Danny Collins Page #3

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It’s a great space. A PIANO sits dead center. It’s

obvious, however, that the room is not used often.

ON THE WALLS:

Covered in PLATINUM ALBUMS and framed copies of Danny’s

records. The cover art on the albums tells a story -

from that first SIMPLE ALBUM to the “look” he’s developed

over the past decade or two (same typeface, posing,

etc.).

Danny ENTERS the room, looks around, and spots what he’s

looking for:
a BOX OF EMBOSSED STATIONARY PAPER. He

carefully opens the box. Grabs a sheet. It’s blank.

They’re all blank.

He looks until he finds... a fancy MONTBLANC-esque pen.

He takes it out, looks at it, sits at the piano and takes

his time perfectly setting the pen and paper into

“writing position.”

Danny begins playing a simple melody. A few chords. The

beginning of something simple, melodic, and gentle.

He pauses, puts on his glasses. Thinks for a beat,

then... smiles. He grabs his pen and, just then...

Catches sight of himself in the studio mirror:

ON HIS REFLECTION

An old man in a silly suit, wearing platform shoes and

reading glasses, trying to write something original after

what’s clearly been a long hiatus from just that.

ON DANNY:

Realizing. He stops, unwilling to go further. You can

see it in his eyes. What’s the point? He puts down the

pen, leans back, and closes his eyes.

He falls asleep sitting up.

13.

17

INT. DANNY’S MERCEDES (IN FRONT OF MANSION) - NEXT DAY 17

Danny pulls up to the house. Sophie holds leftovers in

her lap; she’s dressed in something super revealing.

Danny wears something that makes him look like a mid-60’s

pimp.

You can imagine the looks they got at the restaurant.

SOPHIE:

Good birthday brunch, Baby?

DANNY:

(nodding)

Good birthday brunch.

She kisses his cheek. He smiles at her.

DANNY (CONT’D)

So how many people are inside?

SOPHIE:

Dammit! F***ing Frank!

Danny SIGHS.

DANNY:

Honey:
you can’t surprise a man my

age. You want to give me a heart

attack or something?

She motions at her ring finger.

SOPHIE:

Not until it’s legal.

DANNY:

Funny.

SOPHIE:

Uch, I’m so pissed at him!

Sophie reaches into her purse, pours a line of coke on

the dash, bends forward and does some.

SOPHIE (CONT’D)

You want?

Danny SIGHS.

DANNY:

You are trying to kill me.

He accepts some, does it quickly, moves for the car door.

(CONTINUED)

14.

17 CONTINUED:
17

DANNY (CONT’D)

Sweetheart?

SOPHIE:

Yeah?

DANNY:

Fix your dress.

Her right breast is hanging out of the low-cut dress.

Danny EXITS the car.

FROM OUTSIDE THE CAR

Danny heads toward the house. We hold there a beat, then

Sophie exits the car and scampers after him (attempting

to fix her dress as she scampers).

18 INT. MANSION - MOMENTS LATER 18

They ENTER the house to a huge:

CROWD:

Surprise!

The main living area is full of GUESTS. Danny feigns

shock, looks to Frank, front and center. Frank motions

to him:
“act surprised.”

DANNY:

No way! Are you kidding me!?

(to Sophie)

You did this?

But Sophie’s already hopped up, barely listening, rubbing

her nose and sniffling. Danny covers her behavior by

hugging her. The CROWD AWWWWES.

DANNY (CONT’D)

(putting on a show)

Don’t you all know you don’t

surprise a man my age? You could

have given me a heart attack!

Everyone LAUGHS. Someone CUES Danny’s MOST FAMOUS SONG

(the one we saw him open the concert with).

DANNY (CONT’D)

I think I know this one!

LAUGHTER. Danny couldn’t be more miserable, but he’s had

decades of experience performing. And boy, can he

perform. As WELL-WISHERS descend on Danny we launch:

14A.

19 INT. MANSION - LATER 19

A PARTY MONTAGE (CUE SONG TBD: John Lennon’s “Whatever

Gets You Through The Night”).

(CONTINUED)

15.

19 CONTINUED:
19

As Danny goes through the motions in snapshots.

-He watches OLDER MEN ogle YOUNGER WOMEN frolicking in

his pool.

-He and Frank watch as TWO YOUNG GUESTS ransack his wine

cellar.

-He OPENS gifts, relishes in receiving a bottle of

SCOTCH with a ribbon around it.

-He DOES COKE in the bathroom, alone.

-He watches two IDIOTS pour vodka/white wine in his Koi

pond.

-At one point, he spots Sophie chatting with Marty

outside (the doorman). He watches as she hands him some

CASH.

-He receives the gift of a SCARF from a FAMOUS FRIEND.

He places it in a pile of identical boxes (everyone has

gotten him scarves).

-By the time evening descends on the party, we pull away

from the festivities, ending on Danny’s familiar shoes.

But this time, the shoes are empty.

20 EXT. MANSION - NIGHT 20

The party has pretty much cleared out, day has turned

into night. Danny (socks, no shoes) and Frank (his

manager, we met him before) sit on Danny’s luxurious roof

deck. Danny holds his recently gifted bottle of scotch

(still with ribbon, now half empty).

Opposite them, Sophie is passed out on a love seat. As

usual, she’s hanging out everywhere.

FRANK:

She’s like a young Jackie O.

Danny CHUCKLES, shakes his head.

DANNY:

I look absurd with her.

FRANK:

Yes, you do.

A beat. She begins to snore, drunkenly.

DANNY:

We have to make her sign a prenup,

don’t we?

(CONTINUED)

15A.

20 CONTINUED:
20

FRANK:

Yes, we do.

Another beat.

(CONTINUED)

16.

20 CONTINUED:
(2) 20

DANNY:

I’m way too old to be putting this

much sh*t up my nose.

FRANK:

Yes, you are.

DANNY:

Jesus, don’t give me all the good

stuff at once, Frank. You’re

really earning that ten percent

tonight, Pal.

FRANK:

What do you want me to say? No,

Danny, you look totally normal

standing next to a coked up

teenager who can’t keep her

nipples covered for more than five

minutes. Prenup? Who needs a

prenup? I mean sure, you’ve been

through three wives already, but

this one really seems like the

real deal. Oh look, I can see her

vagina again!

Danny smiles.

DANNY:

Cute.

FRANK:

Thank you, I try.

Frank STANDS.

FRANK (CONT’D)

Okay, so... I got you a birthday

present and it cost me a fortune

so do me a favor and upside down

the frown for five minutes, huh?

Frank smiles, bends, and picks up a wrapped GIFT. Danny

starts unwrapping. Frank explains, excitedly:

FRANK (CONT’D)

I know how fanatical you are about

Lennon, so I started futzing

around on the internet. Ebay,

Lennon memorabilia, that kind of

stuff.

Wrapping paper is off. Danny starts removing ribbons.

(CONTINUED)

17.

20 CONTINUED:
(3) 20

FRANK (CONT’D)

I get in touch with this one guy,

a collector, say I’m looking to

get you something special.

Frank takes a deep breath.

FRANK (CONT’D)

Holy sh*t, I’ve been holding this

in for three months now!

(then)

Danny, wait, hold on.

Danny stops opening the gift.

FRANK (CONT’D)

You remember doing an interview,

when you were a kid? Something

called Chime Magazine? Fella

named DeLoach?

DANNY:

(confused)

Yeah. Maybe.

FRANK:

I don’t know what you’d said to

the guy - you mentioned Lennon,

doesn’t matter. Point is: Lennon

read it! And he wrote you a

letter!

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