Danny Collins Page #13

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It’s a strange thing to not be able to admit, but clearly

this is difficult for Tom.

TOM:

I can just do it, you know? It’s

not like I’m Mozart or anything

but-

DANNY:

You were born with it. Got your

mother’s looks, but you got that

from me, I guess.

Danny walks over to the piano.

DANNY (CONT’D)

Sit down.

TOM:

I don’t want to-

DANNY:

Oh for Christ sake, Tom, sit down.

There are no movies left to rent

and you’re two keys off.

Tom SIGHS, sits. Danny puts the food down, sits next to

him.

DANNY (CONT’D)

Here. On the bridge you should be

at E, not C.

TOM:

(standing)

I don’t know what any of that

means.

Danny catches his arm, stopping him.

DANNY:

Well then let me teach you, you

petulant little f***er.

(CONTINUED)

74C.

B80 CONTINUED:
(2) B80

And as Danny begins to teach his son to play piano we

continue the song through...

75.

C80 INT. DANNY’S HOTEL ROOM - DAY C80

Danny sits at the piano, writing feverishly. There’s a

KNOCK at the door.

DANNY:

Come in! It’s un-bolt-y-thing’d.

The door opens, it’s Mary. She holds up a piece of

PAPER.

MARY:

Got your note.

DANNY:

Talk to me. What’d you think?

Because I’m thinking of changing

the whole verse. Just a complete

overhaul, lyrically.

Mary reads from the paper.

MARY:

Pictures from my life/As I’m

walking down the hall/As I am

walking by/I collect them all.

Danny claps.

DANNY:

So!? What do you think?

MARY:

You’re aware I have no basis in

musical knowledge or theory?

DANNY:

I am.

MARY:

But you still want my opinion?

DANNY:

I do.

MARY:

As someone with no basis in

musical knowledge or theory... I

kind of liked it better how it

was. With the leaves.

Danny looks up.

DANNY:

Yeah?

(CONTINUED)

75A.

C80 CONTINUED:
C80

MARY:

Yeah.

Danny throws down his pen, changes tone.

DANNY:

Yeah, me too, honestly Mary: I was

really just trying to get you to

my room again.

(then)

So can I take you to dinner now?

MARY:

Play it in concert, then you can

take me to dinner.

DANNY:

You are such a dinner tease.

There’s a KNOCK at the door. Danny goes to answer.

MARY:

I am not a dinner tease.

DANNY:

You are a huge dinner tease.

Danny answers the door. Frank stands there. He does not

look happy.

FRANK:

I’ve been calling.

DANNY:

Frank!

FRANK:

This is my second time in New

Jersey in two months. I’m not

happy about it, Danny.

DANNY:

Sorry, sorry, I owed you a call,

you know how I get when I’m

writing.

He taps Frank’s cheek.

DANNY (CONT’D)

Look at this face! Is this a face

I love or what? Great to see you,

Frank! Sorry again, busy few

weeks.

Frank looks inside, sees Mary.

(CONTINUED)

75B.

C80 CONTINUED:
(2) C80

FRANK:

Apparently.

(then)

May I?

Danny motions for Frank to come in. Danny makes

introductions.

DANNY:

Mary, my manager and best friend,

Frank Grubman. Frank, this is

Mary. She is my new girlfriend.

FRANK:

(surprised)

Really?

Mary shakes her head no.

(CONTINUED)

76.

C80 CONTINUED:
(3) C80

DANNY:

Well, I’m hopeful. At some point,

obviously, she’ll have dinner with

me.

(to Frank)

Huge dinner tease.

MARY:

I am not.

DANNY:

She keeps moving the goalposts for

dinner.

Mary LAUGHS. Frank watches, perplexed. What’s with all

the cutesy? Where the hell has his pal Danny gone?

FRANK:

Mary, would you mind if I had a

word with Danny in private?

MARY:

No, of course.

Mary takes her leave.

DANNY:

Dinner tonight?

