One Day at a Time (1975–1984): Season 2, Episode 1 - The Runaways: Part 1 - full transcript

Julie and Chuck run away after Julie has an argument with Ann about her future.

♪ This is it ♪ This is it

♪ This is life, the one you get

♪ So go and have
a ball ♪ This is it

♪ This is it

♪ Straight ahead
and rest assured

♪ You can't be sure at all

♪ So while you're
here, enjoy the view

♪ Keep on doing what you do

♪ So hold on tight
we'll muddle through

♪ One day at a
time, one day at a time

♪ So up on your
feet, up on your feet



♪ Somewhere
there's music playing

♪ Don't you worry none

♪ We'll just take
it like it comes

♪ One day at a
time, one day at a time

♪ One day at a time, la da da da

♪ One day at a
time, one day at a time

♪ One day at a time, la da da da

♪ One day at a time

- Don't you ever
come up for air?

- Don't you ever knock?

- I live here, remember?

Hi, Chuck.

- Hi, Barbie.

- Just go ahead and do
whatever you were doing.



Don't mind me.

- Why don't you evaporate?

Go in the bedroom.

- It's my house, too!

You go in the bedroom.

- Okay, let's go.

- Bad idea.

I'll go in the bedroom.

- Now, where were we, sunshine?

- Where were you
in school today?

- Studying my biology.

Would you excuse me
while I do my homework?

- I just wondered.

I looked for you at lunch.

- Well, you didn't
find me, big deal.

Now get out!

- Touchy, touchy.

- Oh, wouldn't it be nice
if we could be alone?

Just us in a mountain cabin?

- Mmm-hmm.

- With snow falling.

- And a great
big cozy fireplace.

Oh, I like that, mmm-hmm.

(door slams)

- Excuse me, I represent
the Zero Population Program.

- Is there any privacy?

- Like, try a mountain cabin.

- We have to charge admission.

- Hi, Chuck.

- Hi, Ms. Romano.

- Oh, Chuck's staying
for dinner, okay?

- Sure.

If Chuck doesn't mind leftovers
from what he had last night.

- Or the night before.

- Barbara.
- Julie.

- Ma!

- Julie, Barbara.

Chuck, you're welcome to stay.

- Thank you.

- How you doing in college?

- Couldn't be better.

I dropped out.

- Dropped out of college?

- Mom, it's his life.

- Well, sure.
- No lectures!

- "Well, sure" is a lecture?

- It just wasn't relative to
my lifestyle, Ms. Romano.

I mean, college isn't the
answer to everything, you know?

There's a whole great
big world out there, right?

And I want to be able to
live in it and experience it.

- What'd your folks say?

- Well, actually, I
haven't told them yet.

I kinda wanna wait for
my next allowance check.

- That makes sense.

- Ms. Romano, are we
gonna eat pretty soon?

See, I wanna go downstairs
and put a rear speaker in my van.

- You have a van?

- Yeah, yeah, I
got it last week.

Just think, I can live
in it while I find myself.

Boy, I'm starving!

Listen, holler when
dinner's ready, okay?

- Chuck may not
have found himself,

but he certainly
found a place to eat.

Hey, Julie, how come you
didn't tell me Chuck dropped out?

And that he had a van?

- Well, I can't
remember everything.

- Julie, look... Chuck's
nice, you know?

But I think you're crazy
to date just one boy.

- Mom.

- Ah, your senior
year in high school

should be the greatest
time in your life.

Now why tie yourself down?

- Why don't you just
say you don't like Chuck?

- I do like him.
- No, you don't!

- Honey, I just don't
want you to miss anything.

When I was a senior
in high school, I...

- Got married to dad.

- And it was a mistake,

and I just don't want you
to make the same one.

- Mom, I'm my own person.

Let me lead my own life.

- Honey, I want you
to lead your own life.

I'm glad that you can
make your own decisions.

And a very good decision
would be to date a lot of boys.

- You know what you are?

You're a compulsive mother.

- You're right.

Okay, how was school today?

- Oh, fine.

I'm gonna go down
and help Chuck.

- Hi.

- See ya!

- I think Julie just
taught me the hustle.

- Hello, my sweet.

This is a very
pleasant surprise.

- Well, I just stopped on
my way up to my lonely room

to fix my lonely dinner,
and eat by my lonely self.

- Oh, you poor man!

We can't have you
eating all by yourself.

- Thank you!

- Chuck's here.

He'll come up and eat with you.

- Go for it!

This place is gonna
get a new repute.

I mean, the mother's
neckin' upstairs.

The daughter's
neckin' downstairs.

