The Runaways Poster

The Runaways (2010)

Biography | Music 
Rayting:   6.6/10 46.5K votes
Country: USA
Language: English
Release date: 4 November 2010

A coming of age biographical film about the 1970s teenage all girl rock band

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User Reviews

Quinoa1984 21 March 2010

On occasion, the atmosphere of watching a movie at a theater in a certain circumstance adds to the ambiance. Case in point, The Runaways: I saw it at my local cineplex, where, unbeknownst to me since I last ventured into a particular screen, the one where The Runaways played on (good old theater 8), the sound had gotten a little worse. It was crackly, though one could still hear voices and sound fx and music reasonably well, and on the side of the frames of the 2:35:1 aspect ratio, there was some black fizzle or something. For a more prestige picture or big blockbuster, it might have been a hindrance. For the case of The Runaways, it was just about perfect. This mid-1970's trip through a kick-you-in-the-ball girl rock group complimented the flaws in the stereo-sound and the picture, and it was like listening/watching a worn vinyl LP. This coupled with the attitude of the performances, and some of the songs featured, made it like a near Grindhouse event.

That the movie itself is less than great was to be expected. This is one of those rise-fall rock and roll band stories, one you know well if you've seen at least two or three by now (pick your delicious poison, be it The Doors or even Dreamgirls - 'The Fabulous Stains' from the early 80's wouldn't be far off either). And it also has a distinction of being a rise-fall story for a band that was around for only a few years, a less-than-revolutionary girl version of The Sex Pistols, who all wanted to rock but came from different backgrounds and were beat down before they could fully develop rock star egos by a grubby manager/producer.

For the Runaways, we mostly get the stories of Cheri Currie (Dakota Fanning) and Joan Jett (Kirsten Steward). Many will know the latter, since she's made several big hit rock singles, but some in the audience (unless you're already a big Runaway fan or fan of the movie Foxes) won't know who Cheri Currie was. Perhaps that was the appeal for the director, first-timer Flori Sigismondi, that we get a view into the lead singer and how she's actually got a family and a place she's coming from, as opposed to Joan Jett who (by the appearance from the film) just came off the streets and immediately had to play guitar or die or go to prison. Certainly that, too, has a bit of the cliché to it (un-attentive mother, alcoholic father, same old same old), but the filmmaker is able to straddle the line between Currie, Jett and producer Kim Fowley (unmistakably hammy Michael Shannon, maybe too hammy in some scenes).

Here's the thing that works for the film though: as a real gritty rock movie, as a saga of characters rolling around LA (sometimes right under the Hollywood sign), getting wasted, trashing hotel rooms, getting into madness, being rockers who can stand up to those "men" that Fowley says don't want to see girls on stage. Subsequently in the story in the film, he exploits them for all he can, usually when they aren't noticing until it really affects their appearance as rock and rollers as opposed to beauty queens (or, of course, Currie as one). Again, some of these story elements are familiar, but this is not what makes the film so appealing - I didn't go to the Runaways to get a super-insightful script, save for a few little nuggets (i.e. they trained in a trailer!).

I went to the Runaways to see rock and roll and rock as it blasted away without care back in the 1970's, albeit shown here as a brew of glam (Bowie) and punk (Pistols) and eventually with Jett

brando647 20 September 2010

Fmovies: THE RUNAWAYS chronicles the run of one of the most successful all-girl rock bands of all time. The film is based on "Neon Angel", the autobiography of the band's original lead singer Cherie Currie, and it gives us a glimpse into the world of rock and roll as seen from the perspective of a group of teenage girls on their way to super-stardom. I had heard some good things about the film when it was first making the festival circuit, but I wasn't as impressed when I finally got a chance to see it myself. The cast did an amazing job in their roles but the film wasn't as great as it probably could have been.

