Runaway (1989) - full transcript

(dramatic music)

(upbeat music)

- You know what I really like to do,

ride the subway, see things, see people,

get out of my neighborhood.

Me and my friend,
Joseph, we collect stuff,

finding things nobody else even sees.

(ethnic music)

Mrs Hartley, that's Joseph's teacher,

helps us build things
with the stuff we find.

You never know what you're
gonna find down here



but we always find a way to use it.

Right now we're working on a new project

at the Friendship Center,
that's where Joseph lives.

We kinda like to think
of ourselves as artists.

Joseph, look at that.

- [Joseph] That's street
art, just like our project.

- Ours is gonna look even
better when we finish.

- Hey, I'm glad that display
caught somebody's eye.

How old are you?
- 13.

- Yeah, I think that's
how old this artist was

when he started.

- Someday I'm gonna put
stuff together like that.

Wait right here till I get back, Joseph.

Come over here and check this out, Joe!



Almost new. (chuckles)

(upbeat jazz music)

Someday we're gonna buy
stuff like this, right?

(upbeat music)

Next time we'll find something
big enough to fit you,

ain't gonna be easy that's all.

- Hey home boy, what's
you got in them bags?

- Just junk.

- Let me see.
- No, it's mine!

- I believe that Aramis

wants to play bad.

- Oh I believe he does.
- Okay, Aramis, come on chump!

Come on, (indistinct), come on!

Catch!

- Okay, boy, what's it
gonna be, you gonna pay up?

- Okay, I'll give you what I got.

- Come on, boy, I ain't got all day.

- Hey what's you doing man?

(boy grunts)

- Careful, Joseph don't break his arm.

Come on, Joseph.

- Ah, man.

Yo, we'll be waiting
for you tomorrow, chump,

you better have our money, you hear me!

- [Thug] You gonna let
them get away with that,

I thought you said we was-

- [Thug] Yeah, we will, okay, we'll wait

till the dummy ain't with him, okay?

- Thank you, Joseph.

- Aramis, you're an hour late, Aramis.

Inside Joseph, before Mrs.
Moore closes the diner.

And don't forget to wash your hands.

- Bye, man.

Sorry about coming back
late, Miss Hartley.

- I'm sure you are, Aramis
but this cannot happen again

or I won't be able to let Joseph go out

on anymore of your collection runs.

- I know, anyway we got a lot
more stuff for our sculpture.

- Well, I should say you do.

That is really something.

You gonna be able to come by tomorrow

and help the kids work on it?

- Yes, ma'am.

- Good, well until tomorrow, Aramis.

- Bye, Miss Hartley.
- Bye.

Oh, Aramis.
- Yeah, Miss Hartley.

- Is everything all right with
you and your Aunt Anna Mae?

She was real upset yesterday.

- Yeah, well, it's okay,

she just gets awful mad sometimes.

- Well, if you ever wanna talk.

- I gotta go, Miss Hartley.

- Aramis Slake.
- Yeah, Aunt Mae?

- You're late again.

And just look at this place,

you didn't do any of your chores

but I suppose you found
time to go collecting

some more of that junk.

- It ain't junk, Aunt Mae.

- If it ain't junk, what is it?

- They's things me and
Joseph's been picking up

for something we's building at the center.

- (chuckles) Ain't that a whip.

Well, if you got so much
time, get yourself a job

and stop playing around with
that social working mess.

Come over here boy and zip me up.

Whew, I just don't understand you, Aramis.

Your mama dumped you on me to run off

with some no-good dog of a man

and like a fool, I took you in.

For what, so you could waste
your time collecting junk

with some slow-minded boy.

- Joseph ain't slow-minded.

He just don't talk much.

- Well, listen to him.

Oh, well, I guess that's
the way it's supposed to be,

the dumb defending the dumbest.

Get on with it boy, I got a job to get to.

- Kinda tight-fitting back here, Aunt Mae.

- Are you saying that I'm getting fat?

- No, Aunt Mae.

Got it.

- Thank you.

And stop leaving your
clothes all over this house.

Now if you get hungry, there's
bologna and potato salad

in the fridge.

And I don't want you fooling

with Joseph and that junk
anymore, you hear me?

