questions? All right, let's go. 
Move like you've got a 
purpose....

85.  EXT. CLOUD COVER - 
20,000 FT. - DAY

Four F-14's fly in formation over the Pacific, searching for 
(MiGs). They spot them, engage. The combatants fly scissor 
patterns, slashing past each other, angling for position.

We hear the VOICES OF COMBAT from the planes, a barrage of 
information exchanges between pilots and RIO's. Maverick and 
Ice swoop close together on each other's wing--moving on each 
other, testing, they glance at each other and nod. The 
Challenge...the fight is on. Suddenly an F-5 rises up out of 
the clouds in front of them--Ice has the advantage and rolls 
in on him.

		ICE
ENGAGING BANDIT 12 O'CLOCK.

		MAVERICK
SHIT!!

The F-5 sees his pursuers. Goes into a hard left.

		ICE
MIG'S IN A LEFT. MIG'S IN A 
LEFTHAND. I'M ENGAGING.


Ice struggles against the G's to bring his nose to bear. 
They go around into a Lufbery--a tight circle, Ice has the 
advantage. He is closer to the F-5's tail than the F-5 is to 
his. But he can't close, can't line up the shot. He grunts 
and strains as the G force pushes him down.

		MAVERICK
COME OFF RIGHT--COME OFF HIGH--I'M 
IN--I'LL ENGAGE.

		ICE
STAY WHERE YOU ARE. HE'S MINE. I'M 
ENGAGED. I'M IN.

Maverick maneuvers close to their left circle.

		ICE
GET OUT OF THERE, YOU'RE UNSAFE. 
GET OUT OF THERE.

		MAVERICK
FIRE, OR CLEAR OUT, ICE.

		ICE
GET LOST!

		MAVERICK
YOU GOT TOO MUCH NOSE TO TAIL -- 
I'M COMING IN.

		ICE
IT'S MY SHOT.


		MAVERICK
COME OFF--COME OFF RIGHT. I'M ON MY 
WAY IN. YOU GO FREE, I'M ENGAGING.

		ICE
STAY OUT OF IT. STAY OUT OF IT, 
MAVERICK.

		MAVERICK
YOU CAN'T SHOOT HIM, I CAN. I'M IN.


MAVERICK - ABOVE.

		MAVERICK
ICE, ROLL OFF, I CAN SHOOT HIM.

		ICE
NO, NO, NO, HE'S MINE.


Maverick is pulling a log of G's, but can't target his 
weapons, he continues to turn in a hard circle, going round 
and round without gaining. He can't bring his nose to bear.

		MAVERICK
IF YOU CAN'T SHOOT HIM, I CAN.

		ICE
NO, I GOT HIM. I CAN TAKE HIM.

Ice stays.

		MAVERICK
COMING IN.

Maverick dives down between the two planes pulling 6.5 G's, 
exposing his underside to Ice. All Ice sees is belly. 
Obviously, in this attitude Maverick can't see him.

		ICE
    (under breath.)
Sonofabitch.

He slams the stick hard right in toward Maverick. 
Ice quickly rolls up right, in front of him.

		ICE
LOOK OUT!


Maverick sees him flash into his view. He has to slam the 
stick forward to avoid collision. He swings by real close. 
Too close.

		GOOSE
Oh, no!



They pass through Ice's turbulence. The blast distorts the 
airflow to Maverick's left engine. BOOMBOOMBOOM. The engine 
flames out. Full thrust on the right, engine swings the tail 
around in a yaw. Maverick slams the stick right to correct 
but too late.

		GOOSE
Plane's coupling up! Plane's 
coupling up!


The plane couples one yaw to the next--the tail swings 
around-- which becomes an ever increasing flat spin, like an 
out-of -control frisbee.

		GOOSE
This is not good!...(Rising panic) 
We're low!


Maverick is pinned to the instrument panel by centrifugal 
force, desperately tries to reach back for the ejection 
lever--but is falling short by about a foot.

		MAVERICK
I'm pinned to the panel.

		GOOSE
Time to go.

		MAVERICK
I can't eject.


The plane is spinning ever faster, out of control. He drops 
the gear. Still spins. Goose is closer to center of spin--G 
forces are less. He reaches behind him for the eject handle, 
starts the eject sequence.

		GOOSE
3000 feet. I'll do it.

		MAVERICK
Go ahead. I can't reach. 2000 feet!


85A.  BOOM - A HURRICANE OF WIND AND NOISE

The canopy BLASTS away--but is held spinning above the 
cockpit by the vortex of the sinking jet. Goose glances up at 
it.

		GOOSE
1000.

		MAVERICK
Let's go. Eject.


Goose yanks the ejection handle. Things happen in a split 
second. Goose is fired up and out by the rocket under his 
seat. Almost instantly he impacts the spinning canopy. A 
sickening CRUNCH. The canopy is knocked away. Maverick is 
slammed back in his seat as the ejection seat straps wind up. 
He is BLASTED out of the plane just before it spins in.


85B.  TIGHT ON MAVERICK AS HE TUMBLES IN SLOW MOTION

He's in shock..the loud THUMPING of his heart, labored 
breathing, a scream that stays in his mind.

Instinctively, he gropes for straps. He releases the pilot 
seat, it tumbles away. His chute streams, balloons open, 
snapping his body like a bullwhip.  He drifts momentarily, 
then plunges into the sea.


85C. UNDERWATER

His face, distorted in the water; wild eyes, disoriented, 
choking for air. He reaches out, finds nothing to grab.
Suddenly, he is yanked hard to the side.


85D.  SURFACE 

The parachute is caught by the wind, and dragged, pulling 
Maverick along beneath the surface. He is twisting in the 
water, turning over and over, trying desperately to slip out 
of the tangled straps. He finally hits the surface of the 
water and sucks air into his lungs. With the end of his 
strength, he hits the release snaps and breaks free from the 
parachute. It whips away like a kite in a typhoon.

The sea is choppy and rough. He struggles as his equipment 
drags him under. He twists, finds the inflatable raft 
attached to his harness. Maverick pulls the cord, and the 
raft hisses open. He pulls his body into the six-by-two foot 
raft and collapses, completely exhausted. The survival has 
been almost without thinking: an instinctual physical 
struggle.


85E.  TWILIGHT

Maverick begins to focus on the situation. He stains the 
water with dye, then sees another parachute floating nearby. 
Paddling to the parachute, he reaches over the side and 
begins to pull on the heavy cords that are submerged in the 
water.

A great struggle. The weight is extremely heavy. Finally, he 
pulls a body to the surface. Goose. Goose is dead. Maverick 
releases the parachute and pulls Goose into the raft on top 
of him. He holds Goose in his arms. His mind shuts down 
again.

From high above the ocean, we see the debris on the water. 
An oil slick, pieces of honeycomb titanium, and the small, 
helpless figure in the raft.

DISSOLVE TO:

86.  EXT. OCEAN - NIGHT

Searchlights skim over the black ocean. A brilliant light 
flashes as Maverick pops a pencil flare. Helicopter blades 
flick powerfully. The lights of the choppers descend toward 
the wreckage area, scanning the debris, searching for life. 
The spotlights find Maverick and Goose in the raft.

The draft from the chopper churns the water. A FROGMAN drops 
from the chopper and hits with a heavy splashes. He surfaces 
and swims to the raft as a rescue harness is lowered.

