In Dan Fogelman’s Danny Collins, an aging rock star gets an unexpected second act after he receives a life-changing letter and sets out to reclaim the life he lost. The film marked its 10th anniversary earlier this year.

Danny Collins (Al Pacino), a once-famous ’70s rocker, has settled into decades of excess until his manager Frank Grubman (Christopher Plummer) uncovers a 40-year-old, undelivered letter to him from John Lennon. The discovery prompts Danny to reconsider his life. He leaves his fiancée Sophie (Katarina Čas) in Los Angeles and travels to New Jersey to meet his adult son, Tom Donnelly (Bobby Cannavale), whom he has never known. Tom lives with his wife, Samantha (Jennifer Garner), their daughter Hope (Giselle Eisenberg), and a second child on the way.

Danny checks into the Woodcliff Lake Hilton in New Jersey, befriending young employees Nicky Ernst (Josh Peck) and Jamie (Melissa Benoist), and begins getting to know the hotel’s manager, Mary Sinclair (Annette Bening). Tom initially rejects him, but Danny continues trying, arranging for Hope—who has ADHD—to attend a specialized school. He also learns Tom may have inherited a potentially terminal leukemia and starts accompanying him to medical appointments.

Encouraged by his growing connection with Mary and the possibility of a relationship with his son, Danny begins writing new music and schedules a small performance. When the audience demands old material, he loses confidence and falls back into drug use, straining his relationships. During an argument, Danny reveals Tom’s diagnosis to Samantha, leading Tom to cut ties and tell him to stay away.

Frank later warns Danny that his finances require him to tour again. Danny attempts to repair things with Mary, while Frank meets with Tom to explain that Danny, despite his faults, is trying. Tom then finds Danny waiting at a doctor’s appointment. Danny offers support, and when the doctor addresses Tom by his first name—a sign he associates with good news—the moment suggests a possible path forward.

Given that Danny received a letter from John Lennon, it should come as no surprise that John Lennon’s music is all over the soundtrack. Very few of Danny’s songs make it into the film, outside of the “Sweet Caroline”-esque “Hey Baby Doll” and “Don’t Look Down.” Pacino sings the song himself, allowing the award-winning actor to live out a fantasy as a rock star in his role as Danny Collins, even performing during intermission of a Chicago concert. But even though the lost Lennon letter is an inspiration for the film, Danny’s music itself doesn’t seem to have been influenced by Lennon’s solo work or his earlier work with The Beatles. The film, of course, had me at John Lennon.

Danny Collins marked the feature directorial debut for Dan Fogelman, who had previously created a few TV series and written a number of feature film scripts, including Crazy, Stupid, Love. But as a film director, he went to director’s jail following Life Itself and has been relegated to working in TV ever since.

What I appreciate about watching Danny Collins over ten years later isn’t just the fact that this film is about seeking redemption. Fogelman is an experienced writer and knows where to deliver the laughs and tears. What surprises me a decade later is how it barely broke even at the box office. It’s got Al Pacino playing a rock star! It makes one wonder how this film would do in the current environment. Would it even get a theatrical release today or go directly to a streaming service? I’m glad I did see it in theaters because I appreciated it all the more at the time.

While Danny Collins might not be a real musician, John Lennon actually sent a letter to folk musician Steve Tilston, who also served as a consultant for the film. The former Beatles member penned a letter to Tilston after reading an interview in Zig Zag. But for one reason or another, Tilston never received it. It wasn’t until an American memorabilia collector reached out in 2005 that he finally learned about the letter. Where Tilston stayed true to himself during his career, fame and wealth changed Danny to where he’s unhappy, for better or worse. That’s our entry point into the film—a what-if, if you will.

A decade later, Danny Collins endures as Al Pacino leads a strong ensemble through a heartfelt tale of redemption underscored by John Lennon’s music.

DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: Dan Fogelman
CAST: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner, Bobby Cannavale, and Christopher Plummer, Nick Offerman, Josh Peck, Katarina Cas, Giselle Eisenberg, Melissa Benoist, Scott Lawrence

Bleecker Street released Danny Collins in theaters on March 20, 2015. Grade: 4/5

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