The Runaways tells the story of the 70s teenage all girl rock band of the same name with the focus on members Cherie Currie and Joan Jett. The film starts with a quick look into the tough life of Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning). We also have a brief scene with Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) at a guitar lesson where she is told that “girls don’t play electric guitar”
The film moves to a scene outside of a rock club where Joan meets sleazy record producer Kim Fowley (Chicago’s own Michael Shannon). She tells him she wants to start an all girl rock band. Fowley sees a great way to make money in this and he quickly puts a band together.
Fowley picks 15-year-old Cherie up at a club and makes her audition as the band’s singer without hearing her sing. He runs them through a gauntlet and teaches them how to play to a hostile audience full of hecklers. His training sessions make some of the most entertaining scenes. Kim sells the teenage girls as rough, tough objects of desire and sends them on tour in Japan. The obligatory scenes of sex and drugs are here along with the rock n’ roll performances.
We get brief glimpses of Cherie’s uncaring mother and her alcoholic father, but it’s never enough to make us fully sympathize with her. Kristen Stewart is an exact copy of Joan Jett, but we see no great struggle for her as a character. Joan goes on tour with her all girl band, their singer Cherie leaves and Joan continues onto a solo career. There’s not much more to her story. We know nothing of her family, her roots or what is driving her to succeed. There’s lot of rock here, but very little substance.
Two stars **
Director – Floria Sigismondi
Filmic Brevity 