Maverick watches curiously as he starts to examine Goose. He 
hugs Goose closer and looks threatened.


		FROGMAN
Let him go, sir. Take it easy.

He tries to pry Goose free, but Maverick has a death grip on 
the body.

		FROGMAN
Sir! Let him go. It's all right. 
Let him go.


Maverick glares at the man as he bobs in the water.

Another long moment, then Maverick releases Goose. The 
frogman quickly straps Maverick into the harness. 

HIS POV. - He watches the lifeless body in the water as he 
is pulled up and away. He shivers from the cold.


87.  INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT

Extreme CLOSE ON Maverick's face. He is emotionless. His 
eyes are flat and absolutely without expression. There is 
complete silence in the room. Then we hear the quiet, calm, 
probing voice of Viper.

		VIPER
How do you feel?

		MAVERICK
All right.

		VIPER
Goose is dead.

		MAVERICK
I know. I was there.



Not one sign of emotion from Maverick. Not one tone of 
expression. We see Viper now, and his face is strained from a 
very long day.

		VIPER
If you fly jets long enough, 
something like this happens to you. 
No one escapes it. It touches us 
all.

Maverick looks at Viper, and his eyes are very disturbed.

		MAVERICK
He was...my responsibility--my RIO.

		VIPER
My first squadron in Vietnam, we 
lost eight out of eighteen planes. 
Ten guys. The first one kills you, 
but there'll be others--you can 
count on it.


No reaction from Maverick. He can't quite face up to that 
reality right now.

		VIPER
You've got to put him in the box.


Maverick is watching Viper, but he doesn't have anything to 
say.


88.  EXT. CHARLIE'S SPORTSCAR - NIGHT

The RADIO plays John Lennon; "Stand by Me". Maverick opens 
his eyes, doesn't know where he is for a moment.

		CHARLIE
...they say you're alright.

		MAVERICK
I'm fine.

		CHARLIE
This is it, then.

		MAVERICK
What?

		CHARLIE
The dark side. The price you pay 
for all the fun you're having. You 
knew about it, of course. Didn't 
you?

		MAVERICK
He was a friend of mine. A good 
guy...great guy. It was my 
fault.

		CHARLIE
That's not what I hear.

		MAVERICK
I was flying...my responsibility.

		CHARLIE
That's what you get flight pay for.

		MAVERICK
Maybe I shouldn't take it.

		CHARLIE
    (In surprise)
Why? You act like you didn't know 
one day this would happen.

		MAVERICK
Not to me.

		CHARLIE
You knew it. You all do. It's part 
of it. Maybe the most important 
part.


88A.  ON THE BEACH - NIGHT AND FOG 

Charlie's car pulls up. They get out and walk down toward 
the water. Maverick seems dazed. She is softly taunting.

		MAVERICK
Where are we?

		CHARLIE
Where are we? You know where we 
are. It's called the beach. It's 
where life first crawled up out of 
the sea. I come here sometimes... 
when I feel like crawling back in.

		MAVERICK
You don't have to do this.

		CHARLIE
Do what, show you a good time?

		MAVERICK
I'm not good company. I should be 
alone.

		CHARLIE
I don't think so, but if that's 
what you want...

They stand there, not making a move.

		MAVERICK
No.

		CHARLIE
What do you want?

		MAVERICK
I want it back.

		CHARLIE
What?

		MAVERICK
Yesterday.

She turns, nods out, past the moon.

		CHARLIE
You look way out there. Out past 
the date line. West becomes East, 
all things change. You cross the 
line...today becomes yesterday...or 
tomorrow, I forget which.

		MAVERICK
That's what I want.

		CHARLIE
Of course the line's just 
imaginary. You can cross it twenty 
times...nothing really changes.

She turns and walks along the surfline.

		CHARLIE
On the beach... It's what they say 
when Navy men retire...He's "On The 
Beach". I always liked that. I had 
a picture...in my head... all these 
old guys wandering around here, 
looking out into the past.

He walks to the surf, kicks the sand with his bare feet.


		MAVERICK
If we knew then, what we know now, 
we might never have come up out of 
there.

He turns to her. She just looks at him.

		CHARLIE
You don't believe that.

		MAVERICK
Hardly ever.

		CHARLIE
Only when you're depressed. Then it 
passes.

		MAVERICK
It does.

		CHARLIE
Everything passes. Immutable law of 
the Universe.


He picks up a piece of flotsam, a twig, worn smooth.

		CHARLIE
This too...shall pass. You put as 
much life as you can between it and 
you. You start piling up experience 
between then and now.

He turns and walks.

		MAVERICK
What do you do when you come here?

		CHARLIE
I sit. I think. I play games.

		MAVERICK
What kind of games?

		CHARLIE
I like to play "reality".

She stops and turns.

		MAVERICK
How do you play reality.

		CHARLIE
It's strip reality, actually, like 
what the pilots always want to 
play.

		MAVERICK
  (this gets a small laugh)
Strip reality! How do you play 
that?

		CHARLIE
It's like strip poker, only, 
without the bluffing. (he laughs 
again) One person says something 
and if the other one accepts that 
it's true, the one who says it, 
gets to take one item of clothing 
off.

		MAVERICK
You're crazy. (She stops, he goes 
on, softer) That's a pretty silly 
game.

		CHARLIE
Not as silly as some. You know the 
silliest one? ...that we are gods. 
That we control events on the 
beach... that we can turn back 
time...

She moves in close.

		CHARLIE
Want to play the game? 

		MAVERICK
How does it go?

		CHARLIE
You say the truth. (a beat...)    
Go ahead. Don't be afraid. You want 
to win the game, don'tcha?

		MAVERICK
What truth?

		CHARLIE
The big one. The one that's most on 
your mind.

A long pause...it comes hard.

		MAVERICK
Goose is dead.

		CHARLIE
    (she nods)
True.

		MAVERICK
Now?

		CHARLIE
Take something off.

		MAVERICK
Off me or off you?

		CHARLIE
That's up to you.


He takes the ribbon from her hair. It falls down over her 
face and shoulders. Now it's her turn.

		CHARLIE
It's dangerous...what you do.

He nods. She slowly loosens his tie and pulls it from around 
his neck.

		MAVERICK
It was my fault.


She says nothing, stands looking into his eyes. He slowly, 
as if in a trance, takes her blouse off.

		CHARLIE
You can't bring him back.

She takes off his shirt.

		MAVERICK
It was my fault.



He starts to reach for her. She pulls back.

		CHARLIE
Nope. Already used that.

She turns and thinks for a moment, looking at the moon.

		CHARLIE
Your life goes on.


Rather than struggle his T shirt over his head, she grabs it 
with both hands. She leans in close and bites it. She grabs 
both sides of the tear and slowly rips it off his body.


		MAVERICK
What does it mean?

		CHARLIE
   (shakes her head no)
That wasn't fair. It was a 
question. Penalty round!


She drops her skirt.

		CHARLIE
You didn't mean it. You didn't 
think. You'd do anything to take it 
back.

		MAVERICK
That's three.

		CHARLIE
And that's one!


She unbuckles his belt, slowly slides it off. She unzips his 
pants, they fall.

		MAVERICK
One more.

		CHARLIE
Your watch.

She unbuckles it.

		MAVERICK
You owe me one.


He rests his head on her shoulder, unhooks her bra. She 
shrugs it off.

They stand on the beach in shorts and bikini bottom, looking 
into each other's eyes.