- I thought Chuck was
installing a speaker.

- He is, but he's ambidextrous.

His tweeter is woofing
while his woofer is tweeting.

- Schneider, you know you're
gonna wear out your passkey.

Why don't we install one of
those doggy doors for you?

- At least I can get through it.

- Schneider, what
are you doing here?

- I'm helping Chuck
install his speaker.

He left a coil of
wire in his jacket.

This is his jacket, isn't it?

- Yeah.

- Alright.

Hey, he has got
some van, that guy.

I just helped him, you know,

rotate his tires and
turn the mattress.

- [Ann] Mattress?

- Nice to know it has
all the safety features.

- Mattress.

- Well, you know, the kids
with their status symbols.

I mean, in my day, my day
was the old plastic necker knobs.

Remember?

You could steer with one hand

and go for the brass
ring with the other.

I wanna tell you there,
he's really proud of that van.

I mean, I seen him
and Julie cruising down

the main drag this morning
like they own the town.

- This morning?

- Yeah, around 10 o'clock.

- Today's a school day.

- Well, maybe it
wasn't 10, you know.

It could've been noon.

I'm not even sure it was Julie.

I mean, I just got a
glimpse before she ducked...

I mean...

I couldn't see a lot
because of the sun.

The mid-noon sun.

- She told me she
was in school today.

- Ms. Romano, I'm not even
sure it was the same van.

I mean, there must
be hundreds of vans

driving around
with leopard spots.

- You're blowing it.

- Barbara!

- Yeah, what do you want?

- Honey, would you go down
and tell Julie to come up here?

- Sure.

- It wasn't a van,
it wasn't a van.

It was a school bus!

- With leopard spots?

- Private school.

- The man's a lawyer.

Listen, Ms. Romano,
don't pay any attention

to anything I've said.

I've been really bothered
by my eyes lately.

I had to go see...

Oh, look at that, would you...

I had to go see the doctor.

He put them drops in, you know,

to delete my pupils,
and I have a...

Couldn't see anything, so I'm...

- David, she lied to me.

- Oh, Ann, come on.

She just cut a class.

Even John-Boy does that.

- Why'd she have to lie?

I mean, she could have
told me she was with Chuck.

Ah, we're not
communicating anymore.

She's becoming secretive.

She's growing away from me.

- Ann, she is 17.

It has to happen.

- Oh, but why can't she
come and talk to me about it?

I mean, why doesn't
she listen to her mother

instead of some kid?

- Hey, that's perfectly natural.

I mean, advice from a boyfriend

always takes precedence
over mother, God, and country.

Ah, I'll fix us a drink.

That way we'll either find the
answer or forget the problem.

- What do you want, mom?

- Uh, Julie.

How was school today?

- You called me up
here to ask me that?

Chuck's woofer's almost working!

- Let me put it
another way, Julie.

How was school today?

- I already told
you, I said fine.

- Barbara, did you see
your sister in school today?

- Uh...

Mom, who wants to
see their sister in school?

- Okay, I confess.

I skipped a couple of classes.

- Honey, why did
you have to lie?

- Mom, I didn't lie.

You said, "How was
school," and I said, "Fine."

It's always fine.

- Come on, Julie,
those are word games!

Oh, honey, look...

See, I don't know
what's happening here.

I mean, I don't care about
skipping a couple of classes.

- You don't?

- [Ann] Barbara.

- I know who told you.

Schneider!

Why doesn't that man grow up?

You know he challenged us
to a drag race with his camper?

- That's another thing, Julie.

How come you didn't tell
me about Chuck's van?

- Why do I have to tell you?

Can't I have something
private in my life?

- What's private about a van?

Except the mattress in the back?

- That's why I didn't tell you,

because you wouldn't like it.

You don't like anything we do.

- Here you go.

- See, it's okay for your
boyfriend to come over

and mooch a meal, but not mine!

- Julie...
- Oh, hell, that's okay.

- And Chuck doesn't
swear or drink alcohol.

- Come on, Julie, you're
becoming impossible!

- Me?

Mom, you still think I'm a child

that has to be restricted and
told what to do every minute!

Well, if I think it's
okay to skip a class,

it's because I know
what I'm doing.

I do have the right
do anything I want

with the man I'm engaged to!

- Engaged?

- [Ann] Julie...

- Alright, we've...

been engaged about a month.

- Honey.

Why didn't you tell us?

- Because, mom, I
can't even tell you

I cut a class without
you having an attack.

Oh, Chuck was right.

He told me you
wouldn't understand.

Parents never do.

- Julie!

- David, she's been
engaged for a month

and didn't say a word about it.