The problem with music biopics, particularly for rock stars, is that most rock stars seem to encounter the same problems: sex, drugs, booze, addiction, conflicting personalities, etc. So we get a lot of repetition with each rock star film and RUNAWAYS is no different. Cherie's decline into addiction, the in-band conflicts, the initial excitement of success and the eventual succumbing to the stress and strain of maintaining the lifestyle. It's nothing we haven't seen before in other films, it's just happening to younger characters. It's fine though because the performances are strong enough that it's easy to forget that the material's nothing new. My main problem with the film was that it came across as unstructured. It felt as if the filmmakers had just strung along random interesting events in the Runaways history and it made it feel like the movie was just wandering along. As a result, the movie loses it's momentum after their first major gig and drags through the last half. It begins around the time Cherie begins to lose control which is a shame; I should be concerned for her character, not bored by the meandering storyline.

The film's saving grace is the cast. Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, and Michael Shannon did an amazing job. Kristen Stewart has earned some major credibility with me thanks to this film. I was concerned that a girl famous for her role in the TWILIGHT saga would ruin such an iconic role (Joan Jett) but she did a fantastic job and seemed to embody her perfectly. Dakota Fanning is Cherie and I've always thought of Fanning as one of the most talented young stars in Hollywood. She provides an innocence in Cherie's character at the start that makes the film interesting to watch when her stardom warps and destroys it. Shannon is the group's manager Kim Fowley. Fowley is apparently infamous for his aggressive style, and his training sessions with the Runaways are the best parts of the film.

You can't have a music film without the music that inspired it and the soundtrack to the film is awesome. It's loaded with music from the Runaways and Joan's later solo run. The filmmaker's transport you back to the late 70s with their dedication to the style, from the clothes to the music and the fads. The movie has all the ingredients to make a great bio movie, but the execution prevents it from rising to what it could've been.

wvisser-leusden 9 July 2011

Oh yes, 'The Runaways' is a good movie. Also for those who aren't aware that it's about the first all-female group in history of rock.

The plot narrows itself down to Kim Fowley (manager), Cherie Currie (lead singer) and Joan Jett (rythm-guitarist). Which is not wrong, but makes that you miss out on a lot of other interesting historical facts about this great Californian rock-band.

About lead-guitarist Lita Ford, for instance. She and Jett were the only band-members able to continue their career in rock-music after the Runaways split up.

About bass-player Jackie Fox, who left the band out of frustration for getting badly paid. Fox became a lawyer in the American music business instead.

The great thing about the Runaways is the magnificent cooperation between their two renowned guitarists Joan Jett and Lita Ford. Between Jett's earsplitting rhythms and Ford's virtuoso lead. This cooperation really earned 'The Runaways' a place in rock history.

Further 'The Runaways' were the first all-female rock-group at a time when people didn't even think about such a thing. And they also played their rock in a period when pop-music's trend was very soft, greatly influenced by 'The Eagles'.

By the way, this film hardly contains any 'Runaways'-music. For this you'd better turn to internet or to a CD. To 'The Runaways live in Japan', for instance, a CD recording their live-concert from 1977 in Japan. At that time 'The Runaways' peaked in a country where they were hugely popular.

ferguson-6 20 March 2010

The Runaways fmovies. Greetings again from the darkness. Getting dragged back to the mid-70's can be quite fun, especially when the topic is rock 'n roll. Based on lead singer Cherie Currie's autobiography, this film provides an overview of the formation, sudden fame, and equally sudden dismantling of the first all-girl's rock band, The Runaways.

Joan Jett was the heart of the band, but it took oddball music producer Kim Fowley to put the band together and get the recording deal. Fowley may be the most interesting character in this story. Here he is played with force by the very talented Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road).

Instead, the story focuses on Cherie Currie and Joan Jett, mostly Currie, since it is her book! Dakota Fanning plays Cherie Currie as a confused 15 year old with a messed up family life. The family includes a mom, played by Tatum O'Neal, who announces she is getting married and moving to Indonesia. Currie's dad is a very sick alcoholic, so she is an easy recruit for Fowley and Jett. Jett is played balls-out by Kristen Stewart. Yes, Kristen Stewart from Twilight. Here she shows much more of the talent we saw prior to the Twilight series. She captures the fire and spirit of Joan Jett and leaves little doubt she will pursue her dreams despite all obstacles.

