I learned some music history from The Runaways. Before seeing the film, I thought that the girls all found one another, made their own music, and created their own fame. Instead, a man named Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) messed with and controlled their world. He had them in the palm of his hands, and did what he wanted, whenever he liked.
The film mostly centers on Joan Jett and Cherie Currie (played by Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning) and how they handled the ups and downs of fame. Both are appropriately cast (they were the same age as their respective characters), and each uses their looks and attitude to create a dynamic onscreen persona. But deep down, each plays it safe. The decision to do so works in a rather broad sense; however, it doesn't take the movie very far.
As I sat there watching the feature I became intrigued by the band. After finishing I did my own research to discover that most of the story in the film is accurate. It should be noted that the film made it seem as if the girls' fame happened in a split second when in reality it took years for the girls to reach icon status.
The scenes they chose, and the angles they shot from consistently stylized The Runaways. One thing I could have done without was the film going beyond the break-up of the band, showing Joan Jett and her success with other songs such as "˜I Love Rock and Roll.' It felt like an overly perfect and melodramatic way to tie up the film.
Listening to the music of the band, as well as the overall soundtrack to the movie, was one high point of The Runaways. A rock movie needs to have a great selection of rock, and "˜Cherry Bomb' is one you're not soon to forget.