MARY:

You’re ridiculous.

GIGGLING, Mary closes the door. Danny looks at Frank,

smiles.

DANNY:

Right?

FRANK:

(admitting)

She’s lovely.

DANNY:

And age appropriate.

FRANK:

Not really.

DANNY:

Baby steps.

Frank smiles, sits. Danny sits next to him.

FRANK:

We need to talk.

(CONTINUED)

77.

C80 CONTINUED:
(4) C80

DANNY:

We do. I have a lot to tell you

about, Pal-

FRANK:

Danny, unfortunately I’ve got the

manager hat back on right now.

Danny nods. Something’s clearly wrong. He changes tone,

serious.

DANNY:

What’s up?

Frank thinks. How to say this?

FRANK:

Do you remember a few years ago we

were watching that thing on ESPN

about Mike Tyson? And they were

saying how even though he’d made

like twenty million a fight, he’d

blown it all, and now he could

barely afford to feed the pigeons

on his roof?

Danny processes this. Then, childlike, asks:

DANNY:

I’m Mike Tyson?

FRANK:

Well, not quite, but... I’ve been

going over things with Bill and

you’re not quite where you think

you are.

Danny nods, staying calm.

DANNY:

Okay. Where am I?

FRANK:

You’re a little bit ahead, once we

sell properties. But just a

little.

Danny lets this sink in.

DANNY:

I don’t understand. How?

FRANK:

Lot of things. We shouldn’t have

sold your publishing rights so

early.

(MORE) (CONTINUED)

78.

C80 CONTINUED:
(5) C80

FRANK (CONT'D)

All the properties, the housing

markets have collapsed. The

private planes, your lifestyle,

the Madoff thing absolutely killed

you, as you know. You’re not

bankrupt or anything, but you need

to understand how serious this is.

DANNY:

Okay, I understand.

(then)

What do I do?

FRANK:

One of two things: you start

living like a normal human - buy a

Prius, fly Continental, that kind

of sh*t... or you go back on tour.

This last tour was my retirement

plan for you. We had a big piece:

merchandise, concessions-

DANNY:

No, I know.

They sit in silence for a long beat.

DANNY (CONT’D)

I’ve been writing, Frank.

FRANK:

Danny-

DANNY:

It’s good. I’m telling you, Mary

thinks it’s really good.

FRANK:

The Woodcliff Lake Hotel manager?

Oh, okay. Well now I feel better.

DANNY:

Careful.

Frank eases up.

DANNY (CONT’D)

Just book me a gig.

FRANK:

A “gig?”

DANNY:

Something local. Not an arena.

Like what Springsteen would do if

he was just popping in somewhere.

(CONTINUED)

79.

C80 CONTINUED:
(6) C80

FRANK:

“Like what Springsteen would do?”

Danny, do you even hear yourself.

DANNY:

I’m telling you: the new stuff

will play. Then we tour. And the

bonus is that I won’t have to feel

like killing myself every night.

Frank SIGHS, shakes his head. Stands.

Okay.

FRANK:

Frank stops at the door, turns.

FRANK (CONT’D)

Just don’t buy any pigeons.

Frank EXITS.

Danny thinks for a beat, then he sits back at his PIANOand continues working... a man possessed.

PRE-LAP:
a spoon clinks on glass, signaling a toast.

DANNY (O.S.)

If I could have your attentionplease?

80 EXT. TOM AND SAMANTHA’S HOUSE - MORNING (DAYS LATER) 80

Tom, Samantha, Hope, and Danny sit on lawn chairs at amakeshift inflatable pool. Samantha is even more

pregnant now... she’s huge.

Danny has allowed Hope (in pool) to tap a spoon on hisCOFFEE MUG. He has an announcement.

DANNY:

So I’m playing a gig at a barFriday night.

TOM:

(amused)

A “gig”?

What’s a gig?

HOPE:

DANNY:

It’s where I sing in front ofpeople, Hon.

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