Top Ten Movies of all Time

(Missing scene from "April is the Cruelest Month")
 

Casey McCall pushed the video store door open and entered. It was a late, spring afternoon and he was not feeling good. Not good at all, in fact, he was feeling lousy.

– So, you made up your mind?– An excited video store owner smiled at the man who’s picture would soon decorate his wall –you got it?

Casey nodded, just like he did on TV. ‘A TV star!’ Jake, the storeowner, had told his wife last night, ‘A real TV star!’

‘And he’s SO cute!’ his wife had exclaimed back. Jake frowned, examining the man before him. ‘He ain’t THAT cute...!’ he thought.

Casey’s deep voice interrupted the man’s musings. –Here it is, – He produced a white paper sheet folded in half, – My top 10 movies of all time. –

–Cool! –

Casey hesitated again. He’d been doing that all day. Why? Because he didn’t like this idea, he hadn’t liked it from the very beginning... but even after intense thinking (and asking around) on his part, Casey had not been able to come up with a logical excuse to get out of it.

No excuse.

So he had finally completed his list and reluctantly prepared himself to have it on display beside his picture on the video store wall, next to the ‘Pepsi’ Ad, the ‘Star Wars, Episode I’ poster and the "Wednesdays: 2 for 1" green sign.

 
"Sports Night’s Casey McCall Top 10 Movies of All Time - Rent them today!"

– What? – Jake the store clerk asked, a bit worried about Casey’s sudden hesitation, –What’s the matter?

– Nothing. – Casey replied, more out of habit than truth. He was about to hand in the list when more hesitation pulled his hand back one more time.

– What? – Jake asked again, really confused.

– I... – Casey began, – I... let me just check it over one last time.

– Hey! Fine with me Casey! – Jake shrugged, his eyes averted by a blonde, tall woman who had just entered the store. –I’ll just take care of our customer here,– Jake straightened his short hair, –Take your time!

–Sure! – Casey leaned against the counter, studying his list. His mind started wandering further and further away as he read the words... further and further with every passing moment.

"How many ‘Rocky’ Movies?" Dana had asked him that morning.

"1, 2 and 3"

"Not 4 or 5?" She had stared at him, the eyes he loved searching his soul. Worry and something else pouring over her heart and overwhelming her. He had felt it, felt the depth of it, something was very wrong and she would not tell him. Or would she?

Man, was Dana complicated!

"Do me a favor," she had looked so sweet, so vulnerable... "Go make up with Dan!"

"Leave me alone!" he had snapped.

Leave me alone.

Everybody, please, just leave me alone!
 
 

Casey closed his tired eyes to yet another wave of rage and disappointment, the intensity of his contradictory feelings threatening to crush him. He tried to calm down, just as he had been doing for more than a week now.

It had been a hellish week.

It had been a devastating, painful week.

He was tired of it.

Draft Day 2000... the worst draft day they have EVER had.

He had been speechless for a second. His mind trying to understand what had just happened, what Dan had done... what Dan had said ON THE AIR...
 
 

"What the hell was that?"

"Nothing..."

"No! I mean, what the hell are you doing, Danny?"

"..."

"I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, Casey, I... That was over the line. I’m really sorry... please!"
 
 

It was the please, what got to him the most.

Why?

Why had it happened?

Why was it so hard?

Casey refused to continue thinking about it. It hurt too much and there was nothing he could do about it right now. He was downtown, still standing in front of a counter in a video store. He could do nothing.

He had done nothing in a week. Nothing.

He took a deep breath and studied his list.
 

Breakfast at Tiffany's
 

"It’s a chick movie!" Dan’s voice came to him. It was not today’s voice, it was an old voice, a voice that came to him from outside a movie theater 10 years ago. The first time he and Dan had gone to a movie together, as friends.

"A chick movie?"

"It’s an undeniable fact, Casey, ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ IS a movie directed to the female audience in general. It’s soft, sweet, full of dialog, full of feelings... CHICK FLICK"

"Well, it’s an old movie!" Casey had said, eating the remaining popcorn while they walked.

"It’s an old chick movie!" Dan had replied, absently sticking his hands inside his pockets. "Don’t get me wrong!" he had added, "It’s a good movie... nice, well acted, interesting, but still... a chick flick."

