By Robert Sims, Special to TheMovieKit.com
Step 1: Accept that you’re not going to witness the whole story behind the rise and fall of the original all-girl rock band. The Runaways should have been called Salt ‘N Pepper — the nicknames for Cherie Currie (played by Dakota Fanning) and Joan Jett (played by Kristen Stewart) — considering this by-the-numbers rock biography concentrates solely on the relationship between the jailbait-age singer and her done-up-with-leather guitarist. Indeed, director Floria Sigismondi doesn’t even acknowledge that The Runaways recorded two albums after Currie departed and leaves you with the impression that Currie gave rock ‘n’ roll when she, in fact, went solo and tried her hand at acting. The latter is a surprise considering The Runaways is based on Currie’s memoir, Neon Angel.
Step 2: Realize you have seen this all before. Sigismondi does nothing to distinguish The Runaways from previous depictions of the lives and excesses of our most beloved and most tragic rock and pop icons. This is a cautionary tale fueled by sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Everything that you expect to happen happens, from the highs of newfound fame and glory, to the lows of addiction and infighting. And you would think that a music video veteran like Sigismondi would shoot the requisite concert and performance scenes in fresh and thrilling ways; instead, such Runaways classics as “Cherry Bomb” and “Dead End Justice” rely solely on the brash energy Fanning and Stewart bring to the stage.
Step 3: It’s all about the acting. Fanning continues to impress as she makes a Jodie Foster-like bid to be taken seriously, inching closer to adulthood. While Fanning struggles to replicate the undeniable force of Currie’s sexuality, she does throw herself into a demanding role that requires her to truly get inside the mind of a young girl unable to handle all the sudden pleasures and pressures of the rock life. And there are times when it’s quite uncomfortable watching Fanning — who must have been 15 at the time of shooting — strutting on stage like a stripper or making out with her New Moon costar Stewart. As Jett, a stoic Stewart often lets her guitar speak for her, but it is through her that we come to understand the damage that fame and fortune inflicted on these teen idols.
Step 4: Hope someone will make a film about Kim Fowley. The most intriguing relationship depicted in The Runaways isn’t between Currie and Jett but between the band and their producer, the irrepressible Kim Fowley. He’s portrayed in The Runaways as a smart and brilliant music impresario, who was willing to push everyone to the edge in order to sell his artists and their songs. You sit through The Runaways wondering how long these young girls will take Fowley’s abusive and controlling ways. As Fowley, Michael Shannon may come across as Svengali in glam-rock makeup, but there’s logic in the madness that he exudes and creates. That’s not to say you would want to entrust your daughter to this strange and bewildering master manipulator. But there’s clearly more to Fowley than The Runaways lets on, and it’s not hard to imagine that he would make a more captivating subject for a fan that the band he managed.
Level of difficulty in watching The Runaways: Even if you don’t know The Runaways’ history or their songs this movie will still seem overly familiar. But at least Fanning, Stewart and Shannon make beautiful music together.