		CHARLIE
Looks like a tie.

		MAVERICK
Who's gonna win?

		CHARLIE
We'll say it together. On the count 
of three...One...two...

Leaning in, softer and harder...they both jump the gun.

		BOTHTOGETHER
I love.ove y.you.

They embrace madly and sink to the sand. From the distance 
it looks like a strange slithering creature crawling back to 
the sea.


89.  INT. GOOSE'S ROOM - NIGHT

The lights are out in Goose's room at the Bachelor Officers' 
Quarters. The door opens, and Maverick enters. He sets a 
cardboard box on the bed.

Silently, Maverick gathers together Goose's few personal 
possessions. He fills the box with clothes, books, a clock, a 
radio, a walkman, and articles from the bathroom. He examines 
each closely, like an artifact...as if he might find some 
message or meaning in them. He fumbles them into the box. He 
can't see too well, his eyes are full of tears.

Maverick closes the box and carries it to the door. He takes 
one last glance around, then leaves and closes the door 
behind him.


89A.  INT. BOQ RECEPTION AREA                      *

Carol and the kid, stand, staring at a silent TV. Carol 
looks dazed, lost. Maverick walks in, finds her. An awkward 
silence while they both try to think of something to say. 
Maverick hands the box to Carol.

90.   OMITTED

89B.  CLOSE UP - MAVERICK.

He sits staring right through us...the thousand-yard stare. 
A strange white unreal light washes over him. The only color, 
the Navy and gold of the stripes on his shoulderboards. A low 
rumbling mumbling filters through the HISS of surf or fans or 
something...Snatches of low whispered 
conversation....disregard of...basic air-safety 
principles...too aggressive...incident.... 29 July...within 
performance parameters... disciplinary action...tactical 
doctrine.... even reckless at times... 
conjecture...unsupported ...benefit of the doubt...

Maverick's 
eyes slowly focus. The light attenuates. The surrounding 
image becomes denser. Things become real.


89C.  INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY - MAVERICK'S POV

A BOARD OF INQUIRY, a COMMANDER and other NAVY OFFICERS 
seated behind tables at the front of the room. Maverick faces 
them, wearing dress whites. Viper is also present. The 
Commander looks at each of the Officers. They each nod, in 
turn, indicating readiness. The Commander turns to Maverick, 
and states for the record:

		CDR.
The Board of Inquiry finds that Lt. 
Evan Mitchell was not at fault in 
the accident of twenty-nine July.

No response from Maverick, one way or the other. Viper 
studies his face with concern.

		CDR.
 Lt. Mitchell's record will be 
cleared of this incident.


Still no response from Maverick.

	CDR.
Lt. Mitchell is restored to flight 
status without further delay. These 
proceedings are closed.

Maverick doesn't respond.


91.  INT. MAVERICK'S ROOM - NIGHT

Maverick lies on his bunk and stares at the ceiling. The 
phone next to his bed is RINGING.  It RINGS EIGHT OR NINE 
TIMES, then stops. He makes no move to reach for it. 


92. through 95. OMITTED


94A.  INT. COCKPIT - F-14 ON FLIGHT LINE

Maverick sits in the cockpit staring at the controls while 
the ground crew preps the aircraft for flight. Coogan helps 
him strap in. He speaks solicitously to Maverick. It is 
unheard over the JET NOISE and RADIO BABBLE. Maverick looks 
at the cockpit as if it's a strange territory, suddenly 
foreign to him. He grabs the stick like it's some peculiar 
talisman. He turns and looks aft. He seems surprised that it 
moves the control surfaces in the tails.

96.  INT. F-14 - DAY

		FUNGUS
BOGEY AT TEN O'CLOCK LOW. YOU'VE 
GOT THE ANGLE -- PIECE OF CAKE.


Maverick checks ten o'clock low. He is disturbed. He tries 
to make the move, but he is a man with no secret: he is 
afraid.

		FUNGUS
ENGAGE, MAVERICK - ANYTIME.


The bogey abruptly turns into him. Maverick hesitates. Then 
suddenly, he jerks the stick hard right and takes the F-14 
away from the bogey at great speed. Fungus is startled.

		FUNGUS
WHAT? WHERE'RE YOU--HEY, WHERE IN 
THE HELL ARE YOU GOING?

	MAVERICK
DIDN'T ... AHHH...LOOK GOOD.

		FUNGUS
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? IT DOESN'T GET TO 
LOOK MUCH BETTER THAN THAT?

		MAVERICK
NO. NO GOOD.


96A.  INT. FLIGHT LINE - DAY

Jester walks up to Viper who waits near an F-5.

		JESTER
He just won't engage. He can't do 
it, Skipper. He can't get back on 
the horse. 

		VIPER
It's only been a week. Keep sending 
him up.

		JESTER
I've seen this before.

		VIPER
So have I.

		JESTER
Some guys never get it back.


He walks off.



97. through 102.  OMITTED


103.  INT. LOCKER ROOM - IMMEDIATELY AFTER 

Maverick grabs his stuff out of the locker, throws them in a 
bag. He glances up as Fungus enters, continues to pack.

		FUNGUS
What are you doing?

		MAVERICK
Saving them some paperwork.

		FUNGUS
Since when did you care about  
paperwork? 

Maverick walks away. Fungus hesitates, then follows him.

		FUNGUS
If I could fly like you I'd have 
everything I want. If I could fly 
at all. I can't fly. I can't fly 
like that. Nobody can. Whatever it 
is, you've got it!

		MAVERICK
Not anymore. 

		FUNGUS
So, you're scared--so what? You 
ever get a good look at me in the 
back seat, I'm goddamn terrified.

Grabbing the suitcase, Maverick brushes past Jester and 
walks up the corridor. Jester and Fungus watch him go. Fungus 
goes to the phone.


104.  EXT. SAN DIEGO AIRPORT - NIGHT

Charlie parks her car, jumps out, and runs toward the main 
entrance to the terminal.


105.  INT. TERMINAL

Charlie hurries through the crowd, bumping past people, 
searching frantically for Maverick in the huge terminal. She 
moves past bench after bench, and her eyes flick in all 
directions. A quick glance at the souvenir shop, the coffee 
shop, and then she heads for the bar.

Maverick is there, sitting alone in a booth with his 
suitcase beside him, staring into a drink. Charlie composes 
herself, then walks to the booth and sits down across the 
table from him. Maverick does not look pleased.

		CHARLIE
Never liked fighter pilots anyway. 



He looks up trying to be angry, but he can't help it, she 
makes him laugh.

		MAVERICK
You came to the right place.

The waitress comes up.

		MAVERICKWhat are you having?

Turns to the waitress.

		CHARLIE
I'll have what he's having... 
Hemlock, is it?

The waitress departs. He tries not to smile, but can't help 
it.

		CHARLIE
You weren't gonna say goodbye?

		MAVERICK
I was, later. 

		CHARLIE
Long distance? I wouldn't do that 
to you. I'd at least talk to you.

		MAVERICK
I didn't want to see you. I mean, I 
did...but I didn't..

		CHARLIE
I know exactly what you mean.

		MAVERICK
How could you?

	CHARLIE
I've got a gift just like you do. 
My gift is I just know what people 
mean, even if they can't say it. It 
helps when you're trying to 
communicate with fighter pilots. 
Like what you just said was "I'm 
embarrassed, I feel I've done 
something wrong, that I've failed, 
and I don't think I can live up to 
the expectations of a wonderful 
interesting, intelligent woman like 
yourself." That about it?