Casey had smiled wholeheartedly that time. This friend of his was so easy going, so sure of himself.

"Well, yeah... I agree with you, but there’s one thing!" he raised his index finger to accentuate, "‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ has the most beautiful woman in the world in it."

"Audrey Hepburn is, indeed, the most beautiful woman in the world." Danny nodded.

"Damn right she is!"

"You realize, Audrey Hepburn could be your ... grandmother, right Casey?"

"I do, but... she’s still the most beautiful woman in the world!"

"And she’s in all the classic chick movies." Danny smiled, his eyes drifting into space.

"That too."

They kept walking in comfortable silence. Casey had felt good... at peace. Danny shook his head again and chuckled.

"What?"

"We’re two male adults. It’s Friday night! We should be in a bar getting drunk right now!" he smiled, "Instead, we went to see ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, starring the most beautiful -woman-in-the-world-who-could-be-your-grandmother, and... worse! We’re discussing it!"

Now it was Casey’s turn to chuckle.

Danny kept smiling.

"You want to go to a bar, Dan?"

"Nope."

"Okay"

Danny smiled again, "A chick movie! I’ll be damned!"

– You done yet? – Jake’s voice brought Casey back to the present. The man went back behind the counter and pulled out a catalog.

– What? – Casey was lost for a second.

– Your top 10! –

– Oh!, er... no, not yet. –

– No sweat! – Jake hurried back to his blonde customer, – Take your time! –

Casey read the paper in his hand again, old voices came back to him as easily as the first time.

"You can’t be serious!"

"And yet I am!" came Danny’s nine-year-old voice.

"’Major League’?" Casey was appalled. "You’re telling me that ‘Major League’ is a chick movie?"

"It is SUCH a chick movie, Casey!" Danny said, opening the door to his apartment.

They took off their coats and sat down in the living room, finally resting after that long day. Casey leaned back. "Danny, you’re crazy! It’s a sports movie!"

"No, it’s not! It’s a shameless romance between Tom Berenger and that girl!"

"Well... yeah, but that’s not all!! It’s still about baseball!"

"Think about it, Casey, it has Charlie Sheen in it! Just for the girls!"

"He plays an Ex Con!"

"He plays an Ex Con with a Harley... he’s there for the girls!"

"Jeez!"

"Romance, comedy, light hearted situations, slight sex... Casey, man, this is SO a CHICK FLICK!"

"What about the baseball games? The plays, the moves, the team... Wesley Snipes!

"Irrelevant. Baseball is the LAST thing in their minds. It’s all about relationships...."

"Wesley Snipes is in it!"

"And you know why he won’t be in the sequel?"

"Why?"

"Because it’s a CHICK FLICK!" he yelled cheerfully.

"Okay!" Casey gave up, letting his head rest on the couch. How can you beat arguments like those?

Danny stood up and went to the kitchen. "You want a beer?" he asked.

"Sure." Casey looked out the window, his mind travelling far, to his childhood, his dreams. His old dreams.

"What about ‘Field of Dreams’?"

"Now you’re talking!" Danny’s voice sounded excited now.

"What? Man, I don’t get you!"

"That’s not news!" Danny handed a cold beer to his friend.

Casey took a long sip of beer and felt better. "So, you’re saying... ‘Field of Dreams’ is NOT a chick movie?"

"Well, it’s not SUCH a chick movie..." Danny smiled, sipping his own beer. "But it has its moments. The guy is kind of cool, though."

"Wait a minute! You’re telling me that Kevin Costner is okay, but Charlie Sheen isn’t?"

"It’s not about THAT, Casey, It’s about plot, the story, the production..."

"And Kevin Costner being sensitive!"

"That, too."

"Lisa says he’s so cute he could melt butter."

"Lisa says that?"

"She likes Charlie Sheen too."

"No kidding!"

"She does. But she likes Kevin Costner better."

"His movie is a lot cooler."

"She calls him Cute-Kevin."

Danny chuckled. "She does?"

"Ever noticed how women call actors by their first name all the time?"

"Just Kevin,... just Charlie..."

"You think they’ll call YOU just Casey when you’re big and famous?"

"I’ll force them not to. I’ll say... Mr. McCall to you, babe!"

"Ha!" Dan raised an eyebrow. "That will get you fans everywhere!"

