The Hero

Synopsis: Lee Hayden is a veteran actor of Westerns whose career's best years are behind him after his one really great film, "The Hero." Now, scraping by with voice overs for commercials, Lee learns that he has a terminal prognosis of pancreatic cancer. Unable to bring himself to tell anyone about it, especially his estranged family, Lee can only brood alone as troubling, yet inspiring, dreams haunt him. Things change when he meets Charlotte Dylan, a stand-up comedian who becomes a lover who inadvertently jump-starts his public profile. Now facing a profound emotional conflict of having a potential career comeback even as his imminent death is staring him in the face, Lee must finally come to terms with both realities when he finally confesses his situation to the one person he can.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Director(s): Brett Haley
Production: The Orchard
  1 win & 5 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.5
Metacritic:
61
Rotten Tomatoes:
78%
R
Year:
2017
96 min
$4,077,270
832 Views


(WAVES BREAKING)

LEE:
Lonestar Barbecue Sauce,

the perfect partner for your chicken.

MAN ON INTERCOM:

Can you just run it a few more times, Lee?

Lonestar Barbecue Sauce,

the perfect partner for your chicken.

Lonestar Barbecue Sauce,

the perfect partner for your chicken.

Lonestar Barbecue Sauce,

the perfect partner for your chicken.

You got it?

MAN ON INTERCOM:
Can you do one more?

You want something different?

MAN ON INTERCOM:
Just do one more.

Lonestar Barbecue Sauce,

the perfect partner for your chicken.

Yeah?

MAN ON INTERCOM:
And do one more?

Lonestar Barbecue Sauce...

(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)

(CELL PHONE RINGING)

Hey, Peter.

PETER:
Hey, Lee, how are you?

What's up?

Have you ever heard of a group called

The Western Appreciation

and Preservation Guild?

No.

Well, I just got a call from them,

they want to give you

a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Okay.

Lifetime, huh?

Yeah.

Is there anything else?

I don't know, there's some

sort of award ceremony.

I figured that. I mean,

is there anything else? Like...

Uh, I don't know. A job offer? A script?

Not at the moment.

But we're expecting some things soon, Lee.

Right.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(DOOR OPENS)

DOCTOR:
Lee. Sorry to keep you waiting.

It's fine.

I know we were all hoping to get

good news about this biopsy.

But... I'm afraid I don't have good news.

(WAVES BREAKING)

(MUSIC)

(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)

(THUNDER)

(RAIN PATTERING)

(THUNDER)

(RUMBLING)

(CREAKING)

(BIRDS TWITTERING)

(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)

Sh*t.

Goddammit.

JEREMY:
Lee.

Sh*t. You trying to give me a heart attack?

I'm trying to get you to open

the god damn door.

That was a cop-knock.

You know, like you're a cop knocking.

That's how cops knock.

You wanna smoke some joints?

Yeah.

(REGGAE MUSIC PLAYING)

Are you okay?

You seem a little...

off.

The thing is...

I got some news.

What news?

Baby, baby, why, oh, why

Why did you leave me

For another guy...

I wanna make a movie.

- Oh, yeah?

- Mm-hm.

I had this dream last night...

Mm... stop right there.

Why?

Question?

Do you like hearing

about other people's dreams?

I don't know.

Sure.

- Really?

- Yeah.

Because for me hearing about

other people's dreams is...

You telling me you don't

wanna hear about my dream?

Yeah.

F*** you.

It just doesn't interest me, man.

Think about it, I mean, it's your dream.

What about movies?

Do they interest you?

Yeah. I love movies.

Movies are other people's dreams.

So...

You got an ounce of this sh*t, or what?

I need it.

An ounce?

Yeah.

One ounce of the devil's lettuce.

That's gonna clean me out, man.

I don't why you just can't go to the store

like everybody else.

I like coming here.

Yeah?

You are a creature of habit,

if ever there was one.

It's called Platinum Cookies.

It's a blend, it's real good sh*t.

(CHUCKLES) Platinum Cookies.

(BOTH LAUGH)

Platinum Cookies, the real good sh*t.

Say that, just... just that.

Platinum Cookies.

The real good sh*t.

(LAUGHS) Oh, my God.

That voice could sell

a sh*t ton of weed, my friend.

What's this?

Shrooms.

Break in case of emergency.