(slow music)

(dramatic music)

- You start the hunt now, Joseph

but remember like before,
don't get too far away from me

and don't pick up nothing that ain't free,

do you hear me, Joseph?

- Joseph!

Chill out, man, that
glove belongs to the lady.

Excuse me, ma'am you left
your glove on the bench.

- Why thank you, young man,
that is very kind of you.

I did not expect New
Yorkers to be so friendly.

A reward for you.
- Thank you, ma'am.

- Yeah, thank you.

- How many times am I
suppose to tell you, Joseph,

you ain't supposed to pick
up nothing that ain't free?

- Sorry.

- It's okay, man, you just forget, right?

- Yeah, Aramis.

- The lady got her glove back,

she gave me this, a dollar bill.

You found the glove so you get the reward.

Here, take it, it's yours.

- Ice cream?
- You want ice cream?

Well, the dollar's yours,
I guess we can get you

what you want.

Let's go find a place.

- Hello, gentlemen, what can
I fill you palates with today?

- Ice cream.
- Now much is ice cream?

- 75 cents per cone.

All right, what flavors?
- Chocolate.

- And?
- Just the one cone.

- Oh, you don't have enough money, huh?

Well, it don't seem quite
right to have two kids

and only one cone now does it?

I'll tell you what I'll do,

you give me the dollar
and I'll see if I can

stretch it out into two cones.

How's that sound?

- You can do that?

- You'd be surprised what
us magic waitresses can do.

- You giving away my
ice cream, Charlie, huh?

- Don't worry, Casey, it's paid for.

There you go, fellas, enjoy.

You all come back now you hear?

- Charlie, I don't mind you
being friendly with kids

but does everyone who comes in here

have to remind you of Bobby?

- Not everyone.

(dramatic instrumental music)

- Come on, Joseph, we gotta go.

Okay, Joseph, what train are we taking?

- Uptown.

- Right, now which direction do we go in?

- That way.

- Hey, man, I knew you could do it,

just takes you a little
longer, that's all.

(rock music)

Oh, not today.

Come on, Joseph we're two soldiers,

we're gonna sneak past the enemy

and get back to camp before they see us.

(boys chatter)

- Thank you kindly.

- Oh, it's my pleasure.

Well, there you two are,

we were beginning to worry about you.

- Hi, Miss Hartley.
- Hi, Miss Hartley.

Hi, Aunt Mae.

- I suppose you were out messing around

instead of at home doing your homework.

- You guys get some good stuff?

- Ice cream, how'd you get that?

- Lord only knows how Aramis managed that.

- Joseph found a glove a lady
had dropped on the subway,

she gave us a reward, we bought
ice cream cones with that.

- Joseph, you go into the
workshop and put your bag up

and then to dinner, that
is if that ice cream

hasn't spoiled your appetite.

- We'll go out tomorrow, okay man?

- Bye, Aramis.

- Hey, Joseph, tell Miss
Hartley what you learned today,

you know the sign on the subway.

Uptown.
- What?

- He did, Miss Hartley, he read the sign

for the uptown train.

- Oh, Joseph, that is great.

I am so proud of you.

Run inside and tell the others.

Aramis, I don't know how you did it.

We have tried and tried with Joseph,

I thought he'd never read.

- It's only one word.

- Yeah, but he read it, I'm glad I let him

go out on your hunt, obviously
he's learning something.

- I don't understand what
all the fuss is about.

And with your grades, you should
be worrying about yourself

instead of out there
wasting time with Joseph.

- I'm doing okay.

- Okay, is not good enough
if you wanna make something

of yourself.

Now you get on home.
- Yes, ma'am.

- Out here waiting for you,
now I'm late for my class.

- Yes, ma'am.
- Bye, Aramis.

- Just get on now boy and
tomorrow before you do anything

after school, you make sure
that your clothes are picked up,

that those dishes are washed and put away

and your homework is done.

- Yes, ma'am.

(slow music)

(dramatic rock music)

(climactic music)

(boys laugh)

- Look what we got here.

We came to collect, Aramis.

We want this jacket, take it off.

- You heard him, come on.

(climactic music)

- Stop him!

Dude, he's getting away!

(climactic music)

- Get him now, (indistinct)!

(metal clanking)

(boys holler)

- Joseph help!