A small cell phone rang and Casey answered. He froze, and suddenly had to leave the beer bottle on the table or he would drop it.

"What is it?" dan asked, worried.

"Lisa is in labor!"

"What?" Danny smiled.

"She’s not due yet, Danny!" he found himself short of air.

Dan frowned, his eyes unreadable. "Don’t worry about it!" he commanded as he stood up and grabbed both their coats. They headed out.

"But Dan..."

"I said, don’t worry about it!"

"I can’t do that."

"Yes you can... you let me worry for you. You just keep positive, man."

"Dan..." Casey was a now nervous wreck.

"What will you call him?" Danny changed the subject.

"What?"

"Your baby... we know he’s a boy... what will you call him!"

"Son... I guess."

"I was thinking a more common name would help him avoid being beaten up after school."

"I can’t... I don’t know!"

They reached the car.

"Just don’t call him Casey Junior." Dan opened the door. And they both got in.

"I will not do that to a son of mine!"

"How about Kevin?" Dan said, as he started to drive.

"Kevin." Casey repeated.

"Or Charlie... I like Charlie better!"

"Charlie."
 

–Charlie– Casey spoke out loud, –Charlie.

His heart filled with pride at the sound of his boy’s name. He had turned out fine. He had turned out so fine.

He had almost lost him.
 
 

"Three minutes to air" A man with a strong Texan accent called out from long ago.

"Good afternoon, I’m Dan Rydell and this is Lone Star Sports..." Danny rehearsed, "Today we have the busiest show of the year as the NBA finals take a wild turn and the... what’s that?"

"What’s what?" Casey read his script.

"I can’t seem to be able to pronounce this guy’s name!"

Casey looked up, "You can’t pronounce Pete Sampras?"

"The other one, Casey!"

"Well, try!"

"He’s Russian."

"He won’t mind, just try it!"

Dan opened his mouth only to be interrupted by a Texan producer. "Casey!"

"Yeah?"

"You have a call!" the guy looked serious as he handed a cell phone to the anchor, "It’s the hospital. They say something about Charlie... there was an accident."

Casey paled visibly, his strength leaving him completely as fear grasped and crushed his young heart. He couldn’t speak. The voice on the other side of the line made him pale even more, if that was possible. He felt dizzy and lost his breath. He couldn’t see straight, he failed to feel the world beneath him. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his forearm. In a moment, that strong touch gave him something to hold on to, a connection with the world, with reality.

He hung up, his heart threatening to come out of his chest.

"What?"

"He’s in the emergency room, his leg is broken... I have to go."

Dan waited for no more explanations. "Go."

"Can you cover for me?" He got up, trying to breathe normally.

"Go, Casey!"

"Can you do this alone?" He said, nervously.

"I can do this in my sleep, go!"

"90 seconds to air!" came the tech voice.

In his haste, Casey forgot about the microphone pinned to his shirt collar. He tried to get it off and managed to get all tangled up in it. Dan stood to help his friend. Casey’s hands were shaking so badly he couldn’t get free.

"Casey" he said, his calming voice having the desired effect.

"What?" Casey felt cold sweat covering his forehead.

"Casey, look at me!" Dan Rydell commanded.

Casey obeyed.

"It will be all right!"

"It will be all right!" he mumbled back.

"He’s going to be fine!" Dan continued.

"He’s going to be fine!" Casey held on to every word. Held on for dear life.

"60 seconds to air!"

The microphone cable was finally loose, Casey ran for the door. "I’ll call you."

"I’ll be right here, man!"

–Right here. – Casey repeated out loud again. –Right here. – He ran his fingers along the smooth surface of the paper in his hands and turned to the store window. Night was falling upon the city. Casey liked New York at night. It was glamorous, mysterious, exciting. It was his kind of town. It was home.
 

Escape From New York.

"Casey, Casey, Casey!" Danny kept shaking his head in mock despair. "It IS a chick movie."