I mean, how could she
think I wouldn't understand?

I'm her mother!

- Well, that's one good reason.

- We love each other.

Why wouldn't I understand?

Of course, I would understand.

She's engaged to
some hot-pantsed idiot

with a four-wheel
leopard-spotted bedroom!

- Ann!

- It's gonna be the shortest
engagement in history!

- Ann, count to 10.

- One, she's still
in high school!

- Not that way.
- Two, he's broke!

Three, they're both crazy!

- Four, if you go in
there in this mood,

you're gonna lose a
daughter and gain a martyr.

- Come on, tell me about it.

How did it happen?

What did Chuck say?

Was it gunky?

- It was beautiful.

We were...

We were walking
home from the movie,

and then it started to rain,

and we went into the entrance
of this department store.

There was a revolving door,

and Chuck started spinning
me around and around.

Oh, I got so dizzy.

These people were looking
at us like we were crazy.

And then...

And then, he stopped,
and he took me in his arms,

and he said, "I want to spend

"the rest of my life
going around with you."

- Are you pregnant?

- From a revolving door?

- I just asked!

Everybody's gonna
wonder, you know.

(soft knocking)

- Julie, honey...
- Mom, I'm not pregnant.

- Well, I wasn't gonna ask that.

It was my next question.

Look, honey...

- Mom.

You're not gonna make
me change my mind.

- No, look, I'm in here
with an open mind.

Can we discuss it?

- Yeah, we can discuss it.

Let's not debate it.

- No debates.

Come on, sit down.

This is discussion, okay?

Julie, when you
say you're engaged,

I mean, are you really engaged?

I mean, you got a ring?

- Mom, a ring is a
symbol, a sign of bondage.

Chuck and I don't need that.

- He didn't give you a ring.

- We put the money
into a tape deck.

- Well...

Other than that, do
you have any plans?

- First, we'll travel in the van

and see some of the country

before we're too
old to enjoy it.

And...

Then, we thought we might
move in with Chuck's parents.

Maybe live here.

- Here?

In this room?

Julie, it's gonna be hard for me

to concentrate on my homework.

- Barbara.

Julie, look.

I know those dreams.

And I know you're
very sincere about them.

But, honey, how
can you be so sure?

I mean, my god,

I felt I was sure...
- Mama!

Please.

How can you compare your
life with dad to Chuck and me?

- It's not easy.

Your father finished
college and had a job.

- Mom, we're not
in your generation!

You're the ones who
are hung up on that

education-money-security
syndrome!

We want to live!

- On what?

Let's Make a Deal?

Sorry.

Look, Julie, I just don't
want you to be hurt.

I want you to be happy.

- I'll be alright.

- Sure you will.

Okay, have you set a date?

- No way.

- What does that mean?

- Mom, a date implies
time and space,

a beginning and an ending.

We're not into that.

We're not engaged to be married.

- Just what are
you engaged to do?

- Engaged is one of your words.

I only use it so
you'd understand.

We're two free persons
whose paths have crossed.

Chuck says we've joined
hands to walk together.

- Sounds like a square dance.

- Julie, look, let me
get this straight, okay?

Are you planning to get
married or aren't you?

- Mom, you're
not listening to me!

- I'm listening, Julie...
- Mom, wait!

Marriage is an artificial bond.

Love is the bond, and when
love passes, there is no bond!

Your paths separate.

Chuck says that.

- I'll just bet he does.

- Mom, it is to protect my
freedom as much as Chuck's.

Would you like me to be
stuck for 17 years like you were?

- Come on, Julie, it's
not the same thing,

when you and Chuck want it all

without any other
responsibilities!

- Well, then, just what
are you and David doing?

- That's entirely different!

- Is it?

Mom.

Mom.

I'm sorry.

But you're not gonna
make me change my mind.

Why don't we talk about this
when you're more rational?

- Right.

When I'm more rational.

- Hey, I suppose if you
and Chuck did move in,

we could alternate nights
sleeping out on the sofa?

Well, first, me, then
Chuck, then you.

- Shut up!

- What happened?

- David, those two
are not engaged.

They are going to
"walk the path together."

- Oh, which particular path?

- To the shack up on the hill.

- Ann, you know, a lot of people

are living together these days.

- David, what
happened to tradition?

What happened to romance?

What happened to flowers?

- Hey, do I have
time to use the can?

- That's what happened.

Chuck.

- Yeah?

- Julie told me the big news.

- Oh, about the tape deck?

- Bigger than that.

- Bigger than the tape deck?

- She told me that
you two were engaged.

- Engaged?

- Sorry, no, wrong one.