		MAVERICK
    (laughs)
...Something like that.


		CHARLIE
And I'm gonna sneak off, and be by 
myself for awhile, like until I can 
think of a new career...hotel 
management or something...

		MAVERICK
Big talk for someone who's never 
been shot off her computer.

		CHARLIE
Hey, I never said I was a fighter 
pilot...I never claimed to think it 
was fun to be shot off the end of a 
ship in a storm. I can find 
contentment in a good book. I don't 
have to roar by someone at Mach two 
with my hair on fire. Sometimes...I 
just get happy being with the right 
man.

		MAVERICK
I hope you find him.

		CHARLIE
I think I have... I could be wrong. 
I have been before. Just remember 
one thing. If you're not Top Gun, 
if you're not fighting jets, you're 
not gonna be able to act like a 
fighter pilot... You're gonna have 
to act like the rest of us. You're 
gonna have to master humility. For 
you guys, that's the toughest 
maneuver of all.

She gets up...lays a bill out for the drinks...

		CHARLIE
So long, Sailor. See you on the 
beach sometime.


She swings away. Her wake sucks in the stares of every man 
in the place. Then they look over to Maverick, quick flicks 
of envy in their eyes. He stares them back and can't quite 
meet their eyes.


106.  EXT. BEACH AT VIPER'S HOUSE - LATER

Viper is tugged down the beach by a three year old kid. They 
come across one creature who's had a bad night...Viper spots 
him, he spots Viper, and Viper moves toward him. Tim, Viper's 
kid, wants to head for the sea and pulls his father in that 
direction. He stops, puts his hand on his hips like he's seen 
the pilots do. 

		TIM
Dad...Of all the aminals in the 
ocean, which one's the baddest?


		VIPER
I don't know, Tim. You'll have to 
ask them.

Viper turns to the creature, Maverick, and shrugs.

		VIPER
Runs in the family...

Maverick stands up. 

		MAVERICK
Skipper, sorry to bother you.

		VIPER
No bother.

		MAVERICK
I called your house.

		VIPER
My wife's house.

		MAVERICK
She said you took your kid to the  
each. Every second Sunday. Zoo or 
beach or the ballgame. Y'have the 
option...(Maverick thinks for a 
beat. Segues to the question...) 
What about me?

Viper turns, they stroll together.

		VIPER
We can send you back to your 
squadron with nothing noted on your 
record except "CNC" --course not 
completed, no explanation required. 
Theoretically, it doesn't hurt your 
career, but people always wonder 
about things like that.

		MAVERICK
Or....

		VIPER
Or you can quit.

		MAVERICK
	I don't know...
 
		VIPER
I didn't know either. That's why I 
told Jester to prepare your papers.

Maverick looks irritated. Viper stops at an icecream vendor 
and orders three with a gesture.

		MAVERICK
You've already made up your mind.


		VIPER
It's no disgrace, kid. That spin 
was hell. It would wreck anyone's 
confidence. You could be a good 
pilot again someday...

		MAVERICK
    (starts to get his back up)
You think I should quit?!

		VIPER
I didn't say that. That's up to 
you. But I have responsibility for 
the other guys up there, not just 
you. They need to know you're all 
right...that they can depend on 
you.


The vendor hands them icecream, they take it.

		MAVERICK
Here, let me get this. We'll be 
even.

He reaches into his pocket for change, comes out with a 
handful. Slams it on the counter, stars picking the proper 
change out. Viper spots something and reaches for 
it...Maverick sees and tries to block it, but Viper comes up 
with the Navy Cross.

		MAVERICK
Lucky charm.

But Viper recognizes it for what it is.

		VIPER
Sometimes it's luck, but in this 
case, he earned it... I served with 
your old man.

		MAVERICK
I know.

		VIPER
VF 51, the Oriskany. You remind me 
of him. You're just like he was, 
only better...and worse.

		MAVERICK
I'm nothing like him.

		VIPER
You may not think so, but you are.

		MAVERICK
He was by the book, all the way.

		VIPER
They waved him off. He thought he 
knew better. He hit the 
ramp.

		MAVERICK
I never heard that.

		VIPER
Not something they tell dependents.

		MAVERICK
It's not true.


Viper looks at him, for a long beat, throws his icecream 
away.

		VIPER
Why would I lie?

He turns, walks away. Maverick stands there for a moment, 
thinking, then catches up to him, stops him...struggles with 
the thought...as Viper breaks in...
            
		VIPER
You start on a wrong heading... the 
more you stick to it, the further 
you get from your target. A good 
pilot always questions himself, 
always questions his judgments, 
stays alert for drift and makes the 
corrections...You may find a little 
discipline helps with the fear. You 
don't have to be alone up there.

A pause...quiet intensity.

		MAVERICK
How can I go on? I feel so... 
responsible.

		VIPER
Kid, the plain fact is...you are. 
I'm not gonna stand here and blow 
sunshine up your ass. Technically, 
they absolved you. You and I know 
what really happened. You pushed 
it. You are responsible and you'll 
always carry that. You know what, 
I'll carry it too. I should have 
taken you out of that cockpit.
I guess I'm a hopeless romantic... 
I always try to find something 
worthwhile in someone's death. It's 
no trade-off. It's not one for one. 
What you learned isn't worth his 
death. It couldn't be. But maybe 
there is some value in it. I know 
it's the first thing I've ever seen 
that's really gotten to you. Now 
the question is, what will you do 
with it. If it gets you out of 
flight status...so you don't kill 
yourself or anybody else...that's 
good. That's one good thing. You 
were an accident waiting to 
happen.

		MAVERICK
You think I shouldn't fly.

		VIPER
I didn't say that. That's up to 
you. I think that if you do, if you 
choose to come back, you'll be a 
better pilot... a better man.

		MAVERICK
Would you take me back? Would they?

		VIPER
I'll have to think about it. I 
don't know about them. I do know 
one thing, We've got a lot invested 
in you. We'd hate to lose it. Even 
more than those other guys, Naval 
Aviation needs a very few, very 
good men.

107 through  114.  OMITTED


115.  INT. TOP GUN OFFICE  

LOUD ROCK AND ROLL. The graduation ceremonies are in full 
swing...They consist of informal ribbing, laughing, and a lot 
of talking with the hands. every now and then, the name Goose 
comes up and a shadow passes across a face. For the most 
part, they press on, having a good time. Fungus shrugs at 
someone's question and looks around.

		FUNGUS
I don't know where he is...

		PORK
What are his plans?

		FUNGUS
I don't know.

Ice stands proudly holding the Top Gun plaque as others 
congratulate him...Hollywood looks up as the door opens, 
Maverick is there.  He looks uncomfortable, unsure. He sees 
Ice with the plaque. Fungus moves over to him, brings him in.
		FUNGUS
I'm glad.

		WOLFMAN
Good to see you, man.

One by one, they come over, shake his hand. Viper stands 
there, looking pleased but gruff. Maverick walks over, shakes 
his hand. The party starts to pick up. A real celebration, 
now. 

Jester enters, a sheaf of messages in his hand. He takes 
Viper aside for a word. Viper nods at him. The group's 
attention gradually swings onto them. They quiet down 
instinctively. Viper finally turns to them.