Casey’s right arm was enveloped in a white cast, and it hurt like hell. It had been an accident. They had been playing basketball, he missed a shot and fell down on the pavement. It wouldn’t have been so bad, except that Bill Rogers tripped and fell right on top of him, breaking his bone in two parts with his 200 pounds. Now his arm was useless. He wouldn’t be able to write, eat or do anything with it for at least another five weeks. That, of course, made Casey cranky, moody, angry and not very good company. Lisa called it the ‘Insufferable Casey Phase’. Danny had forced him to go to a movie that night, ignoring Casey’s outbursts and moods. Teasing him until ‘insufferable’ became ‘bearable’ again. He knew there was a lot more to it than just a broken arm.

"Okay, I give up! Explain it to me, Danny!" Casey threw his empty soda can into a garbage container. "How can ‘Escape from New York’ be a chick movie?"

"Easy!", Dan smiled, "Kurt Russell has an eye patch."

"I fail to understand your logic, but then again, that’s not new."

"No it’s not."

"Kurt Russell is way cool in this movie... he’s kind of a super-hero."

"A super-hero with an eye patch."

"You keep mentioning that but I still don’t see it!"

Danny offered Casey a mint while they walked. "It’s not that tough... The psychology of women, of the women of the nineties, marks clearly their tendency to focus on men’s handicaps. They like it!"

"They like it."

"They do, I know, it’s sickening, but so true. They love to see us suffer."

Casey sighed, lowering his eyes. "I agree with that."

"So we suffer," Danny continued, regarding Casey with a careful glance, "just to please them, and end up totally screwed."

Casey kept silent.

"And you would think..." Danny continued.

"You would think..." Casey repeated.

"You would think that they would let us rest..."

"But they don’t" Casey finished.

"They don’t. They never do."

"So they keep at it... and make us suffer some more." Casey’s voice was low now.

Danny’s eyes focused on his troubled friend and waited.

Casey sighed, his heart constricting.

"And they make us feel useless... and guilty... and less and less the men we are... the men we want to be." He lowered his head now, as they approached the parked car.

Dan moved to open his side and stopped, letting his silence be encouragement for Casey to keep talking.

He didn’t.

They stood there, in silence, for a while.

Casey leaned on the passenger side of the car, letting his left arm rest on the roof. His eyes were distant, his voice terribly sad.

"How long do you think I’ll be able to stand it, Danny?"

Dan paused before answering. "I don’t know, man."

Casey sighed. "Cause it’s getting harder and harder every day."

"I know, Case..." Danny replied. "I know."

"I love my son, Danny."

"I love him too."

"I don’t want to lose him. He’s only five."

"You won’t, Casey, you never will. Charlie loves you way too much."

"I’m scared."

"Casey... you will always be his father."

"Yeah." Casey’s voice was low now. Very low.

Silence reigned again until Casey finally broke it.

"I love her."

"I know. You love her."

"Does she know?"

Danny lowered his eyes and said nothing. Casey closed his.

"She knows." Dan stated as a fact. "She’s always known." He nodded absently, as he always did.

Casey nodded too. "She knows." He whispered.

Darkness enveloped the empty parking lot. Casey decided right then that he would not let it rip his heart out anymore. He was tired. He was so tired of everything. Opening the passenger door he slipped in, wincing when his broken arm inadvertedly hit the doorframe. Danny got in the car as well. They started driving.

"But..." Casey began speaking again. "You still haven’t explained why ‘Escape from New York’ is a Chick flick!"

"Haven’t you been listening at all?"

"Yeah, I have.... All I got is that Kurt Russell is a super hero."

"I wish I were a super hero."

"Me too."
 
 

–Excuse me– the blonde customer stood in front of lost-in-thought Casey. –You’re Casey, right? Casey McCall? From Sports Night?

–Last time I checked, – Casey rewarded the woman with a charming smile.

–Oh, my God! – She exclaimed. –I don’t believe it! I mean, wow! This is like sooo cool! –

Casey shrugged. Jake rolled his eyes. –It’s $7.50, lady.

–Yeah, sure,– she said, opening her purse. –Hey, Casey, can I have your autograph?

–Of course! – He smiled again.

–What’s that? – She said, pointing at Casey’s list.

–That’s Casey McCall’s Top ten Movies of all Time!- Jake intervened. –We’ll have his picture up here on this wall. Casey and I are close pals! Right, Case?

–Sure. – Casey frowned. The woman leaned way too close to Casey face and read the list.

–Oh, wow! You like Star Wars?

–Who doesn’t?

