The Runaways Script

THE RUNAWAYS
Written by
FLORIA SIGISMONDI
07 25 08
Producers :
John Linson
Art Linson
Bill Pohlad
River Road Entertainment
2000 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 620N
Los Angeles CA 90067
(213) 253 - 4610

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We hear A GIRL GIGGLING as a DROP OF BLOOD hits the sidewalk.
EXT. ENCINO VALLEY - BUSY STREET - EARLY EVENING - 1974
A 14-year-old SURFER GIRL with long blonde hair is clutching
her underwear, her mini-skirt hiked way up. This is CHERIE
CURRIE and she just got her period.
CHERIE
(freaking)
What am I gonna do?
GIRL (O.S.)
(giggles, sings)
Misty water-colored meee-mor-ies...
CHERIE
It’s not funny, Marie!
Cherie stares at MARIE CURRIE. They’re paternal twins -- the
epitome of angelic 70’s California. Marie keeps singing...
MARIE
It’s the laughter we’ll re-meeem-
beeerrr. Of the waay we weeeeere...
Cherie sees BLOOD DRIPPING down her leg. She frantically
wipes it with her underwear.
CHERIE
Crap!
MARIE
You’re such a spaz, Cherie.
Totally cool, Marie takes off her bomber jacket, ties it
around Cherie’s waist. She drags her towards the bathroom of
a PUP ‘N’ TACO.
Two teenage guy EMPLOYEES at the drive-thru window put down
their ZAP COMIX to gawk at them.
SKINNY EMPLOYEE
Checkitout -- the Valley twins are
back... Who’d you rather?
FAT EMPLOYEE
Who cares, man -- I couldn’t tell
those chicks apart in the light.
Skinny Employee cracks a horndog’s grin, rapidly FLICKS HIS
TONGUE in the twins’ direction.

---

2.
INT. PUP ‘N’ TACO BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS
Marie is all business. She quickly locks the door, grabs
Cherie’s underwear and tosses them in the trash. She takes
off her own underwear and hands them to Cherie.
Calmer now, Cherie dutifully puts them on. She pulls some
napkins from the dispenser, stuffs them in.
Marie turns to the mirror, skillfully applies a rainbow of
colors to her eyes and mouth.
CHERIE
I’m twenty minutes older, why does
everything happen to you first?
MARIE
I’m taller.
Cherie rolls her eyes. Marie finishes her mouth, kisses the
mirror -- leaving OPEN RED LIPS. Then she puts on a pair of
TIGHT RED SATIN PANTS and a LOW CUT BLOUSE.
Cherie pulls a pair of SEXY BLACK HIGH HEELS from a backpack.
Marie stares at the shoes.
MARIE (CONT'D)
You took Ma’s black heels?
CHERIE
Like she’s ever worn anything
twice? Anyway, you should be more
worried about her finding out how
old your skanky boyfriend is.
MARIE
I’m sorry, does your boyfriend have
a car? I’m sorry, do you even have
a boyfriend?
EXT. PUP ’N’ TACO - DRIVE THROUGH WINDOW - MINUTES LATER
The guys watch as Marie drags Cherie from the bathroom.
They’re running, holding hands, teetering in their high
heels. Cherie almost falls, clearly not as comfortable or
confident as Marie.
SKINNY EMPLOYEE
You want some fries to go with
those shakes?

---

3.
FAT EMPLOYEE
(grabs crotch)
Or maybe my grande CHIMICHANGA!
The boys crack up. Marie smiles -- then sees they’re making
“oral sex” gestures. She scoffs, but she loves the attention.
Cherie is more combative -- she flips them off.
Just then, a BEAT-UP LINCOLN comes to a screeching halt.
Bowie’s “Young Americans” blares from the stereo. At the
wheel is DEREK, 28 years old, scruffy.
DEREK
Dreamy ladies! Pile on in!
Marie rides shotgun, Cherie climbs in back. Derek peels out.
INT. LINCOLN - DRIVING DOWN HOLLYWOOD ST. - NIGHT
Derek takes Marie by the chin and french kisses her. He
watches Cherie in the rearview mirror -- WINKS at her. She
looks away, grossed out.
Marie pulls away, fixes her lipstick in the pull-down mirror,
then whispers something to Derek.
He laughs, turns to Cherie and smiles big.
DEREK
Congrats, babe, you’re officially a
wo-man. Let's fuckin’ celebrate!
Cherie glares hard at Marie, shakes her head.
Derek hands Cherie a MICKEY from under the car seat. Cherie
smells the bottle -- “yuck.”
She passes it to Marie. Marie takes a big swig.
Barry Manilow’s “Mandy” comes on the radio. Marie turns it
up, sings along with the song. Her voice is terrible.
MARIE
Well, you kissed me and stopped me
from shakin’. And I need you today,
oh MARIE...
Cherie makes a face, leans forward, turns the station.
MARIE (CONT'D)
Hey!

