[Nate the Great]

I'm prefacing this with the statement that I have STILL not actually seen this movie, but here are some ideas for timecutting measures so you can fit some actual plot coherence into this movie.

(I'm ignoring the Spock plotline here 'cause I don't know that much about it, but remember that they have to be in there somewhere. I'm also using the Wikipedia article for reference.)

1. Kirk is a young boy visiting the ship during the disaster. George has to trick Winona and James into the shuttle. Touching goodbye across glass a la Wrath of Khan.
2. Cut to Kirk as a young teenager in San Francisco. His bad behavior has caused Winona to send him to relatives at Starfleet Command. They attempt to indoctrinate him in the ways of Starfleet, but he'll have nothing of it. Starfleet killed his father, after all. (Oh, and the Enterprise is actually being built in San Francisco in the PREEXISTING shipyards).
3. Pike finds him in a bar, the same conversation ensues.
4. Forget academic probation; that's dumb. He reprograms and beats the Kobayashi Maru offscreen and people just comment on it to save time. He gets a commendation.
5. Cut to five years later. He's the helmsman on the Enterprise. Spock is visiting his old friend Pike. Kirk gets command because he technically outranks Spock.
6. Sulu and Scotty jump down to the drill. Hey, writers, don't put the Big Seven on a ship unless you intend on using all Seven. This ain't the Eighties anymore! We've been following Kirk and Spock for the last hour, let someone else have the screen, alright?
7. Oh, and Vulcan isn't destroyed. This is a big BIG BIG Berserk Button for me. Spock's mom can visit a Vulcan moon or outpost and you can destroy THAT, but not zarking VULCAN!