(truck engine revs)

- You are mine boy.

- Joseph look out!

(truck horn blows)
(truck tires squeal)

(Joseph thumps)

(police sirens blare)

(police tires squeal)

- [Boy] Hey, officer get that kid,

he was the one that caused it!

- [Policeman] Hey kid,
come here, come here!

(dramatic music)

- [Aramis] They think I did it,
Joseph, they think I did it.

Maybe I did, maybe I,

I'm tired, I've been riding
these trains all night.

Oh, Joseph, why did I call out to you?

Miss Hartley trusted me
and look what happened.

(slow music)

Now what am I gonna do?

You gotta be okay, Joe, please be okay.

- Mrs. Lawson, aren't you
interested in where Aramis is?

- Of course I am but he's runaway before

and he'll do it again.

- But he-
- He will come home

when he's figured out
whatever it is he's trying

to figure out.

- I'm worried that something
has happened to him.

- None of this would have happened

if you hadn't had him running around

with some half-witted boy.

- Aramis has done more for Joseph

than any of us professionals could.

- What?
- Yes he has.

I lost one child to this tragedy,

I do not intend to lose Aramis as well.

Now with or without your
help I am going to find him.

(dramatic music)

- Refill sir?

(dramatic music)

Well, look who's blown back into town.

How you doing this morning?

- Okay, I guess.

- Another cup, refills are on the house.

- If the first one's paid for.

- It's okay, Casey.

Where's your friend?
- My friend?

- That big kid that was in
here with you the other day?

- Ladies and gentlemen!

John Kyoti has arrived
to claim the pleasures

of the fair (indistinct).

- Well, how you doing this morning, Ralph?

- You're telling me all that reading

maybe makes you smarter?

- Perhaps, you're right senior Casey.

Now how about a cup of
that muck you call coffee?

- Oh, now wait a minute,

don't you go insulting the
food of this fine establishment

or I'll turn my attention

to someone who really appreciates it,

like this fella right here.

- So, you're my competition, huh?

Well, you won't be for
long if you don't watch it.

- I can take care of myself.

(dramatic music)

- Hey, what's happening my man?

- You talking to me?

- Yeah, how's it going?

Say, I bet you are just the
man I'm looking for huh?

- For what?

- We got a nice little gig for you.

- Doing what?

- Make a little run downtown
to deliver a package for me.

- I don't know nothing about
downtown, I live uptown.

- Look, man, this ain't
no favor I'm asking here.

I pay my people, I pay them good.

Now that my man is a brand new $50 bill.

- Get out of this kid's face!

- Hey, hey, okay, have it your way.

Later man.

- Don't you know that them punks

was trying to get you to
carry some drugs for them?

- Leave me alone.

- Look, I ain't always gonna be around

when you get yourself in trouble, kid.

- Don't worry about me.

(slow music)

Yeah, I can take care of myself,

just like I took care of you, Joseph.

How bad are you hurt,

are you in the hospital or maybe back

at the Friendship Center.

I gotta go back.

I gotta know how bad
you're hurt, I gotta know.

- Hey, hey, it's the wimp.

Come on, let's get him, come on!

(climactic music)

- [Boy] You better run, that dummy

can't help you ever again!

(train running)

(dramatic music)

- Joseph, Joseph. (cries)

Joseph.

- Look lady, we don't know nothing about

where Aramis is at, okay?

- You guys are smarter than that,

you know where everybody is.

- Maybe we do, maybe we don't.

Listen lady, we just ain't
got time for this, come on.

- I just wanna know if he's okay.

- No, we didn't hurt him.

- I tell you one lady,
if he got in our way,

you wouldn't have to
worry about him, okay?

(boy laughs)

- Sounds to me like you saw
him but he got away from you.

- Look, we're getting
out of here, all right.

What's up, Travis.

- Finally quitting time.

- How come you're locking up tonight?

- 'Cause Debbie called in sick again.

Every time she gets involved
with some bozo of a man,

her health starts to fail.

- Oh, lighten on her,
Charlene, she's young.

- She's young and dumb.

Thank you.

You know, Ralph, you're
the only one around here

that don't call me Charlie.

Why is that?

- 'Cause you're too pretty to
be tagged with a man's name.

