 For a lot of us ‘boomers’ of the 60’s and 70’s, the story of Joan Jett and ‘Rock & Roll’ holds fond memories. For us, there were a lot of ‘firsts’, including the first moon landing. Music is a prominent factor for ‘firsts’. Every time I hear the tunes “I Love Rock & Roll” and “Crimson and Clover”, made household sounds by Joan Jett in 80’s, are reminders of the forceful, creative progress of individuality. The movie “The Runaways” captures that time when history was being made, all around us…
“The Runaways” is based on lead-singer Cherie Currie's (an original member of the band) book, 'Neon Angel', which chronicles her experiences as a rock star. The years from 1975 – 1977 are highlighted as teenage girls, living near Hollywood, CA, form the band. With a strong PR sell by their manager Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) as 'jailbait rock' since all the girls were 16 or younger, the exploitation gets them noticed. With Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) and Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) fronting the band, they ultimately succeed on their own merits as musicians.
Of course, history tells us that they become the first all-girl rock-band to break into the world of arena-filled hard rock acts and set the tone for many female ‘rockers’ to follow. Dynamic performances by Kristen Stewart (of the ‘Twilight’ movies) as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning (also in the upcoming ‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse’ later this year) as Cherie Currie, deliver powerful portrayals that reminds us the path of striving to make our dreams become a reality, will take every ounce of courage, to survive…
Starring Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Stella Maeve, Scout Taylor-Compton, and Alia Shawkat.
Written and Directed by Floria Sigismondi. Apparition release. Rated R for language, drug use and sexual content, all involving teens. Runtime: 109 minutes.
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