True story of the remarkable teen who shields a vulnerable waitress in 1974 at Tacoma's first topless restaurant, witness to a brutal mob murder, and faces down the powerful forces determined to silence her.
Type:
Feature
Status:
For sale
Page Count:
123pp
Genre:
Biography, Crime, History, Thriller
Budget:
Independent
Age Rating:
17+
Based On:
Life events of Gordie H.
Copyright Details:
WGAw Registration Number: 1762923 US Copyright 1-5821241713
Synopsis/Details
TAG - Sex, drugs & rock-n-roll meet sex, guns & mayhem. In 1974 Tacoma, Washington, the city’s first topless club, the Tiki, serves as the headquarters for the notorious Carbone crime family, known as The Enterprise. Sara, a cocktail waitress at the Tiki, witnesses the murder of her friend and bouncer, Danny McCormick, by the Carbone family’s ruthless hitman, Richard “Waco” Caliguri. Realizing she is now a target, Sara seeks protection from an unexpected source: Gordie H., a brave yet inexperienced teenage boy ten years her junior. Gordie, armed and determined, agrees to protect Sara for a week until she can escape town. The duo hides out at a local sex and drug commune, venturing out only when absolutely necessary, which leads to several intense encounters and narrow escapes. During this perilous week, Sara and Gordie face relentless pursuit by Caliguri and the corrupt Pierce County Sheriff’s office, who are in the mafia's pocket. As they evade their pursuers, Gordie's backstory is revealed through flashbacks, showcasing his harrowing experiences and the skills he gained through the Civil Air Patrol and other daring exploits. In a desperate bid to throw off their hunters, Gordie switches cars with his friend Rick, who is on leave from the Army and staying at Gordie's apartment. Finally, Gordie manages to get Sara safely on a plane, but her escape takes a tragic turn when she is captured by the New York mafia upon arrival in Manhattan. As the federal authorities close in, the Carbone family's reign of terror ends, with many members imprisoned or dead. Caliguri, however, survives and walks out of prison years later as an old man. Gordie, scarred but wiser, moves on to his next bodyguard job, carrying the weight of a week that forever changed his life. The Teenage Bodyguard is a thrilling true crime tale of survival, courage, and the dark underbelly of 1970s organized crime.
All Accolades & Coverage

14 awards
Bab Al Bahrain International Film Festival - Best Feature Script Script Screenplay - March 2024 Bahrain
Best Hollywood Day Short Festival Film - Best Drama Screenplay - Winter 2025
Brandenburg International Film Festival - Outstanding Achievement Award - Jul/Aug 2023 Germany
David Film Festival - Best Screenplay 2023 Turkey
Gold Star Movie Awards - Special Mention Thriller Script Aug 2023 India
Great Oman Independent Film Festival - Best Feature Script/Screenplay - 2024 Oman
Hollywood Gold Awards - Gold Award - Feature Script - January 2024 USA
International Film And Script Festival Lotus Athens - Best Crime Screenplay 2023 Greece
Medusa Film Festival - Best Feature Screenwriting 2023 USA
New Cinema Festival - Best Original Screenplay - 2024
New York Movie Awards - Best Feature Script June - 2024 USA
New York Screenwriting Awards - Best Feature Screenplay-Honorable Mention Summer 2023 USA
Tabriz Cinema Awards - Best Screenplay 2023 Iran
Tokyo Screenplay Awards - 2025 Honorable Mention
United States Motion Picture Alliance - Best Unproduced Drama Screenplay 2023 USA
World Film Carnival - Singapore - Feature Script Outstanding Achievement Dec/Jan 2023 Singapore

This is all from THIS original screenplay which I've since redrafted elsewhere (with 3 awards, also available here) with help from producer Robert Mitas. We have taken this current draft discussed below to one more YA action oriented rather than adult-oriented.

From BlueCat Screenplay Contest:

All this makes Gordie quite the exciting character to follow given his astounding complexity. His nonchalant approach to life is intoxicating mainly because it’s like watching fire: although dangerous, it’s still alluring.

Overall, Teenage Bodyguard is one heck of a life story that I’m surprised isn’t on the big screens already—a well-done thriller that knows how to lure you into a story about two unlikely people, Gordie and Sara, and how they took a turn for the unexpected.

From The Blacklist Coverage:

The premise of a coming of age crime drama, where a seventeen year old protects a witness fleeing the mafia, could have solid commercial appeal, particularly as it is based on a true story. The narrative's period setting is rendered with a strong degree of authenticity and a specificity... that makes the film's backdrop of the Pacific Northwest feel grittily alive and real.
Gordie is an intriguing teenage protagonist, who is well-characterized, particularly on a physical level. His courage in protecting Sara from the Tacoma mafia is credibly rendered. The dialogue is well characterized as each member of the core cast possesses a clear, identifiable voice.

Prospects
THE TEENAGE BODYGUARD has a viable premise and core concept that could have commercial potential, likely in the indie space and is overall a solidly written script.

Video
Screenwriter video pitch of The Teenage Bodyguard

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Submitted: 2020-Jun-05
Last Updated: 2025-Jun-26
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The Writer: JZ Murdock

JZ Murdock is an award-winning author, filmmaker, and screenwriter, living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest's Bremerton, WA. While Murdock is a USAF Vet, he is indeed living in a very friendly Navy town. His novel, DEATH OF HEAVEN received the 2024 NYC Big Book Award for Horror. Tired of waiting to get a screenplay produced, he started making his own films back in 2019. The 2020 film, "Gumdrop", a short horror... has won several festival awards like "Best Horror Short", "Best Noir Film" and was a "Jean Luc Goddard Award" nominee. His latest 2021 short, a filmic poem/WWI documentary titled, "Pvt. Ravel's Bolero", has received over 60 domestic and international festival awards. With 13… Go to bio
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Manager: Kelly Hughes - zirrik.com