Lug Nuts

Of the two billion bags checked every year at airports around the world, five of every 1,000 are misplaced. And if someone loses their luggage at BWI Airport, three guys ensure it gets back to their rightful owners: Joe Schlepp, Fred Strickland, and Pete Blunt. They are the lug nuts of lost luggage.

The lost baggage claims department has a cast of characters that would be just as comfortable on a circus stage as in the bowels of BWI. The department is filled with misfits and outcasts. Some employees use the department as a stepping stone, others need a summer job, and then there are the lifers: Joe, Fred, and Pete.

Joe lives in his parents basement in a suspended state of adolescence. His off time is spent pouring through comic books, his main obsession being "Superchick," a kick ass heroine thwarting evil at every turn. Because of his ambitionless life, Joe is at the bottom rung at BWI, a ramp rat whose sole responsibility is taking lost luggage to storage.

Fred is a supervisor. A veteran of the job armed with a degree in the school of hard knocks, Fred is a broken man with a brave face. He is trying to distance himself from the emotional residue of his lost son.

Pete Blunt is the manager who despises every employee he oversees. Pete’s surroundings are a constant reminder that he blew his big chance years ago. A successful and lucrative career as a relief pitcher for the Minnesota Twins was cut short by his own doings. Gambling depleted his bank account and booze robbed him of talent. Debt mounted, luck diminished. The lack of control that he has over his own addictive behaviors is projected into total control over his workforce.

A shakeup in the department requires all employees to do more with less. Pete fires a slacker driver on the spot, but to Pete’s chagrin, there’s no one to fill the vacancy. Fred suggests Joe be promoted to Driver. Pete reluctantly agrees. Fred swears Joe in as a duly authorized representative of the Port Authority of the tri-state area.

Joe's first day as driver proves disastrous, so Fred takes Joe under his wing, teaming up for a round of deliveries. Fred witnesses Joe’s shortcomings and offers corrections. Under Fred’s tutelage, Joe quickly learns the tricks of the trade, returning luggage with a deft hand.

With his newfound confidence and bigger paycheck, Joe gets his own trailer, albeit only 100 yards away from his parents house. Joe christens it with a party and invites other ramp rats who promise to bring beer and plenty of hot girls to the housewarming. But only mom, dad, and Fred show up. Fred stays later than planned and learns of Joe’s obsession with Superchick, it reminds Fred of his son’s love of comic books.

Back at Fred's house, his dog Magnum has gone missing. In his frantic search, Fred clutches his chest and has a heart attack. Joe waits by his side in the hospital until family arrives. Fred and his wife confront the fact that their son is gone. Fred promises to take better care of himself and move on.

Pete is not even phased by Fred’s absence at work. His lack of appreciation infuriates Joe. Normally passive, Joe steps up to the plate and punches Pete right in the face for his audacity not to care. Pete tells Joe to clear out his locker.

Fred is released form the hospital and has a surprise visit by Magnum. Lost for only a few days, a family saw his flyer and brought him back. Fred is starting to pull himself together. He is ready to confront his past and move forward.

Joe attends a Superchick signing and finally meets the author, Maxine Goodman. He is really surprised to see that Maxine is disabled and confined to a wheelchair. They hit it off. Conversation turns to lunch and lunch turns into mutual admiration for all things weird and fantastic. Their encounter leads Joe to accompany Maxine to the promised land: Comicon in San Diego. With the lost luggage department in his rearview mirror, Joe embraces the sunlight as he exits the San Diego airport.