- Hey, Ralph, you keep talking like that,

I might take you up on one of your offers.

- Yeah, promises, promises, promises.

- You never know.
- Promises.

Hey, that kid come back
down here again today?

- Mm-mm, not since this morning.

- Good, then maybe he went home.

He seems like a good kid

but he sure don't know
the scene down here.

I tried to talk some sense into him

but he wasn't buying it.

- Reminds me of Bobby.

- Oh, you can't keep
blaming yourself, Charlene.

- I still think there's
something more I could have done

to help him.

- Like what, the kid
was strung out on drugs.

- I know but maybe I could have gotten him

to the hospital sooner.

- Oh, you did all you could, Charlene.

- I didn't do what I could, Ralph.

I can do something now with this kid.

Maybe I can give him
something to hold onto.

We all need something.

(dramatic music)

- [Aramis] All these people riding by,

Joseph, going home maybe,
like we used to Joe, no more.

I can't go back, my aunt hates me,

now Miss Hartley hates me too.

I can't go back, I can't.

(water pours)

- [Announcer] This is
the ride to the shuttle

to Times Square.

At Times Square changes over
two and three (indistinct).

Extra ride on departure track one.

(indistinct) Times Square.

At Times Square change
to number two and three,

Seventh Avenue, First and
number one, (indistinct).

- [Aramis] I gotta be careful.

- [Announcer] Thank you for
riding, have a good morning.

- [Aramis] They can't
find out where I'm hiding.

And I gotta get some money, some food.

There's gotta be a way, there's gotta be.

What way?

What am I gonna do, Joseph?

(dramatic music)

Look at these people, some of
them are here all the time.

They must know something,
something I don't.

If you were here, Joe, we
could figure out a way.

Joseph, it's just like us,
like when we were collecting.

If you're smart, you could
take the stuff other people

throw away and use it.

(dramatic music)

- Hey, I'll take one, paper.

- Have you got a post left?

I said have you got a Post left?

Thank you.

- New York Times.

Come on hurry up.

Can't you make change?

Thanks.

(dramatic music)

- [Announcer] No vendors on the platform.

Yeah, you kid, you can't
sell those papers here.

(dramatic music)

- Hey, look who's back.

What'll it be today coffee?

- I'll have a ham sandwich.

- Good choice, lettuce
and tomato with that?

- Okay.

- Charlie, did the kid
order one sandwich or two?

- Give the kid a break, Casey.

- Yeah, you will be out
of work if I go bankrupt.

Look, man, don't use my food
to feed every runaway the cat

drags in.
- I ain't a-

- You ain't a what?
- Nothing.

- Well, whatever you ain't,
here's your sandwich.

Whoa, slow down, tastes
better if you chew.

(dramatic rock music)

So you got the day off
from school today, huh?

You're lucky, I got
four more hours of this.

- Not if the customers don't get service.

- I'm on it.

So, I meant to ask you what

does that mean Friendship Center?

- Just a place I know.

- The shirt, I forgot about the shirt.

They can't know about
the Friendship Center.

I've gotta make sure they can't find me.

I gotta forget my old life.

That's easy to say, forget but how can I?

(slow music)

(train running)

- I'm glad I let him go out on your hunts.

- For what, so you can waste
your time collecting junk

with some slow-minded boy.

- [Aramis] Joseph ain't slow-minded.

- Ta-da, I hope it fits.
- Thanks.

Papers, get your papers
here, come on, got papers.

Papers here, get your papers!

Papers, papers!

(slow music)

- [Aramis] Wow, look at this,
now we're getting somewhere.

You know, if I keep
finding good stuff, Joseph,

things I can use, it's
really not too bad down here.

Seems I've been down here for a long time,

but things are working out okay now.

I found some really good stuff
for a new project, Joseph.

It's gonna be for you.

I gotta make as much money as I can now.

The holiday's coming, Memorial Day.

It doesn't mean much to me.

Uh-oh.

- Doing anything special
with your whole two days off?

- Well, first of all I'm sleeping,

then I thought I might
check out that place

on the kid's T-shirt,
the Friendship Center,

see if I can find out something about him.

- Sounds like you got
your weekend planned.

- What about you, you going
any of those special services

for the vets?

- You know better than that, Charlene.

I'll see you on Tuesday.