–Oh, Cool! – she exclaimed! –This is one of my favorites too! I didn’t know guys liked this one!

–Which one?

–An Affair to Remember

"This one is not JUST a chick flick, Casey!" Danny talked to him from a place, not so long ago. "It is the MOTHER of all chick flicks. It’s so sweet I want to kill myself every time I watch it!"

"Well, Danny..." Casey rubbed the back of his neck leaning back on his chair. The computer screen flashing before him.

"Well, Casey..." Danny rubbed his tired eyes, having spent the whole day immersed in complete Writer’s Block.

"There’s one I will never argue about with you."

"It IS a chick flick!"

"It is, a chick flick!"

"It’s the mother of all chick flicks!"

"A very important chick movie it is, my friend, but..."

"Ah! There is a but..."

"There is a but. Although a chick movie it is... it’s good."

"It’s a good chick flick!"

"A very good one, Danny!"

"I see... it’s the wheelchair, isn’t it?"

"It is just good, Danny!" Casey repeated, "If not for the plot, the story... the production... it does have one of the most important elements that mark the development of the entertainment industry as we know it."

"Which is..." Danny leaned back on his chair, playing with a pencil.

"Witty dialog!"

"Witty dialog." Danny agreed. "A very important element."

"A crucial element, my friend. Crucial."

They sat there, looking at nothing. Suddenly, Dan sat up again.

"So you’re saying..." Dan spoke as Casey saw the same idea he was having, blossoming inside his best friend’s brain. "That if other areas of said entertainment industry, say, for example, sports casting..."

"Sports Casting Television"

"Sports Casting Television," Dan repeated, "were to apply a few times some of that crucial element..."

Casey smiled a little, then a little more. "It would cease to be so square..." he continued.

"And it might become more fun!" Dan pointed out.

"It just might!"

"It just might!"

"A lot more fun!"

"You got it, dude!" Danny could see his writer’s block quickly dissolving into thin air. Casey could feel it.

"Wait a minute, Danny!"

"What?"

"Won’t that then turn Sports TV into... Chick TV?"

Dan considered it for a second. "Hmm..." he grunted, "It may... but then..."

"What?"

"Women!"

"Women!"

"Lots of women!"

"My favorite dream!"

"More women would be watching you, Casey! Many, many more women all over the place. Think about it!"

Casey thought about it. "I see your point."

They continued writing, the sun shining brightly as the muse returned to sing right beside them once again.

Casey smiled, folding and unfolding his list. Strangely enough, his week long heartache was subsiding. Slowly... but surely. His eyes went up and met an old poster on the far wall.

The Godfather

"I have news for you, Casey."

"Oh, no!" Casey pulled the car inside the parking lot, shaking his head in denial. "How?"

Danny’s unusually somber face allowed a long overdue small smile. The first in three days. "It is." He stated.

"How? How in the world?"

"It just is!"

Casey turned the engine off and faced his friend. "The Godfather?" he said. "We’re talking about Don Corleone! Bloody killings, vengeance, bullets, treason... That Godfather?"

"That Godfather!" Dan’s eyes wandered out the window.

Casey felt another pang of worry for his friend. He’d been feeling those a lot lately. "How? How can it be a chick movie, Danny?"

"Well..." he paused, taking a breath. "It just is."

"That is not an explanation, Danny!" Casey tried to keep his friend talking. Times had been brutal on him the last couple of days. He had fought with his parents, argued with his uncle... he had lost another family member. His cousin. His 19 year old cousin had been killed in a car accident. He had been driving, he had been careless... he had been on drugs.

Old memories resurfaced as Dan re-lived the tragic death of his little brother a few years ago. Casey witnessed how his best friend fought to cope with it as he re-lived the guilt, the family’s odd looks, the whispering, the cutting words, the silent admonition, the tears, the talking...

Casey had been there, he saw it, he heard it. He imagined how Danny must have ‘felt’ it.

"It can’t be a chick movie!" he argued, loosening the back tie he’d worn at the funeral.

"It is, Casey. It has all the things women crave for: that family thing, the passion, the mystery, stress, tears, drama and..."

"And?"

"Andy Garcia"

"Andy Garcia? Women want Andy Garcia?"

"Absolutely!" Dan pointed out, "He’s in demand."

"I didn’t know that!" Casey frowned. Danny kept looking out the window.