---

4.
Marie turns it back, sings louder. Cherie groans, retaliates.
CHERIE
Hey Derek, did Marie tell you she’s
not wearing any underwear?
Marie stops singing, glares back at Cherie.
Derek looks at Marie’s crotch, grins, hits the gas and howls.
DEREK
OOOOWWWWWWWWW!!!
BRING UP TITLES: THE RUNAWAYS
INT. USED CLOTHING STORE - CHANGING ROOM - EARLY EVENING
CLOSE ON a pair of BLACK PRO KEDS HI TOPS. PAN UP to reveal
someone checking themselves out in a mirror, wearing tight
black leather pants and a black leather jacket.
We hear a KNOCK on the door. It’s a HIPPIE SALESMAN whose
scraggly ponytail barely warrants a rubber band.
HIPPIE SALESMAN
Everything okay in there?
BLACK LEATHER
(jittery)
Yes, please. I mean...yes. Thank
you.
Reveal a 16-year-old GIRL, tough, pretty, with dark hair and
a pale complexion. She wears a SILVER PACIFIER around her
neck. She’s cool as hell, but for the BEADS OF SWEAT
collecting on her forehead. This is JOAN JETT.
She pulls her SCHOOL UNIFORM PANTS over the leather pants.
She looks in the mirror, takes a deep breath.
INT. USED CLOTHING STORE - CHECKOUT COUNTER - MOMENTS LATER
Joan dumps a large pile of LOOSE CHANGE on the counter.
JOAN
I’ll take the jacket.
The HIPPIE SALESMAN looks suspiciously at the mound.
JOAN (CONT’D)
It's all there, man. I counted it.

---

5.
He looks her over. Then squints, noticing something strange.
THE LEATHER WAISTBAND IS PEEKING OUT FROM UNDER JOAN'S SCHOOL
UNIFORM PANTS.
HIPPIE SALESMAN
Just the jacket then?
Joan nods. Their eyes meet. A loaded beat.
The Hippie Salesman points to a sign:
SHOPLIFTERS WILL BE PROSECUTED.
He moves between her and the door, blocking the exit...
HIPPIE SALESMAN (CONT'D)
Stay right where you are.
He picks up the phone, dials what is obviously the police...
Joan panics, eyes darting. She takes a deep breath and --
HIPPIE SALESMAN (CONT'D)
Yes, hi, is there a cruiser in the
area. I have a shoplift --
SHE CHARGES PAST HIM, OUT THE DOOR LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL.
The Hippie Salesman can only watch as Joan books it down the
street and hops a fence. She looks over her shoulder, keeps
on running -- then screams with excitement.
EXT. ALLEY - CONTINUOUS
Joan turns the corner where she meets up with a 13-YEAR-OLD
TOMBOY. She’s smoking a Marlboro, carrying a ratty backpack,
wearing a STOOGES t-shirt. This is TAMMY. Excited to see
Joan, she jumps up and down.
Joan drops her uniform pants, revealing the stolen leather
ones underneath. Tammy’s jaw drops -- “cool!” She touches
them, impressed. Joan struts around like a rock star.
(From here on she wears the same black leather outfit. It gets more worn in and cooler
as time goes by. The only thing that changes are her t-shirts and accessories.)
JOAN
Who am I?
TAMMY
Elvis!

---

6.
JOAN
No way, man. Bowie!
TAMMY
Bowie... Yeeaah. Aladdin Sane.
A beat. Tammy bugs her eyes, just getting the pun.
TAMMY (CONT'D)
A lad. Insane. Coooool.
JOAN
Fuck that, man -- I’m a gal insane.
TAMMY
(grins, nods)
Yeeeeaaahhh.
Joan does TOWNSEND’S WINDMILL GUITAR STRUM. Tammy pumps her
fist, making DEVIL HORNS, her #1 fan.
She reaches into her backpack and pulls out some GLUE and a
PAPER BAG. Joan’s eyes light up.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. ALLEY - LATER (DUSK)
Joan and Tammy lie on the sidewalk under a lamp post, clearly
zonked out of their minds. Joan inhales deeply from the bag,
then passes it to Tammy. She inhales, looks up at the sky.
It’s quiet but for the sound of CRICKETS. Then Joan breaks
the silence with a song sung slow and low.
JOAN
I met her in a club down in old
Soho, where you drink champagne and
it tastes just like Cherry Cola.
C-O-L-A Cola...
TAMMY
What’s that song about?
JOAN
It’s about this girl... She’s picks
up a boy...
TAMMY
She picks him up. Tough.
JOAN
Almost breaks his spine.

