Danny Collins Page #9

---

MARY:

I was just trying to be funny.

DANNY:

I know!

MARY:

(completely gone)

We did split up at the worst time

possible but I don’t think she

hates me. Oh, maybe she does. I

don’t want any more tequila!

She’s crying now, but also laughing. It’s incredibly

appealing.

48 LATER THAT NIGHT 48

A quieter moment:

MARY:

I went on Match.com last week.

DANNY:

How was that?

MARY:

I started filling out a profile.

Divorced. Grown daughter. Hotel

manager. I started crying. I

started crying from my own

profile.

(then)

Rick will find some fun young

thing. My daughter will go off to

college next year.

(then)

I’m going to be alone for the rest

of my life.

DANNY:

Not if you marry me.

MARY:

Yes, well, I’ll keep that in my

hip pocket, thank you.

DANNY:

Hey, I’m great at being married.

Done it three times.

(then)

My second wife was actually one of

the stars of Gilligan’s Island.

Mary looks up.

(CONTINUED)

51.

48 CONTINUED:
48

Ginger?

MARY:

He shakes his head “no.”

SCREAMS!

Suddenly, Mary gets it.

Mary Ann!

MARY (CONT’D)

He smiles.

Holy sh*t!

Mary Ann!?

MARY (CONT’D)

You were married to

That’s insane!

49 INT. DANNY’S HOTEL ROOM - LATER 49

Danny sits at the piano, looks at his hotel stationarypad. Mary, meanwhile, is looking at the LETTER FROMLENNON.

MARY:

You better have something to play

me. Because if this was just alame attempt to get me to your

room-DANNY

I have something to play you.

MARY:

(re:
letter)

This is truly unreal.

She shakes her head, puts the letter down.

settles. He’s nervous.

Danny

DANNY:

Okay, so, I haven’t written

anything in a long time and-Why?

MARY:

DANNY:

Nothing to write about, I guess.

And I wasn’t a great pianist to

begin with so-MARY

Enough stalling, Collins.

it.

Play

Danny cracks his neck, then:

(CONTINUED)

51A.

49 CONTINUED:
49

He starts playing. He’s playing the same MELODY he

started back in the fancy studio of his mansion, before

he’d received Lennon’s letter.

But now it has words.

(CONTINUED)

52.

49 CONTINUED:
(2) 49

Danny starts to sing... the music is simple, the melody

and lyrics wrenching.

DANNY:

It’s spring in my mind/But the

autumn leaves they fall/As I’m

walking by/I collect them all...

Danny stops, looks up.

MARY:

Keep going, keep going!

DANNY:

That’s as far as I got.

Mary looks confused.

DANNY (CONT’D)

Honestly, this kind of was just a

lame attempt to get you to my

room.

MARY:

Jesus Christ.

Mary shakes her head, stands.

DANNY:

Come on! Stay! I’m an old man

with ten scotches in him. The

odds of anything risqu. happening

here are very, very slim.

MARY:

(with a smile)

Goodnight, Danny.

DANNY:

(giving up)

Goodnight, Mary.

She stops at the door.

MARY:

The song’s beautiful, Danny. A

little short, but it’s going to be

beautiful.

DANNY:

Thank you.

She EXITS the room, stops in the HALLWAY.

(CONTINUED)

52A.

49 CONTINUED:
(3) 49

MARY:

And hey, about what we talked

about? You shouldn’t give up.

(CONTINUED)

53.

49 CONTINUED:
(4) 49

DANNY:

I agree.

(then, immediately)

Mary, will you have dinner with me

tomorrow?

MARY:

Not that. Your son.

Danny smiles.

DANNY:

I know.

MARY:

Okay.

(then)

But don’t give up on dinner

either.

DANNY:

(immediately)

Mary, will you have dinner with-

But the door closes before he can finish.

ON DANNY:

Completely smitten... and maybe even a little inspired.

CUT TO:

50 INT. WOODCLIFF LAKE HILTON - NEXT MORNING 50

HOTEL GUESTS (and a lot of DENTISTS) are crammed around

the GLASS DOOR, looking inside...