Overall, the script comes up short and provides us little more than headlines and a quick glimpse. Would have expected much more on talented guitarist Lita Ford, who continues to work today. For a quick intro to the story of The Runaways, this one is fine. Just don't expect much depth.

jickweez-1 16 March 2010

Just caught a special screening of The Runaways last night at the Laemmle on Sunset, and it more than exceeded expectations. The leads (Kristen Stewart, Michael Shannon and Dakota Fanning) do an admirable job playing the sullen budding rock star, whacked-out manager and reluctant front girl. At first, it looked as though Stewart was going to fall back on her woe-is-me (woe-is-us who have to suffer through it) Bella character in Twilight, but her performance as Joan Jett soon showed a shyness and vulnerability that made the role three dimensional and overall enjoyable. Shannon gives a wonderful turn as Kim Fowley, The Runaways' too-brilliant-for-his-own-good manager and has some of the best lines in the movie (my friend and I were giddy every time he opened his mouth). But the real star here is Fanning as the innocent Cherie Curie, who didn't ask to be a star but was thrust into the spotlight nevertheless. Watching her downward spiral from innocent young woman (the film opens with her getting her first period) to trying to buy a jug of vodka for breakfast is where this movie soars above others of its ilk. With her big baby blues (wow, those eyes), Fanning portrays innocence lost more effectively than any other actress I can remember. She should be considered for many awards for her performance. Did I mention those eyes?

All in all, The Runaways is a fantastic movie. The direction, though "arty" at times, fits in well with the rock 'n' roll themes. The script is nearly pitch perfect without being preachy or excessive. The performances great. The soundtrack genius (from Bowie to The Stooges to The Sex Pistols - and even a few Runaways songs). But what really adds to the authenticity of the 70's period piece are the costumes and set design, which transport the audience back into a time when women rockers were practically unheard of. Some of the fashion (where did they find all those platform heels?) even takes on a life of its own. Looking forward to watching this little gem again.

kwoods-5 12 April 2010

I've been a Runaways fan since 1976, so I had been anticipating this film for a long time. Having read Cherie Currie's book, Neon Angel, on which the film is very loosely based, I was pretty familiar with the broad outlines of the story. As with any film adaptation of a book, I knew they would leave some things out and streamline other things, and I also suspected the film wouldn't be as dark as the book, which turned out to be true.

What the film really nailed was the relationship between the Runaways and their sleazy manager/producer Kim Fowley. Michael Shannon does a fabulous job playing this over-the-top character. His expletive-filled rants are simultaneously hilarious and cringe-worthy.

The stars, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning, are both excellent as Joan Jett and Cherie Currie, respectively. Stewart displays Jett's consuming passion for rock and roll and her desire to work hard to be a star. Fanning does a very good job balancing Currie's conflicting desires (to be a rock star and be with her family). It's no secret that the film doesn't spend much time with the other three members of the band. I have no problem with that, since Jett and Currie are, for me, the most interesting and most talented members.

The film does a great job showing the band performing. Stewart and Fanning clearly worked hard to be believable as rockers, and it paid off. You see the progression of both characters from neophytes to seasoned performers, and it works. Another aspect is the struggle by the Runaways to be taken seriously. There were very few hard-rocking ladies in 1976, so they faced a lot of skepticism. The film shows this very well.

The music is very good. The new versions of Runaways songs are good, although Fanning sounds nothing like Currie. The period songs are a nice selection, from David Bowie to Gary Glitter to the Stooges. The filmmakers nailed the look of the period as well. The clothes, hair, furniture, etc., are just right.

Overall, this is an excellent film. I highly recommend it.

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