Coco Page #23

As Héctor steps forward with the photo, de la Cruz slowly

recognizes him.

DE LA CRUZ:

Hé-- Héctor?

HÉCTOR

Please Miguel, put my photo up.

Héctor pushes the photo into Miguel's hands. De la Cruz

intercepts it.

He looks from the picture to the gray, faded skeleton who

kneels before him. Héctor looks weak.

DE LA CRUZ:

My friend... you're being

forgotten...

HÉCTOR

And whose fault is that?

DE LA CRUZ:

Héctor, please--

HÉCTOR

Those were MY songs you took. MY

songs that made YOU famous.

MIGUEL:

W-What?

HÉCTOR

If I'm being forgotten, it's

because you never told anyone that

I wrote them--

MIGUEL:

That's crazy, de la Cruz wrote all

his own songs.

HÉCTOR

(to de la Cruz)

You wanna tell him, or should I?

DE LA CRUZ:

Héctor, I never meant to take

credit.

(beat)

(MORE)

92.

DE LA CRUZ (CONT'D)

We made a great team but -- you

died and I -- I only sang your

songs because I wanted to keep a

part of you alive.

HÉCTOR

Oh, how generous.

MIGUEL:

You really did play together...

HÉCTOR

Look, I don't want to fight about

it. I just want you to make it

right. Miguel can put my photo up--

DE LA CRUZ:

Héctor...

HÉCTOR

--And I can cross over the bridge.

I can see my girl.

De la Cruz looks at the photo, deliberating.

HÉCTOR

Ernesto... Remember the night I

left?

DE LA CRUZ:

That was a long time ago.

HÉCTOR

We drank together and you told me

you would move heaven and earth for

your amigo. Well, I'm asking you

to now.

MIGUEL:

Heaven and earth? Like in the

movie?

HÉCTOR

What?

MIGUEL:

That's Don Hidalgo's toast... in

the de la Cruz movie, "El Camino A

Casa."

HÉCTOR

I'm talking about my real life,

Miguel.

93.

MIGUEL:

No, it's in there. Look.

Miguel looks around and points to the movie clip projected

across the room.

FILM CLIP:

DON HIDALGO (FILM CLIP)

Never were truer words spoken.

This calls for A TOAST! To our

friendship! I would move Heaven

and Earth for you, mi amigo.

MIGUEL:

But in the movie, Don Hidalgo

poisons the drink...

DON HIDALGO (FILM CLIP)

Salud!

In the clip Don Hidalgo and de la Cruz drink. De la Cruz

spits his drink.

DE LA CRUZ (FILM CLIP)

Poison!

Héctor's gears are turning too.

HÉCTOR

That night, Ernesto. The night I

left...

FLASHBACK:

INT. MEXICO CITY HOTEL ROOM

Héctor throws a songbook in a suitcase, shuts it. He grabs

his guitar case like he means to leave.

HÉCTOR (V.O.)

We'd been performing on the road

for months. I got homesick -- and

I packed up my songs...

YOUNG DE LA CRUZ

You wanna give up now? When we're

this close to reaching our dream?

YOUNG HÉCTOR

This was your dream. You'll

manage.

94.

YOUNG DE LA CRUZ

I can't do this without your songs,

Héctor--

De la Cruz grabs young Héctor's suitcase, but Héctor pulls

away.

YOUNG HÉCTOR

I'm going home, Ernesto.

(beat)

Hate me if you want, but my mind is

made up.

De la Cruz looks angry. For a moment his face darkens. But

he composes himself.

YOUNG DE LA CRUZ

Oh, I could never hate you. If you

must go, then I'm... I'm sending

you off with a toast!

De la Cruz pours a couple of drinks. He gives one to Héctor.

YOUNG DE LA CRUZ (CONT'D)

To our friendship. I would move

Heaven and Earth for you, mi amigo.

Salud!

They both drink.

EXT. EMPTY STREET

HÉCTOR (V.O.)

You walked me to the train station.

They walk down an empty street at night, Héctor with suitcase

and guitar case in tow. Héctor stumbles, de la Cruz steadies

him, takes his guitar case.

HÉCTOR (V.O.)

But I felt a pain in my stomach. I

thought it must have been something

I ate...

YOUNG DE LA CRUZ

Perhaps it was that chorizo my

friend...

HÉCTOR (V.O.)

Or something I... drank.

95.

A few more steps and Héctor collapses in the street. FADE TO

BLACK.

HÉCTOR (V.O.)

I woke up dead.

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