A-Z Movie Reviews: ‘The Runaways’

Welcome to A-Z Movie Reviews. Every Sunday, for the next several months, I will be posting a review of a film in my home movie collection. How it works is, I will be reviewing movies in alphabetical order until I get to the letter Z (Yes, I do have a film that ends in Z). Now I realize there are many ways to alphabetize a film collection, but this is mine so don’t judge me. This is simply for fun.

I’ve already told you countless times that I’m a big fan of Kristen Stewart. I’ve already reviewed a few movies with her for A-Z Movie Reviews and I assure you more are still coming. Trust me, just wait till we reach the letter “T” I have Twilight for days. Anyhoo, now that I’ve given you that piece of info, for this installment of A-Z Movie Reviews, I’m talking about one of my favorite K. Stew flicks, The Runaways.

What it’s about:

A coming-of-age biographical film about the 1970s teenage all-girl rock band The Runaways. The relationship between band members Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) and Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) is also explored.

Before I watched The Runaways, I didn’t know much about Joan Jetts early music days. I was familiar with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts but to be honest, I didn’t know she was in an all girl rock band before this movie. Obviously, this movie doesn’t completely cover every aspect of Joan Jetts life but it at least touches on the beginnings of her career. Joan isn’t the only one The Runaways focuses on. It also deals with lead singer Cherie Curries rise to fame.

A-Z Movie Reviews: 'The Runaways' — A-Z Movie Reviews: ‘The Runaways’

Like I said, I really don’t know all there is to know about The Runaways but I think that Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning both did a great job of bringing Joan Jett and Cherie Currie to life onscreen. When I watch Kristen’s performance, I really can’t understand how anyone could think she is not a talented actress. She truly embodied Joan Jett and her fierceness. Dakota is just as good. She did a good job of showcasing what Cherie’s life was like before and after being in The Runaways.

Before Cherie joins the band, she’s more naïve but as her fame grows, she changes and her whole life is altered in ways she doesn’t really want. The pressure of living up to the image that their record producer Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) curated, really takes a toll on her.

I also give Kristen and Dakota major props for all the singing they did in The Runaways. Singing is always a challenge and it had to be intimidating for both of them to have to sing all those classic songs like ‘I Love Playing With Fire’ and ‘Cherry Bomb.’

It’s sad that The Runaways ultimately ended up breaking up but they made their mark on Rock and Roll. An all female rock band in a world dominated by men was no easy feat but they all pulled it off and at such a young age. The Runaways refused to conform to societal norms and they were not afraid to get gritty and raw. Their record producer Kim Fowley had some very unconventional and at times inappropriate ways of doing things but the fact remains he gave them their big break.

I truly think that if you are a fan of Joan Jett, you will enjoy The Runaways. It’s not just a film about girls in a rock band. It’s a film about misfits who become a found family because of their common love of music and their goal to prove to the world that they are just as good any male rock group could ever be.

Other Thoughts

Still not sure why the opening scene was Cherie getting her period. It doesn’t move the story along in anyway.

I would kill my sister if she told her boyfriend I got my period.

“Girls don’t play electric guitars” REALLY?

I just realized the “rocker boy” (Nick Eversman) that Joan is making out with, played “Jeremiah” who is a parody of Twilight character Jasper Cullen in Vampires Suck.