The Runaways

Director: Floria Sigismondi
Writers: Floria Sigismondi, Cherrie Currie (author)
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning
Release Date: March 19, 2010
Length: 1 hour 49 minutes

Canadian writer and director, Floria Sigismondi pulls off one of the most down to earth bio-pics ever to be put on screen, The Runaways. Starring New Moon’s Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie, I thought The Runaways was just going to be another movie to boost their careers. Though it will, it’s definitely not for the reasons I thought. Though many people have not heard of the all girl rock band, The Runaways, many people have heard of the name, Joan Jett. In 1975, 16 year old Jett wanted to start an all girl rock group and with the help of music producer, Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon), they found three other female members for the group, including 15 year old Cherie Currie. Set from Currie’s perspective, The Runaways tells the story of the short famed rock group and what it was like growing up on the road, with sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Sigismondi dived into this project with sincerity and originality in writing, and creativity with every shot of directing. The cinematography was done perfectly, capturing the heart of the 70’s, without anything being over-the-top. The casting in this film couldn’t have been any greater. Taking back what I have said about her in the past, Kristen Stewart can be an extraordinary actress when given the right role. Stewart fit the role of Jett like a glove and no one else could have given as real of a performance than she gave. This is by far Stewart’s best performance. The real scene-stealer from beginning to end was academy award nominee, Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road) as The Runaways’ eccentric producer, Kim Fowley. Every line that came out of his mouth either made me laugh or gasp in shock. Shannon gave an out-of-body performance, that probably holds true to the real Fowley, wherever he is now. 16-year-old child actor, Dakota Fanning steps into transitional shoes as The Runaways’ lead singer, Cherie Currie. The fact that Sigismondi chose someone that was the actual same age as Currie at the time was a big risk, but made the performance seem more real. I couldn’t believe myself that I was watching the 6-year old from I am Sam, snorting cocaine and kissing Kristen Stewart. All things aside, Fanning gave a wonderful and mature performance in this film. Fanning’s and Stewart’s voices on the soundtrack of the film weren’t bad either, singing Cherry Bomb, Queens Of Noise, and Dead End Justice. Of course, there are the clichés of every other bio-pic in The Runaways, like the band loving the fame, and then letting it get to them, and the lead singer getting more credit, but the dialogue and acting in this film make up for it. This is the first feature film of Sigismondi, and I can only hope she continues to write and direct more outstanding films like The Runaways.