51 INT. WOODCLIFF LAKE HILTON BUSINESS CENTER - CONTINUOUS 51

Where national icon Danny Collins sits at a COMPUTER

wearing only a HOTEL ROBE and SLIPPERS. He has PAPERS

scattered around him, everywhere.

-He takes notes.

-He sends faxes.

-He makes calls.

- In between he behaves as if he’s Eloise at the Plaza: A

LINE COOK brings in a plate from the BREAKFAST BUFFET. A

NEWSPAPER is delivered. COFFEE refills are served. A

TAILOR measures him for a new suit jacket.

(CONTINUED)

54.

51 CONTINUED:
51

-We hear and see bits and pieces of everything: Danny

explaining who he is over the phone. Danny giving a

credit card number. Danny asking how quickly whatever

he’s planning can happen.

OUTSIDE THE BUSINESS CENTER

Spectators watch. Jamie approaches Nicky from behind (he

doesn’t see her).

JAMIE:

What’s he doing?

NICKY:

He’s b*tch slappin’ the business

center is what he’s-

(then, seeing her)

Oh, hey.

Mary pushes through the spectators to see what’s going

on. She sees Danny pacing around inside, a man

possessed.

She smiles, doesn’t interrupt.

52 EXT. TOM AND SAMANTHA’S HOUSE - NEXT DAY 52

A quiet morning in the neighborhood.

THE SAME SUBURBAN DAD now waters his lawn next door.

DANNY’S GIANT TOUR BUS pulls up to the curb, catching the

dad’s attention. It dwarfs the entire street, takes out

branches at it comes to a stop. And out steps Danny

Collins, wearing one of his finest get-ups.

Danny walks towards his son’s front door. As he passes,

he NODS to the neighbor.

DANNY:

Mornin’.

SUBURBAN DAD:

(stunned)

Hi.

Danny RINGS the bell (he forgot it doesn’t work), then

knocks per usual. The door opens. It’s Samantha:

SAMANTHA:

(re:
Danny)

Oh f*** me.

(CONTINUED)

54A.

52 CONTINUED:
52

DANNY:

Language, Dear.

(CONTINUED)

55.

52 CONTINUED:
(2) 52

Hope runs to the door, sees Danny.

HOPE:

WE DON’T WANT YOUR MUSIC!

Danny bends down, confused.

DANNY:

You don’t want my music?

Samantha explains, pointedly:

SAMANTHA:

Tom explained to Hope the other

day how you’re a musician and how

some musicians go door to door to

sell their music.

DANNY:

Ohhh. Okay.

SAMANTHA:

(still explaining)

But we weren’t interested in

buying any music. Much the same

way some people aren’t interested

in buying Girl Scout cookies.

Doesn’t mean we’re rude, just that

we weren’t interested in buying

any music.

DANNY:

No, I get it. Possibly more

complicated an explanation than

required for a seven year old, but

okay.

Hope spots the bus.

HOPE:

Mommy look, Mommy look, do you see

this?

SAMANTHA:

(to Danny)

Just out running some errands?

Hope runs for it.

SAMANTHA (CONT’D)

Hope!

DANNY:

(calling out)

Jimmy.

(CONTINUED)

56.

52 CONTINUED:
(3) 52

A DRIVER (Jimmy) gets out. He opens a door for Hope,

lets her in.

DANNY (CONT’D)

She’s fine, he’s got her.

Tom arrives at the door, sees Danny.

TOM:

(re:
Danny’s

presence)

Are you f***ing kidding me?

DANNY:

Oh good, we’re all here.

TOM:

You have a hell of a nerve-

DANNY:

Have you heard of the New Compass

School, in Manhattan?

Tom stops.

TOM:

What?

DANNY:

It’s one of the most progressive

private schools in the country.

It uses... hold on:

He pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket, reads:

DANNY (CONT’D)

“A multimodal approach toward

treating children with learning

issues, particularly ADHD.”

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes