Respond to these rapid questions in our Danny Collins quiz and we will tell you which Danny Collins character you are. Play it now.
A charming comedy with a brazen streak of melodrama, witty banter, and a stellar ensemble cast, “Danny Collins,” about an elderly pop singer finding the meaning of life, is anchored by a lead performance by Al Pacino in lovable scamp mode. The film’s thrill comes from watching its leathery, raspy-voiced lead actor portray the title role, a Neil Diamond-like soft rock legend who is trying to reconcile with his family while courting a Hilton manager called Mary Sinclair (Annette Bening) and writing a fresh, worthwhile song.
If it seems like this has a neat ending, it does—but only for Danny, and only initially. The film is a redemption story in which a man who has long thought only of money and pleasure experiences a series of emotional shocks, considers his life and image, and struggles to become a better man and a deeper artist. Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Dan Fogelman (“Crazy Stupid Love,” “Tangled”) We have an immediate impression of Danny as a charismatic clown who would be unbearable if he weren’t aware of how little fresh content he has produced over the past three decades of his career, how few meaningful relationships he has built, and how much money he has wasted (a lot of it went straight up his nose).
We anticipate the upheaval to put Danny on a direct path to sainthood when his manager and closest buddy Frank (the wonderful Christopher Plummer) presents Danny with a fan letter from John Lennon from 1971, encouraging him to visit New York and look up him and Yoko. After a few restless nights, Danny cancels his lucrative tour, calls off his engagement to a younger woman who has been cheating on him, checks into a suburban New Jersey Hilton, and begins courting Mary, writing a song that sounds vaguely like a confessional by Leonard Cohen, and getting back in touch with his estranged son, Tom Donnelly (Bobby Cannavale), a real working-class hero (as per John Lennon’s hit) who lives (Giselle Eisenberg). The speech and tale details are frequently a touch overdone (did the movie really need to utilize John Lennon’s music as emotional boldface and have Danny’s granddaughter be named Hope?). Additionally, the movie’s meandering rhythm occasionally comes off as overly self-satisfied.
But you shouldn’t waste any more time and start this Danny Collins quiz.
However, despite these obstacles, the movie is still incredibly powerful, largely because Danny’s road to redemption turns out to be more difficult than he anticipated and is littered with setbacks brought on by his personality, worldview, and addictions—not just to drugs and alcohol, but also to luxury.
Danny Collins Quiz
And this is what distinguishes “Danny Collins” from other movies of its kind: it recognizes the discrepancy between the stories we imagine for ourselves and the ones we really live through. Although Danny’s existential dilemma is undeniably real, Pacino and his director never engage in special pleading on his behalf; rather, they take the opposite tack by emphasizing how mostly ineffective Danny’s self-improvement program is. The way he waltzes back into his son’s life and exudes a man-of-the-people aura has a hint of Royal Tenenbaum about it. It’s not as simple as turning a switch to forgive a haughty jerk, but it is possible.
Also, you will find out which character are you in this Danny Collins quiz.
The entire movie may be a long-form extension of the famous “Salvador” confessional scene, in which a drunk, whoring, drug-addled guy makes a vow to give up all vices in exchange for redemption, only to start making exceptions for himself right away. When you consider the scale of the obstacles and the amount of effort required to overcome them, Danny’s resolutions to stop using cocaine, reduce his drinking, gain the love of his son and family, compose fantastic new material, and live a less flashy empty existence all look preposterous. He protests, “I’m not running for Pope!” Danny is also a ridiculous figure, cramming a baby grand piano into his hotel room, zipping around in a tour bus with black leather couches and leopard and zebra print pillows, trying to buy his family’s love with day trips and shopping sprees, and strutting through a suburban Hilton in pimp suits, Cuban heeled boots, and Robert Evans glasses. This is true even when Danny is at his most embarrassed and thoughtful. (Frank is the only character who is old enough to refer to Danny as “Kid,” so perhaps that’s why only he can cut through his ego’s lacquer.)
About the quiz
The movie asks viewers to laugh at Danny’s fantasies while keeping in mind that it is, in some ways, the tale of an addict who is edging backwards into recovery. Even when the movie is flirting with “Annie”-style wealth porn or veering towards three-hanky-weeper territory, Pacino’s selfless performance grounds the picture in reality. Danny reassures Mary, a clever and seductive but wary business woman, that he is so elderly that there isn’t even a chance of sex, and when Frank remarks that Danny’s new flame is “age appropriate,” Danny self-deprecatingly corrects him: “Not really…baby steps!” The plot is mocking the species rather than skewering individuals, which is more sympathetic than withering.
Also, you must try to play this Danny Collins quiz.
And while though most of Danny’s successes are modest in size, he yet appears appreciative of each one despite being aware of how minor they are. The protagonist spent the majority of his adult life at a level where no one could ever communicate with him (except Frank, and only sometimes). He must now take the time to truly listen to others and care about their feelings. This plays a crucial role in his interactions with Tom, his adult son who is stubborn and caring but understandably bitter and who won’t budge for any reason. Cannavale, who is portraying a man who is disturbed but radiantly decent, is magnificently moving here. You don’t fully understand that the redemption narrative in “Danny Collins” is a red herring until pretty late in the film. The movie focuses more on the necessity of accepting people’s defects along with their virtues and creating room in your life for anyone who has a decent heart and is worth the bother than it does on the possibility that individuals will change their fundamental nature.
For more personality quizzes check this: Victor Frankenstein Quiz.
