Country Strong Page #5

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holding up a stop sign.

Most people just

pass right through.

Yeah, well,

they'll regret it.

I promise you that.

Well, you just

got to figure out

another pickup line.

Hi, Beau.

Did you have

a good time last night?

Yeah. Sure.

Yeah, that's good.

I finished your lyrics

for you. There they are.

God, how did you ever

find the time?

You be quiet,

Beau Hutton.

(CHUCKLES)

Chiles, me and the guys here,

we were talking

about that year

MacArthur returned

back to the Philippines.

Just none of us could

think of when that was.

When was that?

Are you making

fun of me, Beau?

Well, I don't know.

Let me check my flash card.

Yes, I am.

You're an a**hole, man.

(SINGS LINE OF A COUNTRY SONG)

What are you doing here?

You're not

supposed to be here.

Yeah, well, I just

looked for the biggest

sh*t-hole bar in town

and there you were, Beau.

You're not that hard

to figure out.

I thought you didn't want

anything else to do with me.

I'm waving a white flag.

I got a surprise for you.

Come on, Winnie's

waiting for us out front.

Come on !

Seriously?

Yeah. You gotta to

learn your way around

a recording studio.

After Dallas,

your fans are going to

want to buy something.

(CHILES SINGING COMING HOME)

What's going on?

What are you

doing here, Kelly?

That's my song.

I know you liked

the song, baby,

but Bob sent

some other songs over

that were much better,

much more

appropriate for you.

I liked them a lot.

This song, it was too,

I don't know what.

It was just too. . .

Too what?

Too good? Too young? What?

It wasn't right for you.

(SCOFFS)

I get it.

You can't expect to be

the toast of the town

after the way you've acted.

Oh, believe me,

you've made it

perfectly clear

that I'm not the toast

of anyone's town.

Kelly, listen.

Get off of me!

(CHILES CONTINUES SINGING)

(CRYING)

Hey.

Leave me alone, James.

Kell, I got somebody out here

who wants to see you, okay?

Who?

Look here.

She's been asking

for you all day.

Loretta Lynn.

I'm busy, you know,

today, and. . .

I thought you could

take her back

to the hotel with you,

take care of her.

You're just trying to

make me feel better.

I got to run over

to Stanley's this afternoon

and I can't take her with me.

They won't allow it.

You know? So. . .

It would help.

Oh, my God, James.

She's so tiny.

Yeah, she is, isn't she?

She gets hungry really fast.

So, you should

probably come on out.

Okay.

All right.

You must not think

I'm much of a man.

I never said that.

I don't always

dance for her, you know?

I know.

She used to be

tough as nails.

What happened to her?

I don't know.

She had a fire in her.

The only place

she wanted to be

was on stage.

That was it.

I don't know

when she got

so goddamn fragile.

Maybe she's done.

No. No, I can't let her

go out like this.

Then, let's just

stop her right now.

Before it gets any worse.

No. No.

Just turn the bus around

and put her back in rehab.

It might get better.

She can get stronger.

You and I both know

she's not getting any better.

You're just talking

like her sponsor.

(SIGHS)

You and I both know

I was never her sponsor.

Where's Kell?

She told me she was

going to pick you up.

(SINGING KEEP ON SMILIN')

(ALL CHEERING)

MAN:
Shake it, girl !

Kelly, come on.

Come on, time to go.

Beau ! Beau !

Get down.

Hey! Just give her

a break, guys.

MAN:
We're just having

a good time with her.

KELLY:
Stop it!

BEAU:
Just listen to me.

How dare you do that to me?

I don't give a sh*t!

Can you get down

here now, Chiles?

It's Miss Kitty's

on 38th 1 /2.

How dare you?

Those people are my friends!

Because

I need your help.

Come in here

and pull me out of a bar.

I don't care.

Just take a cab

and pull around back.

Who do you think you are?

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

(GROANS)

You're just somebody's

daughter, aren't you?

Yes, I guess I am.

Whose daughter are you?

Her name is Sandy.

I'm Sandy's daughter.

She must have done

a real number on you.

Yes, ma'am, she did.

Don't call me "ma'am."

Sorry.

I always wanted a daughter.

You did?

I will, one day.

I'm going to have

a daughter and treat her

just like fine china.

I'll tell her

how smart she is.

And I'm going to

let her drive

whenever she wants.

And I'll let her

get her ears pierced.

I will.

I got my ears pierced

when I was six.

I had my eye on these

beautiful diamond stars.

I told myself

they were diamonds,

but I'm pretty sure

they were just CZs.

My mom said I had to get

the starting-out earrings

and those were just

boring old gold balls.

You know,

just the real plain ones.

She said I could

change them out

if I was responsible enough

to clean them,

but she never let me.

Well, they sound

real pretty.

Yeah, they were

real pretty.

I think you can have

one hell of a career

if you want one.

I want one.

I know you do.

Be nice to Beau, okay?

He thinks

he's so tough.

But I ain't ever

had a man be

so gentle with me.

He's one of

the good ones.

He's one of

the only good ones.

Does this mean

we're friends?

No, sweetheart.

It don't mean a thing.

AUDIENCE:
(CHANTING)

Kelly! Kelly! Kelly!

Where in the hell

have y'all been?

(VOMITING)

Hey! Hey!

Get a hold of yourself!

Come on ! Get it together!

Let her alone, James.

She's sick.

JJ, she's fine.

She's a little

under the weather.

She's done. We're done.

The sponsor's been pulled.

The show is over.

JJ, look.

You can fix this.

You know them well.

They trust you.

We go back a long way.

I just lost

a quarter of a million

in return tickets.

I'm probably not

the person you want to ask.

JJ, come on.

It's not all about money!

I cannot believe

we fell for this sh*t again.

We got to have Dallas.

She's done.

(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)

How y'all doing tonight?

Thank you

very much for waiting.

I have a special

surprise for you.

It's a new song,

and I'm going to need

my friend, Chiles Stanton,

to come out

and sing this with me.

No.

She's a very

talented songwriter

and this is her song.

Will you please

welcome to the stage,

Miss Chiles Stanton.

Come on.

What the hell are you doing?

Hi, everybody.

This is our first time

singing it,

so please be kind to us.

(SINGING GIVE IN TO ME)

I have sources

that say alcohol

was involved.

I don't know

anything about that.

Thousands of people paid

their hard-earned money

to see Kelly

perform tonight,

and they're walking

away disappointed.

What do you say to that?

I'd say I expect

a little more loyalty.

Kelly?

Get out of here, Beau.

Get the hell out, kid !

What the hell did you say?

She's not your wife!

Yeah, she ain't yours,

either!

Get the hell out of here,

you goddamn a**hole!

Do you feel tough now?

Get dressed, Kelly.

You're the only one

that's good enough

for me, is that it?

No, but I'm a hell of

a lot better

than that a**hole.

You're no better

than him at all.

Do you think he gives

a sh*t about you?

Do you think

you give a sh*t about me?

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