Viktor Navorksi (Tom Hanks) falls into a bureaucratic crack in the system when his plane lands at New York's JFK airport from the fictitious country of Krakozhia. Unbeknownst to Navorski, his country fell prey to a military coup while he was in flight, causing it to be wiped from the map. This effectively renders his passport null and void, meaning he cannot legally enter America, nor return to his now nonexistent home. Barely able to speak English, the hapless Navorski is offered a sanctuary of sorts by kindly staff who allow him to freely inhabit the airport. With little money to his name, Navorski has to quickly shed his feelings of displacement, confusion, and alienation to survive. Fortunately he has a resourceful nature, and makes a meager amount of money for food by returning baggage carts. As time passes he becomes more comfortable with his surroundings, even finding time to pursue a passing stewardess, Amelia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who has captured his heart. But airport denizens such as customs chief Frank Dixon (Stanley Tucci), who is a constant thorn in Navorski's side, remind him of his outsider status throughout the ordeal.

Director Steven Spielberg uses the airport setting of THE TERMINAL to represent a microcosmic view of the immigrant experience in American society. Drawing on a fine performance from Hanks, and a supporting cast who provide plenty of laughs, Spielberg handles some delicate subject matter with an acute sensitivity, providing a heartfelt tale in the process.