		VIPER
Gentlemen, you know how I hate to 
break up this party before it has a 
chance to get really out of hand...
    (more serious)
...but there's a major flap on.

		HOLLYWOOD
We're being called back?

		VIPER
You're on your way. Don't bother 
going to BOQ. Your bags are packed.

He hands them orders. Someone turns the music back up... as 
they shake hands all around, the music grows, becomes purer 
as the background voices drop out. 

115A.  TIGHT ON MAVERICK'S 
EYES

WIDEN OUT -

To include his helmet. Stereo headphones from his walkman 
carry the same music from the party as he sits in the cockpit 
and stares at the grey water rushing under. He sits in his 
Tomcat on Ready 5 Alert. In the back, Fungus plays a hand 
computer game - Jet Attack.


116.  EXT. USS KITTY HAWK - SOMEWHERE AT SEA

Maverick's Tomcat sits waiting for a launch order on the 
forward catapult.


116A.  ANGLE - MAVERICK

He goes over the briefing in his mind...Stinger's voice 
breaks through the music.:

		STINGER (V.O.)
...Navy oceanographic ship... 
international waters... fired 
upon... unknown forces...


117.  INT. READY ROOM - USS KITTYHAWK - MOMENTS BEFORE

In full flight gear, sixteen teams of fighter pilots and 
RIO's pay close attention to the Squadron CO, Stinger.

		STINGER
...by unknown forces...by Migs. We 
don't know who they are.  All I 
know is that it's our ship, and our 
orders are to escort it out of the 
area.

Stinger circles an area on the map.


117A.  TOMCAT ON THE DECK - MAVERICK

He studies his copy of the same map, headings and vectors 
pencilled in.

		STINGER (V.O.) 
This is "Bullseye". A rescue 
operation is to begin within the 
hour. Your mission is to give air 
support to that rescue. There are 
MiGs in the area, and tensions are 
high. If you witness a hostile act 
you will return fire. We will be 
covering 360 degrees of the compass 
by section. Be prepared for 
anything.

117B.  INT. READY ROOM 

Stinger is speaking to individual pilots.

		SLIDER
Ice and Hollywood, sector two.

He turns to Maverick who stands nearby.

		SLIDER
And Maverick. You'll back them up, 
on Ready Five.


117C.  CLOSE ON HIS FACE

A moment's disappointment passes so fleetingly, you hardly 
see it.

		MAVERICK
Yessir.

As the aircrews file out, tense but excited.


118.  ICE AND HOLLYWOOD FLY TOGETHER AT TEN THOUSAND FEET 

Their eyes search the horizon, while Slider and Wolfman 
watch their instruments. 

		ICE
MUSTANG, THIS IS VOODOO ONE,
	WE ARE ON STATION.

The two jets streak across the sky.


118A.  INT. COCKPIT

Suddenly, there are BLIPS on the radar scope.

		HOLLYWOOD
CONTACT. TWO BOGEYS 20 RIGHT. AT 12 
MILES, CLOSING.


118B.  INT. COCKPIT - THEIR POV

Two MiGs flying low to the deck.

		HOLLYWOOD
TALLY HO. TWO MIGS AT TWO
	O'CLOCK LOW.

118C.  THE MIGS SUDDENLY PULL VERTICAL, STREAK STRAIGHT UP. 


118D.  ICE AND HOLLYWOOD WATCH CAREFULLY.

		HOLLYWOOD
WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS, 
BOYS?

		ICE
THEY'RE JUST HASSELING. LET'S WORK 
THEM OUT OF THE AREA.

		WOLFMAN
I'VE GOT TWO MORE BOGEYS COMING IN 
AT FOUR O'CLOCK HIGH.

		HOLLYWOOD
GOT 'EM.


118E.  THE FOUR MIGS

Join together in a box formation, begin to circle the area.

		HOLLYWOOD
TWO MORE -- TWO MORE CONTACTS. 
2-7-0 at 10 MILES. WE NEED SOME 
HELP HERE, MUSTANG.

		ICE
MUSTANG, WE HAVE FOUR MIGS IN THE 
AREA OF BULLSEYE. REQUEST YOU 
LAUNCH THE ALERT 5 FOR SUPPORT.


119.  DECK - KITTY HAWK 

Maverick sits in his Tomcat on the Catapult on ready alert, 
listening to the message traffic. He gets a launch order, 
turns to the LSO. The LSO salutes, Maverick salutes and flips 
him the bird. The LSO drops to the deck. Maverick is slammed 
back as the F-14 is fired off the deck and rockets into the 
sky.

		CCA (V.O. filtered)
ROGER, VOODOO.


120.  EXT. SKY - HOLLYWOOD AND ICE 

The two MiGs cross in a scissor pattern in their path... a  
provocation...they join together again and fly level at ten 
thousand feet. One of the MiGs does a sudden canopy roll.

		HOLLYWOOD 
VERY FANCY!

BOOM! A FLASH! Suddenly, Out of nowhere, Hollywood's hit.  
WHAM! Just that fast, he's hit and goes down.  His f-14 
disappears into the clouds.

		ICE
WOOD! WOOD, ACKNOWLEDGE!

Ice puts his nose down and follows him.

		ICE
VOODOO ONE, MUSTANG. VOODOO THREE 
IS HIT. GOING DOWN. WILL ATTEMPT 
SAR.


He comes out of clouds at 1500, nothing but empty water 
below.
		ICE
Do you have them? Did they get out 
or not?

		SLIDER
    (confusion)
No contact. I don't know.  


121.  EXT. MAVERICK'S F-14

		MAVERICK
VOODOO, GHOST RIDER ONE. I'M ON THE 
WAY. WAIT FOR ME.


122.  THE SKY - MIGS AND TOMCATS CIRCLE

		SLIDER
THEY GOT WOLF, THEY GOT WOOD. THEY 
GOT THEM..  

		ICE
MUSTANG, GHOST RIDER. PERMISSION TO 
FIRE.

		STRIKE (V.O.) 
GHOST RIDER,  THIS IS MUSTANG. 
PERMISSION TO FIRE. PERMISSION TO 
FIRE.

		ICE
ROGER. ENGAGING. I HAVE THE LEAD.


122A.  INT. MAVERICK'S F-14

		FUNGUS
Let's go! Dive on those bastards!  

Maverick hesitates.

		FUNGUS
Come on, man, engage. This is it. 
Get your nose in there.

Maverick hesitates again. He sees the hornet's nest below; 
planes all over the sky.

		FUNGUS
Bandit at seven o'clock low--solo. 
Take him. Pull on the goddamn 
stick, man!

		MAVERICK
Okay, okay.

		FUNGUS
Don't tell me okay. Do it!

Maverick draws a breath, then forces himself to pull the 
stick over. The F-14 rolls in hard toward the battle. 
Suddenly, the cluster breaks apart. The MiGs break in every 
direction as Maverick BLASTS through their formation. 
Something comes up through the clouds. A MiG BLASTS by. 
Another rolls in and locks onto them.

The MiGs swarm toward the TOMCATS, coming from every 
direction. CANNON FIRE erupts from one of the MiGs.

		MAVERICK
MAVERICK'S EMGAGED. HARD LEFT, ICE, 
PADLOCK THE EASTERN SECTION.

The F-14's execute a left oblique turn in unison. They come 
down in a section attack with their cannons blazing. From 
Maverick's cockpit, everything looks choppy:  MiGs slide past 
at incredible speed. Cannons BLAST, as the planes scramble 
for position.

