View from the Top

Donna Jensen (Gwyneth Paltrow) is from a small town of SliverSprings in Nevada. She wants to escape her miserable, unhappy life of living in a trailer with her alcoholic mother (Robyn Peterson), a former Las Vegas showgirl, and her abusive, alcoholic stepfather. However as she grows up, Donna is sill stuck in her small hometown. Her mother was already on her 4th husband Pete. Rodney (John Francis Daley) is Pete's son. Donna starts dating a high school quarterback named Tommy (Marc Blucas), who is working as a manager at a retail store. He uses his position to get Donna a job as a store clerk in the luggage department. After graduating high school, Donna struggles to make ends meet working as a clerk in a Big Lots store. After her boyfriend Tommy (Marc Blucas) leaves her on her birthday as he is getting transferred to Tuson and takes a different girl with him whom he thinks is more focused on her career, compared to Donna. Donna quits her job and is very close to becoming an alcoholic. Donna sees a TV interview with Sally Weston (Candice Bergen), a former flight attendant, who had written a memoir called My Life in the Sky. Sally is celebrated as the most famous flight attendant in the world. She narrates her story on TV, which is also very similar to Donna's. Donna starts by buying and reading Sally's book. Donna then becomes a flight attendant for a small, seedy, budget California commuter airline called Sierra. She works with Sherry (Kelly Preston), a senior attendant, and Christine (Christina Applegate). The airline has just 5 planes and flies gamblers and drunks to Fresno. Steve (Rob Lowe) is employed as a pilot for the airline. Donna has never flown before and has a panic attack on her first flight, embarrassing even the passengers. Donna had never been on a plane before and did not know what to expect. She loses it completely when the plane retracts its wheels and believes that the plane will crash when it first makes a turn. After the flight is over Steve helps Donna with her confidence and assures her that she is not going to get fired. Donna soon gets the hang of the job. She is hard working and becomes a good air hostess. Donna meets Ted (Mark Ruffalo) while working at Seirra. He works as the lake patrol officer and is a friend of Sherry's boyfriend. Christine practically throws herself at Ted, but he is attracted to Donna as they both want to travel and see the world. One day a Royalty Airlines plane refuels at Sierra's airport and Donna gets to see how the other side lives. Royalty Airlines air hostesses are impeccably dressed, carry only the most sophisticated handbags and talk about where they spent time in the whole world. Sherry says that back in time she worked for PanAm where the uniforms were made from natural fiber. She needed a job close to home and hence chose Sierra. Donna notices a job fair ad for Royalty Airlines in the papers and decides that her time has come. Donna applies to Royalty Airlines. She is interviewed by John Witney (Mike Myers). Sherry and Christine also apply. While Christine and Donna get in, Sherry does not as she comments on John's lazy eye and is rejected and remains with Sierra Airlines. Donna puts her heart and soul into training, and, after meeting Sally Weston, is determined to be assigned to the top route, "Paris, First Class, International". Sally is assigned to the group as a mentor. Sally likes Donna and senses she is special and wants her to focus on her career. Even then one day Donna finds that Christine stole guest soaps from Sally's house when they were invited there for dinner. After training, Donna is shocked and disappointed to be assigned to a commuter route in Cleveland while Christine, who struggled during the training, inexplicably has been assigned the high-priority New York City route. John says nothing can be done, and that Donna will be re-eligible to apply after 1 year. John refuses to get Sally involved as he also didn't get his dream of becoming a flight attendant due to his lazy eye. Although Donna is unhappy being in Cleveland, she begins a relationship with Ted (Mark Ruffalo). Donna can't shake the feeling that something was not right with her test. Yet, she continues to work her way up in the airline. She meets Ted's family over Christmas. A few months later, Donna runs into Christine in Cleveland. Donna is shocked when Christine happens to empty her handbag and it has stolen Royalty Air items. Even the smallest theft is strictly prohibited by Royalty Airlines and could result in termination. Donna is suspicious that there was some error in her route assignment. With Weston's help, Donna discovers that Christine had switched their test I.D. numbers (Christine had the habit of drawing hearts over her I's) as they handed in their final exams to the instructor She changed her test ID from 1041 to 1047 and Vice Versa for Donna. Weston then has airline security spy on Christine's flight to see if she engages in any theft. She also makes the connection that Christine stole the guest soaps from her bathroom that day. Christine is caught and fired. Donna re-takes the exam, achieving a perfect score. She is then assigned to a Paris, First Class, International route, though it means breaking off her relationship with Ted. Ted is devastated that Donna is leaving him so suddenly. Before her first flight Christine confronts Donna and says that she knows Donna ratted her out to Royalty airlines. Donna confronts back saying she knows that Christine switched the tests and Christine says that someone had to put Donna in her place. Christine attacks Donna and is carried away by security. Donna soon realizes that she is lonely and unhappy and misses Ted when she is alone in Paris on Christmas. With Weston's encouragement, she returns to Cleveland (she knows that Ted spends Christmas with his family every year) and the two reconcile. The film ends with Donna wishing her passengers well as they land in Cleveland, though she is now a pilot.