Danny Collins Page #16

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Danny turns and EXITS the hotel.

93 EXT. WOODCLIFF LAKE HILTON - CONTINUOUS 93

Nicky pulls up the Mercedes, loads in the SUITCASE.

DANNY:

Nicky, it’s been a pleasure.

NICKY:

The pleasure has definitely been

mine, Danny.

Danny reaches into his pocket to TIP Nicky. But he’s got

no cash.

DANNY:

Sh*t.

(then)

You know what?

Danny goes to his trunk, removes the suitcase, and

WHISTLES for a cab (in line at the nearby stand).

He hands NICKY the KEYS to the Mercedes.

NICKY:

You’re kidding me.

Danny smiles.

DANNY:

The second you stop appreciating

it, you give it to someone else.

Deal?

NICKY:

Deal.

DANNY:

Good. Now get the hell out of

here.

Nicky doesn’t know what to do with himself. He BEAR HUGS

Danny, gets in the car, and ZOOMS off.

MARY (O.S.)

Wait!

(CONTINUED)

94.

93 CONTINUED:
93

Mary runs out, catches up to him. They stand there.

MARY (CONT’D)

I don’t want the last thing I ever

said to you to be mean. But I

don’t want to say anything nice.

So...

(then)

Mr. Collins:
on behalf of the

Woodcliff Lake Hilton, we hope you

enjoyed your stay and hope you

will choose to make Hilton home,

wherever you travels take you.

They stand there in awkward silence.

DANNY:

I’m grabbing a cab.

MARY:

I see that.

DANNY:

I gave Nicky my Mercedes.

MARY:

You’re f***ing crazy.

DANNY:

It’s been said, yes.

Danny turns to her.

DANNY (CONT’D)

I called Frank this morning. I’m

going back on tour.

MARY:

Good. Good, right?

DANNY:

I need the money. I have a family

now. They hate my guts, but I’m

told that’s just what families do.

MARY:

I’ve taught you well.

He smiles.

DANNY:

I’m gonna play my new songs. At

least some of them. We’ll see

what happens.

(CONTINUED)

95.

93 CONTINUED:
(2) 93

MARY:

I know what will happen.

DANNY:

They’ll throw tomatoes?

MARY:

Onions.

DANNY:

Better.

Danny loads his suitcase into the TAXI.

DANNY (CONT’D)

Tour comes to The Garden in a few

months. Maybe I could take you to

dinner after the show?

MARY:

(with a smile)

You’re relentless.

Danny gets in the taxi, lowers the window.

DANNY:

I left you something in the room.

MARY:

You probably left me a big mess is

what you left me.

DANNY:

Hey, you know us rock stars.

Danny takes her in one last time, smiles.

DANNY (CONT’D)

Another life, huh?

MARY:

You never know.

Danny smiles, winks, and taps the window. He came to the

Woodcliff Lake Hilton in a red Mercedes. He leaves in a

yellow taxi.

96.

94 INT. DANNY’S HOTEL ROOM - LATER 94

Mary ENTERS the room with TWO CLEANING LADIES. But the

room...

Is immaculate. Danny has cleaned it himself.

On the bed, sits the LENNON LETTER. Next to it, a SECOND

NOTE, from Danny:

It reads:
“What do you think about that, Mary Sinclair?”

MARY:

Well I’ll be damned. He made a

clean exit.

She chuckles to herself, stands, and kicks Busywork

(sprawled on the floor).

MARY (CONT’D)

Be out of the room by noon.

And with that, Mary Sinclair EXITS.

CUE SONG:
Jealous Guy (TBD) written by John Lennon.

95 OMITTED

A96 INT. PRIVATE JET - DAY

Danny sits in his seat, waiting for liftoff.

his cell.

DANNY:

Yeah, I’ll meet you guys in

Pittsburgh. Frank’s setting up

the other dates. Okay, talk soon.

A STEWARDESS approaches.

STEWARDESS:

We’re ready for takeoff, Mr.

Collins. Say goodbye to New

Jersey.

He looks out his window, speaks to himself.

DANNY:

Goodbye to New Jersey.

A96

He talks on

96A.

96 EXT. TOM AND SAMANTHA’S HOUSE - DAY 96

A pair of feet makes the familiar trek past Tom’s front

yard. A finger rings the familiar doorbell. Rings

again. Still broken. The hand knocks.

The door opens. It’s Tom. Standing opposite him is...

Frank.

TOM:

Oh Jesus. What now? Did he send

you to check on me?

FRANK:

The hotel didn’t know what to do

with the damn piano. I thought

you might want it.

(CONTINUED)

97.

96 CONTINUED:
96

Frank motions to a MOVING TRUCK out front manned by FOUR

LARGE MEN. Tom shakes his head.

TOM:

I don’t want his piano.

FRANK:

Well, it took six hours to move it

out of the Hilton and I don’t know

anyone else in New Jersey, so

tough sh*t.

(then)

It’s a thirty thousand dollar

instrument, Tom. Sell it for all

I care.

A beat, then Tom nods, exhausted. Frank motions at the

movers, they start opening the truck.

FRANK (CONT’D)

Your health?

TOM:

(shrug)

Find out in a few days.

Frank nods, takes a sip from his ubiquitous water bottle.

FRANK:

When I was in my thirties, I

started drinking. Heavily. Don’t

remember how it started. Everyone

was always drinking before his

shows. After his shows. Long

line of drunks in my family, all

the usual bullshit excuses.

Out of nowhere, Frank yells at the movers behind him:

FRANK (CONT’D)

Careful, gentlemen, that’s a

Steinway. It’s worth more than

you are.

He turns back to Tom, SHRUGS, continues.

FRANK (CONT’D)

We were on tour in the Bay Area

and I fell asleep at the wheel.

Almost killed myself, a few

others. Got arrested. Your fa-

(then)

Danny bailed me out. Five in the

morning he showed up at the San

Jose police station high as a

f***ing kite.

(MORE) (CONTINUED)

98.

96 CONTINUED:
(2) 96

FRANK (CONT’D)

Drives me six hours straight to

this Hollywood rehab joint...

probably drove us there drunker

than I’d been the night before,

the dumb sh*t. Paid for the whole

thing. Visited me every Saturday

till I was dry. And once a week,

for the last thirty years, I get

four cases of bottled water sent

to me, wherever I am in the world.

Always with the same note: “Drink

as many as you want on me, Danny.”

Frank taps his water bottle.

FRANK (CONT’D)

Best friend I ever had your

father. The man saved my life,

got me stone-cold sober, and he

was three sheets to the wind

himself the entire time he was

doing it.

TOM:

I’m not seeing the point here.

FRANK:

The point, my boy, is that he’s

always been better to others than

he has been to himself. What you

do with that, is up to you. My

waters will keep coming no matter

what.

Frank tips an imaginary hat, turns back to the movers.

FRANK (CONT’D)

Alright, boys, let’s move that

puppy so I can get the f*** out of

New Jersey.

Tom stands at the door, watching Frank go.

97 INT. TOM AND SAMANTHA’S HOUSE - MORNING (DAYS LATER) 97

Tom holds Hope on his lap as she BANGS away on the piano

(which is wildly out of place and oversized for the

cramped living room).

He picks Hope up, places her on the bench by herself, and

kisses her forehead. Sam watches adoringly (and WILDLY

pregnant) from the couch (where she lies).

Tom moves to her.

(CONTINUED)

99.

97 CONTINUED:
97

He takes her hand, kisses it. He goes to pull away but

she won’t let him go. She has tears in her eyes.

He nods at her:
a solid, steadying look. He kisses her

again, kisses her belly, then EXITS.

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