("HOLD ME TIGHT" PLAYING)

You ain't gonna hear it

No more fussin' and fightin'

Let me hold you tight

Bygones are bygones

Don't think about tomorrow

For the future's bright

You admit you were wrong

You were just a fool

Too blind to see

I was the only girl for you

(KNOCKING)

And now you've seen the light

Who's that?

(GRUNTS)

JEREMY:
Oh, hey.

Charlotte, come on in.

- Hey, man.

- Hey.

CHARLOTTE:
God, it... place smells

like fish sells in here.

Yeah, we're just finishing

a little afternoon snack.

Lee, Charlotte. Charlotte, Lee.

Hey.

Hi.

I'll be right back. Don't worry, he's cool.

You admit you were wrong

You were just a fool

Too blind to see

I was the only girl for you

And now you've Seen the light

Everything's gonna be all right

So hold me tight...

You're staring at me.

Sorry.

I didn't say I had a problem with it,

I was just simply pointing it out.

I like trying to figure people out.

I think you can figure out a lot

about a person by just looking at them.

Okay.

So, what'd you figure out about me?

Not a thing.

(LAUGHS)

How do I know you?

I know you from something.

If you say so.

Are you an actor?

Yeah.

All the actors I know are

self-centered and insane.

Sounds about right.

You're staring at me now?

Yeah.

Seeing if I can... figure you out.

Can you?

You seem sad.

(JEREMY RUSTLING)

JEREMY:
There you go.

CHARLOTTE:
Thanks.

It's all here, but... count it.

JEREMY:
Don't drink too much with these.

CHARLOTTE:
Thanks.

Jesus! Get some sun, man.

Nice to meet you, um...

Sorry, I forgot your name.

- Lee.

- Right. Lee.

They say that memory

is the second thing to go.

And what's the first?

I can't remember.

How do you two know each other?

We were on a TV show together.

Nothing you've ever heard of.

JEREMY:
It's called Cattle Drive.

It ran for 13 episodes.

Lee was the lead.

Ben Horn, a gun slinger.

Whoa.

I was a cocky kid who stole

the wrong man's horse.

- You mean you had a real job once?

- Yeah.

Had a wife too. So did he.

Now, we just have each other.

Well.

Nice to meet you, Lee.

(DOOR CLOSES)

(MUSIC)

WOMAN:
This one, and this one.

(CHUCKLES)

What a nice surprise.

A nice surprise?

Good to see you, Val.

Sure it is.

You getting ready for another show?

Yes, at the end of the month.

Have you seen Lucy recently?

Yes, she came over for dinner,

we watched some TV on Sunday.

What'd you watch?

You wanna know what we watched on television?

I haven't seen Lucy in a long time.

Call her.

She doesn't want me to call her.

Don't do that.

I don't blame her.

You should call her.

I've got something I wanna tell you.

I'm gonna make a movie.

- (MUSIC)

- (PHONE RINGING)

CHELSEA:
Peter Cohen's office.

Hey, Chelsea, it's Lee, for Peter.

- Hi, Lee, let me see if I have him.

- Thanks.

PETER:
Lee, what's up?

When did you say that thing was again?

- The Western award?

- Yeah.

(CHILDREN CHATTERING)

Dad.

You look good out there.

Remember when we used to play?

What are you doing here?

I mean, how did you know I was here?

Your mother told me.

I was in the neighborhood, and I just...

How's work going?

Still waiting tables at that steakhouse?

I liked that place.

I work for Google.

Oh.

Yeah, I sell advertising space for them.

Wow.

Yeah.

What's up?

Oh.

I guess it's been a while, huh?

Yeah.

You look the same though.

That's good, I guess.

I was thinking, uh...

I'm getting this lifetime

achievement award thing, and uh...

it's no big deal but,

I was thinking maybe you'd like

to go with me to the ceremony.

When is it?

Sunday.

This Sunday?

I'm going to Palm Springs

with Jake. I can't cancel.

Right.

Okay.

How about dinner when you get back?

My treat. You pick the place, time, whatever.

I'm free Tuesday.

Yeah. Yeah, that'll be great.

I got to get back.

I'll see ya. Tuesday.

("ON THE BEACH" PLAYING)

I'm gonna have some fun

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Brett Haley

Brett Haley is a director and writer, known for I'll See You in My Dreams (2015), The New Year (2010) and The Hero (2017). more…

All Brett Haley scripts | Brett Haley Scripts

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "The Hero" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/the_hero_20414>.

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