(dramatic music)

- See, Joseph, at least
I finished this one.

(slow music)

Hey, give me that!

Give me that back now!

Hey, stop, somebody stop
in, he's got my stuff!

Please stop him!

- Hey little man, what's happening?

Why the long face?

- Somebody ripped my stuff
off in the men's room.

- Oh, tough luck.

Down here you gotta watch
your stuff every minute.

- It had all my money in it.

It's Saturday and nobody
buys papers down here

on the weekends.

- Well, I'll be glad to loan
you a couple of bucks, kid.

But I have a policy, I
only loan money to kids

whose names I know.

And you know Charlene's name,
you know I'm Ralph Koby,

but all we got to call you is kid.

Hey, come on, I'm not gonna turn you in.

If I was, I'd did it way back.

See you later, kid.

- Aramis, my name's Aramis Slake

and I don't need your money.

- Finally.

(rock music)

(dark dramatic music)

- Joseph help!

Joseph help!

(truck horn blows)

(water pours)

(train running)

Now what am I gonna do, I'm
right back where I started from.

I ain't got no move down here,
I can't go back up there.

(slow music)

Whom I kidding anyway.

Joseph is dead and there ain't
nobody who cares about me.

It's must me alone, I wanna
quit, just leave it all.

Just keep fading and fading
till I just disappear.

- Miss Hartley and Aunt
Ms. Anna are coming buy

this morning to try and
convince him to go home.

You should come by and meet him.

- Ah, yeah, that's a good idea, I will.

- It's funny after all this time,

you finally get his name
and I get his story.

- Yeah, well, we both knew
he had some sort of trouble.

- Mmm.

- But for a 13-year-old
kid to be blaming himself

for his friend's death.

- Well, I hear his aunt gave
him a pretty rough time too.

- Yeah, that's a shame,
he really is a good kid.

She probably just didn't
give him a chance.

- Nobody gave Bobby a chance either.

- Oh, Charlene.
- It's okay.

I think I know now that it wasn't my fault

but I realize that I should
let the dead rest in peace

and do what I can for the living.

- That's a wonderful sentiment.

This weekend I learned a few things too.

- Why, what did you do?

- I went to a, ah,
nevermind, nothing special.

- Okay, Ralph, but one of these days,

I'm gonna get your story too.

Right now I'm gonna go to work.

See you later.
- Okay, see you.

- [Aramis] I gotta do something,
I can't stay here all day.

I don't know if I can
make it by myself anymore.

I can't think straight.

Food, maybe if I can get something to eat,

I could figure something out.

- Morning.

Hey, Aramis, are you all right?

- Okay, I guess, I don't have
any money, I got ripped off.

- Well, I'm sure Casey
can spring a cup of coffee

considering the money you
spent down here already.

What is this?

- Just something I made,

I'm not much good for anything, I guess.

- It's beautiful.

- Let me talk to my old buddy.

You know kid, I spent a
lot of time down here.

I thought by staying down
here and doing my sketches

I could forgot why I can't walk anymore.

- But your sketches are real good.

- They're not enough anymore.

I went to the park
yesterday and got caught

in the middle of a service for vets.

One of the guys from my
old company was there

and we started talking.

I realize I can't help anyone,
me or the guys that died

if I close myself off.

I got a present for you pal.

It's the first time I ever
let anyone have one of these.

- It's me.
- Yeah.

Looks good doesn't it?

Now you've got a Ralph Kolby original.

- Aramis, Aramis, please?

(slow music)

- Oh, Aramis, we have really
missed you at the center.

- Aramis, I know that I've
been pretty rough with you

in the past but if you come
home, I promise I'll try

and do better.

- It's all right, Aramis I'll
be helping out Miss Hartley

at the Friendship Center
and you can teach me

how to help the kids
with their new projects.

- Aramis, please, you're all I got.

(slow music)

- This is for you.

- Well, thanks buddy.

Now I got an Aramis Slake original.

(slow music)

- [Aramis] It feels so good to be out.

So many things I wanna do,
like finish the project

at the center for Joseph.

(women laugh)

- Aramis, let's go home, come on.

- [Aramis] I'm going home,
it ain't gonna be easy

but Aramis Slake is through running.

(upbeat rock music)