No, that your
paths have crossed,

and that you've joined
hands to walk together.

- Oh, wow.

You understand.

Ms. Romano, that's terrific!

My parents don't
understand it at all.

- Neither do I.

I memorized the words.

- Mom, just because
you don't understand,

don't make fun of us!

You could be wrong, you know.

Wouldn't be the first time.

- Honey, if you're ready
to throw a tantrum now,

I mean, you know, we'll wait!

- Oh, come on, that's not fair.

Julie never throws tantrums.

- Not only is love blind,
it's deaf and dumb, too.

- Come on now, Barbara,
that's not necessary.

Julie, listen...
- Mom, come on now!

Won't you listen to me?

- [David] Hey, hey, what is
everybody so uptight about?

Let's talk it over, huh?

- Okay.

Okay, talk it over.
- Let's talk it over.

- We'll talk it over.

- [David] Calmly.

- Chuck.

I think I'm entitled
to a little clarification.

The last I heard, Julie
intended to go to college.

- That's up to her, Ms. Romano.

- Well, you see...
- Uh, Chuck,

let's be practical just
for a moment, okay?

Let's assume, for
the sake of argument,

that your paths
have indeed crossed.

Some day, somebody's
gonna have to earn a living,

and frankly, a little
education wouldn't hurt.

- Education can be a trap

unless you know
where you're going.

- Just where the
hell are you going?

- Mom, come on, we've got plans!

Big plans.

Chuck's gonna own a ski lodge.

- Really?
- Yes, some day.

Sorta, kind of.

I...

Look, you can't
start at the top, right?

But I have this
friend who can get me

a job in Aspen as a waiter.

- Skipped right past busboy.

- Chuck is a very good skier.

He'll be an instructor
before you know it.

- Barbara, will
you stop flitting?

- I can't decide
who's side I'm on yet.

- Why don't you go
to a neutral corner?

Now, Chuck, look, I
am gonna grant you here

that your life is your own,

but now you are
involving my daughter,

and you are dreaming!

- I am not, Ms. Romano.

A man has the right to do
whatever he wants to do,

and that doesn't necessarily
mean working nine to five!

My dad, he's worked 22
years on a job he hates!

- Chuck, look, I
don't hate my job.

I do have an education.

The two things are not
necessarily mutually exclusive.

- Are you really happy
being a lawyer, David?

Sending people to jail,
feeding on human misfortune?

- Well...

I'm not a prosecutor.

I get people off.

- And putting guilty
people back on the street

so they can kill again?

- You know, you
talk pretty big for a kid

who doesn't know where his
next meal is coming from, fella.

- Sure, he does, David, here!

- What are you gonna feed
your kids on, snow, hmm?

- Kids are a trap!

- What?

- Children are an unnecessary
commitment, Ms. Romano.

- Hey, commitment over
there, you agree with that?

- Mom, would you
try and understand?

Chuck and I want to be free,

to have time to
realize ourselves.

- Cop-out is a better word.

Wake up, Julie.

The most positive
thing Chuck has done

is to drop out of school.

- Please, Ms. Romano,
I know what I'm doing.

- I do too!

Nothing!

No plans, no efforts, no
responsibilities, no commitments!

Just vague dreams to keep
you happy about doing nothing!

- Mom!

- Julie, stay out of it!

- No!
- Chuck!

It's your life, and you can
do with it what you want,

but not with my daughter.

- Alright!

Alright, I get the message.

- Chuck!

- Julie, I really
feel sorry for you.

(door slams)

- Julie, look...
- Thank you, mother!

Thank you for your trust.

You know, there are other
ways of thinking besides yours,

but did you give Chuck
a chance to explain?

- Of course, I...
- No, you didn't!

Maybe I would go on to college.

Maybe we would get married.

Maybe nothing would happen.

But you don't care!

You don't listen!

- Oh, Julie!

You're not being fair!

(door slams)

- Oh, I feel awful.

- Hey, hey, Barbara, come on.

It'll work out.

- Mom's hurt.

Julie's crying.

Chuck's gone.

And I'm a rotten person.

- Why?

- I'm starving.

(alarm ringing)

Oh, Julie, could
you turn that off?

Julie!

Julie?

Mom!

Oh, whoa, mom!

Mom, come in here!

Mom, come in here, quick!

- [Ann] What is it?

- Just come here!

- What's the matter?

- Julie's run away.

- "Dear mom, I've
gone away with Chuck.

"We have to lead our own lives

"and find out
where it is for us.

"Please don't worry.

"I love you, Julie."

- [Announcer] To be
continued next week.

(One Day At A Time
theme song instrumental)