---

7.
TAMMY
My brother says guys don’t like
tough girls. He says guys like
girls to be soft.
JOAN
Your brother’s a fag.
TAMMY
(considering)
He does spend a lot of time doing
his bangs...
A beat. The girls crack up. Joan continues to sing.
JOAN
Girls will be boys, and boys will
be girls, it's a mixed up, muddled
up, shook up world, except for
Lola...
Joan leans in close to Tammy, puts her head on her shoulder.
Their lips almost touch.
Tammy leans in closer, kisses her. It lasts a few seconds,
then Joan pulls away.
A long, awkward beat.
Then Tammy pretends like nothing happened.
TAMMY
L-o-l-a, Lola...
Joan looks at Tammy. A beat. Then she smiles, sings.
JOAN
L-o-l-a, Lo-la...
The girls continue to sing as The Kinks’ “Lola” fades up into
the night.
INT. CHERIE’S BATHROOM - NIGHT
Pieces of PLATINUM HAIR fall through the air, landing on
Bowie's “Aladdin Sane” record. In the mirror’s reflection we
see Cherie attacking her NOW-PLATINUM HAIR with a pair of
scissors.
She mixes some makeup with a paintbrush. Then draws the
outline of a large LIGHTNING BOLT over her face -- just like
the Bowie cover.

---

8.
Marie walks into the bathroom, stares -- not sure whether to
laugh or scream.
MARIE
Holy shit. Cherie. What the hell
are you doing?
Cherie hypnotically continues painting her face. Marie stares
at the hair on the floor.
MARIE (CONT'D)
You look like a dude.
CHERIE
Maybe I am.
MARIE
Mom’s gonna kill you. It really
looks terrible.
CHERIE
Good.
Marie picks up the Bowie record, looks at it. She stares at
her sister as if really trying to understand her.
Cherie’s paintbrush wanders outside the lightening bolt.
CHERIE (CONT'D)
Crap.
She licks her finger and starts rubbing the smudge, harder,
angrier. Marie looks on. A tender beat.
MARIE
Here, lemme...
Marie takes the brush from Cherie’s hand. She sits on the
sink directly in front of her, blocking the mirror.
They are no longer each other’s reflection.
Marie licks her finger, wipes the smudge, and begins touching
it up with the paintbrush. When she finishes, she stands
back, looks at the album cover, then to Cherie. It’s perfect.
Cherie smiles -- “thanks.”
INT. VALLEY HIGHSCHOOL AUDITORIUM - DAY
CLOSE ON: CHERIE’S SILVER PLATFORM BOOTS. She walks across a
wooden stage floor. We hear every step.

---

9.
She stops, turns towards a closed curtain. We can hear her
breathing against the LOUD CHATTER of kids on the other side.
The curtains rise and a spotlight hits Cherie, illuminating
the lightning bolt painted over her entire face. Her cropped
platinum hair has stripes of red and blue. She wears a
glittery tight top with a cut-off sleeve. And Marie’s red
satin pants.
The students have mixed reactions, some gawk, others point
and giggle: “Freak!”
Cherie’s gaze is steely, intense. Bowie’s “Wild is the Wind”
starts to play. Her body sways as she meets students’ eyes.
She starts to lip-sync, really getting into it.
CHERIE
Love me, love me, love me, love
me... Say you do, Let me fly away
with you...
The scene is bizarre and uncomfortable. She makes a bird
motion with her arms. Her expressions are melodramatic. The
kids continue to laugh at her.
CHERIE (CONT’D)
You touch me, I hear the sound of
mandolins... You kiss me... With
your kiss my life begins...
Marie seems embarrassed. She sits with a “cool” crew of jocks
and Farah Fawcett look-alikes. Not Cherie’s friends. They
make jokes, throw stuff. Marie goes along with them but it’s
clear she’s torn.
CHERIE (CONT'D)
Cling to me, for we’re like
creatures in the wind...
A crumpled ball hits Cherie in the face. She stops lip-
syncing. She just stands there as the song continues.
BOWIE (OVER)
And wild is the wind... Wild is the
wind...
Cherie’s hands turn to fists. She slowly raises both arms
above her head, cocks her hip, snarls --
-- and gives the world TWO FINGERS full of “fuck you.”
BOWIE (OVER) (CONT'D)
Wild is the wind...

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