Out-numbered four to two, Maverick and Ice fight 
defensively. Maverick has the angle on a MIG, when Fungus 
spots a missile launch.

		FUNGUS
BREAK LEFT! BREAK LEFT!   CHAFF! 
FLARES!

		MAVERICK
BREAKING LEFT!

Maverick releases a flare as he takes the F-14 into a hard 
left. The missile tracks the heat of the flare and sails out 
of the area, missing the Tomcat and falling toward the sea.

		ICE
TWO MIGS ON MY TAIL, MAVERICK. I'M 
DEFENSIVE.

Maverick jerks his stick right and streaks toward Ice. He 
cuts off one of the MiGs with CANNON FIRE, driving it down 
toward the deck. Ice goes into vertical and comes around to 
gain an angle on the other MiG. His RIO is in position to 
check Mav's rear. 

		SLIDER
MAVERICK! SIX O'CLOCK!

Maverick turns to look and jerks a hard left. The MiG is on 
him, CANNON BLAZING. Ice Yo Yos inside and cuts the MiG off. 
		ICE
FOX ONE.

He fires a sidewinder. The MiG turns hard, the missile sails 
away.


		SLIDER
BANDIT, THREE O'OLOCK HIGH!

Ice's F-14 is suddenly caught in a HAIL OF CANNON FIRE as a 
MiG sweeps down from three o'clock. He breaks, dives. The 
jets streak across the sky, low to the deck, skimming the 
surface.

		FUNGUS
ICE'S  DEFENSIVE, HELP HIM OUT.

Maverick's F-14 Rollaways in and intercepts the bogey on 
Ice's tail.

		MAVERICK
REVERSE RIGHT.

Ice turns right, the MiG bugs and jerks into vertical.  
Maverick swoops after him.

		FUNGUS
STAY WITH HIM. YOUR SIX IS CLEAR.


Maverick closes, jerking left, right, twisting and turning, 
staying on his tail. 


122B.  MAVERICK'S COCKPIT

		FUNGUS
ONE ON OUR SIX! BUG OUT! BUG OUT!

BULLETS fly by Maverick's F-14 from the MiG on his six. He 
pulls a hard left, then takes the plane straight up. We hear 
instructions shouted by Fungus, but it is all obscured in the 
SOUNDS AND FURY OF THE BATTLE. Maverick peels over the top 
and comes down like a comet. A series of passes at the MiGs. 
As they come by, one of the MiGs pulls up, 

		MAVERICK
OKAY, GOING UP. ICE, GO HIGH. 

		ICE
LOOK OUT! 


They look up. An MiG 21 is coming down, belly to them, close 
to a mid-air collision.

		MAVERICK
JESUS!


He pushes down. The MiG ROARS BY. The whole airplane goes 
"BOOOMMMM" it's that close.

		FUNGUS
OHHHHH SHIT!

The shock, the air pressure SLAMS them as it goes by, 
missing by 4-5 feet. Maverick pulls back in, sees a MiG 21 
below. It takes off, bugging out. Ice goes after him. The MiG 
maneuvers, jerking hard left, hard right, twisting  up, down.

Ice is right in his shadow. They come in hard and low over 
the sea. He has the MiG in the diamond.

		ICE
GOOD TONE, FOX ONE

The MiG starts turning.

		ICE
Ah Nuts!


The missile goes by the tail.

		ICE
Son of a bitch!

Then his tail comes off, the airplane goes over, a chute 
comes out. The MiG EXPLODES into a thousand small pieces. 
They roar by the MiG pilot hanging in his straps.

		SLIDER
JESUS!  HEY SPLASH ONE, SPLASH ONE 
BANDIT! SPLASH THAT SUCKER!

		MAVERICK
I GOT ONE HERE. ON THE NOSE.  
COMING DOWN. 

Rolling down on him, good SIDEWINDER TONE. The MiG'S sense 
him, they break, one guy down low. 

		ICE
ON THE NOSE?

		MAVERICK
GOT 'EM. GOT GOOD TONE.
 
He squeezes the trigger.


123.  EXT. THE MISSILE STARTS TO GO 

The vapor trail comes off, the MiG 21 turns like he's been 
bounced off a rubber wall, comes around on the missile, beats 
it. The missile flies by him. 


		MAVERICK
AH, SHIT! GODDAMN IT!

MiG comes back turning into him.

		FUNGUS
THERE'S ANOTHER ONE UP THERE!

		MAVERICK
I GOT ONE COMING UP.

		FUNGUS
AND HE'S GUNNING.

He looks back. 30 millimeter tracers go by; they just kind 
of float. He breaks, hits airbrakes, the trailing MiG dives 
through.

Suddenly another MiG appears, rocketing straight for him. 
They close at 900 knots--VABOOOM!--They pass nose to nose, 
canopy to canopy. Both planes pitch straight up, trying for 
the altitude advantage.

		MAVERICK
Zone 5 burners.

The F-14 outclimbs the MiG sitting on its tail, full 
thruster, it rockets straight up, away from the planet.  
Maverick has the advantage. Suddenly, his F-14 runs out of 
energy. FUNGUS is the first to call it.

		FUNGUS
We're ballistic! Ohhhhhh Shit!

The plane backs down on itself, backs into its own smoke as 
it flips over, falls away...He catches it, just regains 
control, when...A ROAR. He looks up.

SECOND MIG coming down. Right on him. It fills the Canopy! 
Instinctive - A Push to miss him, Maverick breaks fast down 
into him, a last ditch maneuver, and the airplane 
DEPARTS...the roll rates and the pitch rates combine and it 
tumbles over the top; the airplane just goes end-over-end. 
They are being slammed and rattled all over the 
cockpits...bone-jarring, neck-snapping whips. SHRIEKS and 
SCREAMS from the airframe. Terriflying?

		FUNGUS
Ohhh Mother!

		MAVERICK
    (strangely calm)
Goddamnit, Mav, you really are a 
slow learner. Don't worry, Fung, 
I've got it.


Fungus is getting his teeth rattled. He's helpless, he has 
no controls, there's nothing he can do but hold on.


		FUNGUS
Don't WORRY!!!?   You've GOT it!!? 
Are you CRAZY?

		MAVERICK
Roger, I've got it. 

The plane's gyrations are rattling Fungus's helmet off the 
canopy. 

		FUNGUS
You've got it?   Good!  Cause for a 
minute there, you had me worried.

It yaws and rolls, starts into a spin.

		FUNGUS
Now have you got it?  Have you 
still got it?

		MAVERICK
Yawing right.

		FUNGUS
I know!

		MAVERICK
Rudder's left, stick's forward.

		FUNGUS
Swell! Passing ten thousand!


		MAVERICK
I've got it -- hold on!

		FUNGUS
Passing 8. Passing 6. Lock your 
harness!

		MAVERICK
I can recover. Hold on!

They're in a progressive spiral, nose low.  The altimeter 
unwinds, speed picks up. The G forces are forcing them away 
from the axis of spin, jamming Maverick against the 
instrument panel at the front of the cockpit. 

		MAVERICK
You with me?

Fungus, also, is jammed to his panel.

		FUNGUS
Right behind you. 

He is closer to the center of spin and less strongly held. 
It doesn't do much good, however, he can't control the plane. 
The only thing he can reach is the yellow and black loop; the 
ejection handle. He reaches for it.

		FUNGUS
Speed's up to 150. 

