Danny Collins Page #11

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(CONTINUED)

64.

63 CONTINUED:
63

TOM:

(serious)

You are a ridiculous man.

Silence. This hangs there.

TOM (CONT’D)

I have spent my entire life trying

to become the kind of man you

aren’t. I am exhausted. You have

no idea how exhausting that has

been.

Danny thinks, explains:

DANNY:

When I met your mother... I was

strung out, on God knows what.

When I found out, I tried to send

her money. She refused it. Over

the years, I always wanted to find

you, but...

He pauses.

DANNY (CONT’D)

My life was extreme. The drugs.

Women. Travel. I didn’t think

much of myself. I thought you

were better off with a normal

life. And then, by the time I

realized... I don’t know. I don’t

know how I allowed it to go this

long.

Silence. Tom finally leans forward.

TOM:

What you did today - your slate is

clean with me. But that’s as far

as this goes.

DANNY:

I want to be a part of your life.

TOM:

No. I can’t handle that right

now.

DANNY:

I can’t just walk away from this.

TOM:

Well, you’re going to have to

because it’s just not a good time-

(CONTINUED)

65.

63 CONTINUED:
(2) 63

DANNY:

Not a good time, what does that

mean, not a good time-

TOM:

I’m sick.

It comes out quickly, strongly, and unintentionally. The

car goes silent.

TOM (CONT’D)

Sh*t.

Danny is lost.

DANNY:

What the hell are you talking

about? What do you mean you’re

sick?

Tom shakes his head. He doesn’t want to do this.

Finally, he gives in.

TOM:

It’s what Mom died...

(beat, then)

It’s in the blood. It’s pretty

bad.

Danny looks stunned. A long, silent beat as he

processes. Then:

DANNY:

Are you f***ing kidding me!?

Tom looks up, surprised.

DANNY (CONT’D)

I just met you! I mean, you’ve

got to be f***ing kidding me!

This hangs there, awkwardly. Danny takes a breath,

regroups.

DANNY (CONT’D)

Okay, obviously that was not a

great reaction. I’m sorry.

TOM:

No, don’t be silly! I’m the one

who should be sorry. After all:

you’re Danny Collins! What

business do I have getting in the

way of your happy ending?

(CONTINUED)

66.

63 CONTINUED:
(3) 63

DANNY:

Tom-

TOM:

Tell me:
how did this all go in

the little movie you have playing

in your head? You show up out of

nowhere, fix my kid’s life, and we

hold hands and cry as the music

swells? Was that it?

DANNY:

(reaching for him)

I didn’t mean to-

TOM:

Don’t you f***ing touch me. You

want a taste of the real world?

You want “normal”? Well here it

is, Superstar:
I’ve got a two

hundred thousand dollar mortgage,

a pregnant wife, and oh yeah, a

rare form of Leukemia that’s

probably gonna kill me. Welcome

home, Daddy, see what you’ve

missed?

Danny’s head is spinning.

DANNY:

I don’t know what to say.

TOM:

I don’t need you to say anything, I

need you to leave. I have to go

inside before Sam asks me what we

were talking about-

DANNY:

Wait, wait, wait, hold on... she

doesn’t know?

Tom says nothing.

DANNY (CONT’D)

Are you insane?

TOM:

I got a great doc in the city.

Three weeks of this targeted

therapy thing. It’s like a chemo

but I don’t lose my hair or

anything. They can tell within a

month if I’ve responded at all.

If I do, maybe I have a chance.

If not, it happens quick.

(CONTINUED)

66A.

63 CONTINUED:
(4) 63

Danny shakes his head, trying to process this.

(CONTINUED)

67.

63 CONTINUED:
(5) 63

DANNY:

Samantha-

TOM:

Is six months into a rough

pregnancy. After the baby, then I

tell her.

He stops, retaining his calm.

TOM (CONT’D)

I’m going to work a job in

Delaware for three weeks. That’s

all she knows.

Silence.

DANNY:

You’ll need help. Have you told

anyone? A friend?

TOM:

She’s my friend.

(then)

You’re actually the only person

who knows.

DANNY:

Jesus.

TOM:

You’re telling me.

They sit there with that for a moment.

DANNY:

Okay. Well, I’ll be there then.

TOM:

Be where?

DANNY:

There. Wherever you need me.

TOM:

I don’t need you.

DANNY:

Well you need someone, Tom and if

you think you don’t you have your

head up your ass. And, however it

happened, it appears I’m what

you’ve got at the moment. So I’m

going to help you with this, and

it’s not open for discussion.

(CONTINUED)

67A.

63 CONTINUED:
(6) 63

TOM:

But-

(CONTINUED)

68.

63 CONTINUED:
(7) 63

DANNY:

It’s not open for discussion, Tom.

It’s authoritative. Fatherly. Tom stares at Danny

blankly, suddenly confused by all the dynamics at play.

A64 EXT. STREET - MOMENTS LATER A64

Tom stands outside the bus (surrounded by bags of toys).

For the first time since we’ve met him, he looks like a

lost little boy.

Tom watches the bus drive away. It takes out two tree

branches.

64 BACK INSIDE THE BUS 64

Now in the clear, Danny drops the performance. He slumps

against his seat, overwhelmed.

65 INT. WOODCLIFF LAKE HILTON - LATER 65

Danny walks into the lobby. Mary sees him, smiles.

MARY:

How’d it go?

Danny doesn’t even break stride.

DANNY:

Yeah... it was just... yeah.

Yeah.

Mary dovetails in behind him as he walks.

MARY:

Hey, c’mon! Family can be messy

sometimes.

DANNY:

That is true. That is definitely

true in this case.

He pushes a button on the elevator door.

MARY:

Danny! You’re meeting your grown

son for the first time. You

didn’t think it was going to be

easy, did you?

Danny LAUGHS a little.

(CONTINUED)

68A.

65 CONTINUED:
65

DANNY:

I thought it was gonna be f***ing

easier than this.

The elevator door opens, Danny gets in. He’s almost

dazed.

DANNY (CONT’D)

Every part of me wants to just get

completely soused with you right

now. But I think I’m going to

just go upstairs instead. That’s

good, right?

Mary NODS.

MARY:

Write.

She pulls a Hilton pen out of her jacket pocket, hands it

to him. Danny looks at her. Smiles a little.

The elevator door closes.

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