We Didn't Start The Fire by Cheryl Laughlin | Script Revolution

We Didn't Start The Fire

A chance meeting between a street-smart, female fire breather and a wealthy black teenager running an illegal scam sparks a night of understanding, acceptance, and a brutal burning.

Type:

  • Short

Status:

  • For sale
Page Count: 
11pp

Genre:

  • Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance

Budget:

  • Independent

Age Rating:

  • 17+
Copyright Details: 
USCO registered
Synopsis/Details: 

Written as both a short script (11 pages) and web series pilot (25 pages).

JESSIE, a street-smart fire breather on the Venice Beach Boardwalk, knows how to work a crowd. ADAM, a wealthy bookworm with an illegal side hustle, slams into Jessie's act while running from a scam gone wrong. The two strike up a night of understanding with a freeflow evening through Venice Beach, that culminates with a shared moment back at Jessie's broken down car -- interrupted by Jessie's mom appearing with her John for the evening. Jessie falls asleep beside Adam in the alley... only to wake to what she thinks is Adam getting handsy. It's not Adam -- it's her mom's hookup, rubbing up her leg and looking for more. That's when everything derails into a night of fiery betrayals.

All Accolades & Coverage: 

Winner, Outstanding Short Script, Sacramento International Film Festival
Official Selection, Scriptwriter's & Co, UK Table Read

Submitted: April 9, 2021
Last Updated: May 16, 2021

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The Writer: Cheryl Laughlin
Cheryl Laughlin is an award-winning screenwriter, copywriter and memoirist crafting stories about messy people cleaning up messy lives. As a Midwestern transplant in California, she draws on the comedy of her Irish-Polish heritage—meaning she’s composed of half bread pudding and half pierogies. She writes a column for Script Magazine ... her scripts have won at the Sacramento International Film Fest, Finalist in National Lampoon Search for Comedy Writing Gold , Semi-Finalist in the Gidden Media RomCom Incubator Program ... and her short We Didn't Start the Fire laureled up across the pond with a UK Scriptwriters & Co Table Read. Her memoir— Confessions of a Kindergarten Klepto —placed... Go to bio

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