Fungus's eyes are wide.  The earth grows larger as it rises 
towards them. G forces flatten them. They've long since lost 
the MiG. Nobody but an idiot would try to follow them in this 
maneuver.

		FUNGUS
5000 feet. Speed two hundred.

		MAVERICK
Okay.


The earth grows larger.

		FUNGUS
4500. Critical point.


FUNGUS grabs the ejection handle with both hands.

		MAVERICK
No! Not again!

		FUNGUS
What are you talking about,
	we gotta go!

		MAVERICK
I'm not losing it again!

The jet is standing on its nose, gaining speed, plunging 
towards the ocean.  

		FUNGUS
Gotta go, man.

		MAVERICK
280, 290, 300 knots.

		FUNGUS
3,000 feet.  We gotta go, man.  
3,000 feet, we gotta go!

		MAVERICK
You go. I'm staying with it.

		FUNGUS
I'm gonna go! THREE...TWO...ONE...

Then, just as suddenly, as he's about to pull...Maverick 
catches it. The plane responds. They're out of the spin. He 
gets control. Fungus sits there dumbly, hands on handle. 
Still not believing...

		FUNGUS
ONE....ONE....ONE...


SEA LEVEL 

Maverick stops the tumble, pulls the nose up quickly and the 
F-l4 sweeps into level flight no more than a hundred feet 
above the deck. He comes up and looks right at Ice. Ice is 
down low. He comes around, a MiG-21 all over him like a cheap 
suit. A flick, a whip, and Maverick in perfect position, 
rolls right in on the MiG. Fungus looks like he just saw 
Jesus. 

		FUNGUS
What  in  the  Christ...was that? 

He looks at the Mig target set-up in front of him in awe.

		FUNGUS
Did you plan that? Was all that 
something you planned?


Maverick's acquired the target and is all business. 

		MAVERICK
ALL RIGHT, ICE. COME HARD 
STARBOARD, THEN EXTEND TO THE EAST. 


Fungus is still lividly frazzled.

		FUNGUS
Because...if that was... Next time 
you tell me first.

		ICE
ROG.

Maverick breaks down, Ice zooms up, breaks in and takes the 
MiG the other way. Maverick Yo Yo's in, comes right up behind 
the MiG, as the MiG starts acceleration. 


Maverick rolls in on Ice and the MiG. 

		MAVERICK
I GOT A WINDER LEFT, BUT NO GOOD 
TONE ON IT.

		ICE
I CAN'T LOSE HIM, CAN YOU GET OFF  
A SHOT?

		MAVERICK
I GOT NO TONE. IT MIGHT GET YOU.

		ICE
WHAT CHOICE DO I HAVE?   SHOOT IT.

		MAVERICK
WHEN I SHOOT, YOU BREAK LEFT..3..2 

The MiG fires.

		MAVERICK
HE FIRED, BREAK NOW!

Ice breaks left, drops flares. The MiG's missile follows the 
flares. Maverick FIRES. The missile doesn't twitch. It flys 
right up the tail pipe of the MiG, the canopy flies off, the 
pilot comes out of it, and then the MiG blows up, We go right 
through the fire ball. VVVARRRUOOMMM!

		MAVERICK
He's out! We got him!

The MiG rolls into the ground...KABOOM!  They swoop by the 
pilot, hanging in his straps...He watches them, dumbly. 
Fungus waves. 

		FUNGUS
What a dope! Maybe they'll
	give him another plane...and we
	can shoot him down again.

Maverick and Ice join up, light it, stand on their burners 
and blast straight for the sun.


MAVERICK'S F-14 

Without warning, a triple roll, as the elation hits him.


125.  INT. MAVERICK'S COCKPIT 

		FUNGUS
What is it? What's wrong?


Fungus nervously looks around at his circuit breakers.

		FUNGUS
Is there something I should know?

		MAVERICK
Just relax.

		FUNGUS
Is it the plane?

		MAVERICK
The plane is fine.

		FUNGUS
Is it you?

		MAVERICK
Yeah, I guess it is. We did it! We 
did it...Damn! We sure did it!

		MAVERICK
HELLO MUSTANG, THIS IS MAVERICK. 
I'VE GOT A MESSAGE FOR STINGER. 

		STRIKE 
(V.O.) 
ROGER, MAVERICK. GO AHEAD.

		MAVERICK
TELL STINGER MAVERICK HAS GOOD NEWS 
AND SOME BAD NEWS. THE GOOD NEWS IS 
THAT ICE GOT A MIG. THE BAD NEWS IS 
THAT MAVERICK GOT TWO!

He looks over at Ice.  

		MAVERICK
I GOTTA HAVE ONE.


126.  INT. ICE'S COCKPIT

		SLIDER
We're low on fuel, Ice.

Ice considers for a moment, then responds.

		ICE
I know. I know....Aw hell, let's do 
it!


127.  INT. MAVERICK'S COCKPIT

		FUNGUS
You're not supposed to...

		MAVERICK
But I have to!

		FUNGUS
Then...shit! Go ahead. I'm right 
behind you.

		MAVERICK
MUSTANG, THIS IS MAVERICK, REQUEST 
A FLYBY.


128.  PRI-FLY BRIDGE - (Primary Flight Control)  USS KITTY 
HAWK

The Air Boss speaks to Maverick over the UHF. The Admiral, 
the XO and other officers watch and listen.

		AIR BOSS
NEGATIVE, GHOST RIDER, THE 
PATTERN'S FULL.

		MAVERICK (V.O. filtered)
MUSTANG, THIS IS GHOST RIDER. 
REQUEST A FLYBY FOR TWO.

		OFFICER
Who is that guy?


		ADMIRAL
Mitchell...

		XO
   (surpressing a grin)
...Likes to break at 600, 'stead of 
300 knots. The Air Boss hates him. 
One time, he came over the deck at 
two hundred, shakes the shit out of 
the bridge. Lifted Johnson right 
off his feet.


129.  INT. MAVERICK'S F-14

He glances over at Ice, who gives him thumbs up.

		MAVERICK
BOSS, YOU BETTER CLEAR IT OUT,
	WE'RE FIVE MINUTES OUT
	AND WE'RE DOING IT!


130.  INT. PRI-FLY BRIDGE

The Admiral looks out over the water and smiles.

		MAVERICK (V.O. filtered)
TEN MILES ASTERN, BOSS. HOW ABOUT 
IT?


The Air Boss is livid. He clenches the mike.

		AIR BOSS
MUSTANG TO GHOST RIDER!...

Just then the Admiral pipes up.

		ADMIRAL
Johnson!

		AIR BOSS
Yes, Sir, Admiral?

		ADMIRAL
Give him his flyby.


The Admiral looks at the others, tries to surpress his own 
grin. He slides into his (borrowed) command chair, looks into 
the wind. On the back of the chair, a clue; his name and 
rank:  RADM. Buford Clancy, "BOOMER"

The AIR BOSS burns, but has no choice. 

		AIR BOSS
    (really pissed off)
 ROGER, GHOST RIDER, YOU'RE CLEAR.

131.  EXT. 
KITTY HAWK DAY

Sailors line the deck and search the sky. They crane their 
necks from their battle stations, sweating into the sun, 
watching for the approach of F-14's. Someone sees it--he 
points and SHOUTS. The F-14 appears, and every man stands and 
CHEERS.