"He is," Danny fell silent for a while. His mind obviously racing back and forth through the last couple of days. Casey could almost feel the anguish and guilt that tore up his friend’s heart. For the first time since they had known each other, Casey didn’t know what to say.

Dan was the one who finally broke the silence. "It’s a fantasy." He said, sadly.

"The Godfather?"

"How they consider family so... sacred."

"It’s not a fantasy, Danny!"

"Trust me."

Casey’s heart broke at the bitterness of those last two words.

"Danny..." he said, desperately searching for the words, "God, you don’t really believe that."

"It’s okay." Dan refused to look Casey in the eye. "It’s not the end of the world."

"But, Danny..."

"I just don’t think that so much conviction... strength... loyalty.... I don’t think those things exist for real."

"They do, Danny, you just have to look in the right places."

Danny shook his head, denying once more. "My parents..."

"Are hurting." Casey finished. "They won’t be hurting forever, Danny. It will be all right."

"Casey," Dan looked at his friend in the eye for the first time in three days, "There is not a single member of my family who’s willing to forgive the past." Dan’s eyes were so dark, Casey felt a chill down his spine. "There’s not ONE person in my family who will show me any love... or loyalty... or support. Not a single one, Casey... Not ONE!"

Casey shook his head. "No! You’re wrong! You’re so wrong, Danny, I know there’s at least one who gladly will."

"Who?" was Danny’s bitter, hopeless question.

"Me."

Dan Rydell was speechless. His eyes began shining as he suddenly understood and his heartache was momentarily replaced by something he’d long been praying for. Something he hadn’t felt since before the tragic death of his little brother. He tried to say something. He didn’t have to, his eyes reflected everything.

Casey squeezed his friend’s shoulder affectionately. Outside the afternoon gave way to the night and stars began lighting up over New York City.

Inside a video store, downtown, Casey McCall looked at his top 10 list and couldn’t read it, it was all blurry. He blinked, tracing the movie titles like a treasure, all the way up through the ‘Rocky’ movies, the ‘Star Wars’ trilogy, ‘Lethal Weapon’, ‘The Dirty Dozen’ and finally resting on ‘The Godfather’.

"There’s not a single member of my family who’s willing to forgive the past!"
 

Casey McCall leaned against the counter, ten long years of his life finally downing on him. A mix of regret and understanding gave way to a single notion. The reality of this situation. The truth about reality: We’re not super heroes...

"How long do you think I’ll be able to stand it, Danny?"

"I don’t know."

... We’re only human.
 

Jake, the storeowner watched as Casey McCall hurried out of the store and hailed a cab.

–He’ll be back!– he said, and whistled back to work.

Casey knocked on the glass door of the conference room where the Seder was taking place. Everyone was there, Dana, Natalie... Isaac... but that was not a surprise, was it?

Dan Rydell flew out of the conference room, hope in his heart, his anguished eyes speaking volumes, silently pleading for forgiveness from the one person he could not function without.

The only forgiveness he really needed.

Casey stood there, hesitating about how to begin. They commented trivialities as his heart grew more and more eager to leave it all behind.

–So, – he started, unsure, –I saw this guy... from my video store... and I started thinking, – he stopped. There was no other way to go about this.

–What? – Dan asked, a bit confused, a little discouraged.

There it was. The same voice. The ten year old voice. The one second old voice. His voice of reason.

He found the words.

–That I wouldn’t trade the last ten years working with you for anything! Not for anything, Danny, I swear to God!"

Danny’s eyes said everything his heart was screaming.

Casey opened his arms to his best friend.

It was over. It was finally over.

Hours later, when they were leaving for home, Casey showed Danny the list of his Top Ten Movies of all time.

–Casey,– Dan commented after thoroughly checking the list, –Casey, Casey, Casey...

–What?

–These are all chick movies, Man! –Danny exclaimed, shaking his head again.

Casey’s handsome face illuminated with joy.

–I know, Danny, I know.

The End

Okay. This is my FIRST fanfiction thingy about Sports Night. You liked it, you didn't, you hated it... you wanted to kill yourself? Tell me. Should I continue down this path or re-consider my life choices?

Please oh please, send me some feedback. killash7@yahoo.com
Pretty please?
With a cherry on top?
=)