The Space Between (film)

Plot summary

Montine McLeod (Melissa Leo) is a flight attendant who gets stuck with nine-year-old Pakistani-American Omar Hassan (Anthony Keyvan) after their flight gets grounded in Longview, Texas, on the morning of 11 September 2001. Omar is an unaccompanied minor; in the chaos that ensues, Montine becomes his temporary guardian. Montine later discovers that Omar's father works in the World Trade Center. She decides to drive the boy home after he informs her his father is at home waiting for him in New York. On the journey, they begin to bond and learn more about each other. Montine makes a stop on the way to New York as she receives a call that her mother is dying. Upon arriving at her mother's house, she finds her mother already dead. After dealing with her mother's death, she continues on the road to take Omar home. When they get there, they learn Omar's father has not been home in the two days since the destruction of the Twin Towers. Later that night, Montine receives a call from her employer and is forced to bring Omar with her. At the ensuing meeting, Montine is terminated; Omar is taken from her and given to his school head master for the night before leaving for a new school the following day (the reason he was on the original flight). The day Omar is set to leave for Los Angeles, he locks himself in the bathroom and refuses to come out. Montine is asked to come; she coaxes Omar out of the bathroom and she walks him to his flight to Los Angeles.

Cast