132. POV -

WE COME SCREAMING IN, 5 FEET OVER THE WATER, throwing up 
rooster tails behind. WE SPLIT OFF and ZOOM along each side 
of the carrier, at 100 feet and ROLL IT.


133.  INT. PRI-FLY BRIDGE--VVVAAAAABBOOOOM!

It lifts the Air Boss right off his feet. The walls warp, 
dust sifts from the overhead. The whole tower just goes BOOM!

		AIR BOSS
Goddamn that guy!"


134.  EXT. FLIGHT DECK

They break at 500 knots. Ice is first down over the ramp, 
waved in.  The F-14 comes in a little rocky. It bounces hard 
but grabs the wire, then jerks to a sudden halt. The sailors 
CHEER AND APPLAUD, throwing fists of victory into the air, 
straining to get a look at Ice as the crew directs his plane 
off to the side. Opening the canopy, Ice and Slider unstrap. 
Stinger and the others are there. Guys are climbing up, 
climbing all over the airplane. They're already painting a 
MiG on the side, and they're looking at Ice in awe.


135.  POV - MAVERICK - THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD - AS HE LANDS

He catches the wire, the view slams down toward the deck as 
the plane arrests, then comes up...He releases the cockpit 
and can hear the ROAR OF THE CROWD...


136.  EXT. FLIGHT DECK

He swings the nose around past Ice's. Ice's plane is covered 
in colored jerseys as the ground crew pulls him out. 
Maverick's plane swings towards the PRI-FLY BRIDGE. Pilots in 
flightsuits pour from the deck hatch APPLAUDING... 


137.  HE CUTS HIS ENGINES AS THE GROUND CREW SWARMS

As Maverick and Fungus climb down, they see their wingmen on 
the deck. Ice is looking in Maverick's direction. His face is 
inscrutable. Maverick gets mobbed, but pushes over to Ice. 
They stare at each other for a moment, eye to eye even as 
they are buffeted by the crowd. Finally, Ice breaks...a grin.


		ICE
I guess I owe you one.

		MAVERICK
You don't owe me anything.
	We're on the same team. 

		ICE
You saved our lives. You did it! 

		MAVERICK
We did it.

		ICE
You're a hell of a flyer.
	    (he can't resist)
	You can be my wingman any time.

		MAVERICK
    (laughs)
No. You can be mine!

Now Ice laughs. Nobody's ever gonna win on this one. But Ice 
smiles at him...It's now a running joke between them.

		ICE
Whatever you say, Commander.


He and Slider snap to and proudly salute. Maverick 
hesitates, then returns it. As Ice and Slider snap it off, it 
turns into the pilot's salute, they give them the bird. 
Maverick and Fungus laugh and return the compliment. 

As they are mobbed by sailors, Maverick is elated to see two 
familiar figures: Hollywood and Wolfman turn from their 
battle damaged TOMCAT on the forward elevator as it sinks out 
of sight below decks.


138.  EXT. FLIGHT DECK

		FUNGUS
What happened to you?

		WOLFMAN
He got our radio, and an engine. We 
were lucky to make it back.

		HOLLYWOOD
Not luck. Skill.


ANOTHER ANGLE

Stinger rushes up, grabs Ice and Maverick in a bear hug.

		STINGER
MiG killers! You name it, boy. 
Sky's the limit. You name it. A 
medal. Anything you want. Anything.


		ICE
MiG killers!  What else is there?

Maverick grins, turns away from them.  He he looks out, at 
the dying sun glinting over the sea. He thinks how beautiful 
it is out here! Fungus grabs him from behind.

		FUNGUS
You hear that? Anything we want. 
Anything...Well???

		MAVERICK
Well what?

		FUNGUS
What do you want?

		MAVERICK
What do I want?

		FUNGUS
What do you want?

		MAVERICK
     (he thinks.)
Any more MiGs?

Stinger shakes his head no.

		STINGER
They don't seem to want to come up 
anymore. There's nothing on the 
scopes. In fact, everybody's 
denying the incident ever happened. 
So...what is it?  What do you want?


Maverick turns away, considering the options.


139.  EXT. FLIGHT DECK - ANOTHER ANGLE

Another Tomcat rolls up to park nearby. He looks 
at the plane. Over the deck LOUDSPEAKER, comes the 
final call to the F-14:

		LSO (V.O. filtered)
    (a touch of sarcasm)
OKAY, GENTLEMEN. YOU CAN CUT YOUR 
ENGINES...YOU HAVE ARRIVED....


WWHHHEEEEZZZZEEERRRRRUUUUUMMMMMMMMM...

AS THE ENGINES FADE, SO DOES THE PICTURE.


FADE IN - WEEKS LATER

140.  EXT. DAY - FLIGHT LINE MIRAMAR - TOPGUN

Viper, Jester and others walk out of hangar to watch a wing 
return.


141A.  EXT. MIRAMAR RUNWAY - DAY

THEIR POV. Suddenly an F-14 breaks, ROARS in over the field 
inverted, a hundred feet off the ground.


142.  FLIGHT LINE MIRAMAR - DAY

		JESTER
Who's the hell is that?

		VIPER
Three guesses.

		JESTER
Well, he's in trouble and he didn't 
even get here yet.


Jester looks over at an admiral, who steps out of a staff 
car, squints up at the swooping plane, turns, barks an order 
to his driver, jumps in the car and SLAMS the door, the car 
takes off.


143.  EXT. MIRAMAR RUNWAY - DAY - FURTHER DOWN THE RUNWAY

MP jeeps - lights flashing, pull out and head for the flight 
line.

		VIPER
Come on.

They head for the hangar


144.  OVER THE END OF THE RUNWAY

The jet breaks at 500 knots and sets down neatly on the 
tarmac. The rest of his flight follows in perfect formation.


145.  EXT. MIRAMAR RUNWAY - DAY - MAVERICK'S JET -PULLING UP

He unbuckles his straps, takes his helmet off. He looks over 
at the approaching caravan.

		FUNGUS
I think they know we're here.


		MAVERICK
Let me do the talking.

		FUNGUS
Oh, no. You did the flying, I'll do 
the talking! 

He stands up in the cockpit, gives a snappy salute.

		FUNGUS
Why Admiral....How really good it 
is to see you!


Maverick turns away. As he backs down the steps, a jeep 
screeches up, doors slam open, footsteps.

		A VOICE
Who's in charge here?

		MAVERICK
I am.

He's answered automatically, but now it hits him. He knows 
the voice. He turns.

HIS POV - CHARLIE, HANDS ON HIPS

		CHARLIE
Not for long, you keep that up.

He hops down, stands there speechless, grinning happily at 
her.

		CHARLIE
Well?

		MAVERICK
Well what?

		CHARLIE
You got your F-14, you got Top Gun, 
you got your MiGs....You're our new 
Top Gun instructor...Now what?

		MAVERICK
Oh...I'll think of something... 
What are you doing here?

		CHARLIE
I live here, remember?

		MAVERICK
Right on the flight line?

He's got her on that one. She laughs.

		CHARLIE
Everybody's got to be somewhere.


		MAVERICK
Maybe your somewhere's with me...

He puts his arms around her. Self-conscious, she pulls away, 
a little embarrassed to show this on the flight line. He 
laughs.

		MAVERICK
That's okay. I always look forward 
to a challenge. 


Now she laughs back and puts her arms around him. She kisses 
him and now she doesn't give a damn who sees it.
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