The 1970s was an awesome decade for music. Many rock bands became a household name such as Led Zeppelin, KISS, Rush, Queen, Black Sabbath, Chicago, Aerosmith, E Street Band, Ramones, AC/DC, Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blondie, Sex Pistols, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem (they count as a band) from “The Muppets,” Fleetwood Mac & Heart. One rock band in particular were a group of girls including Joan Jett, made four albums and toured around the world spanning from 1975-1979. What I’m referring to is none other than “The Runaways.” Not the superhero team from Marvel. Thirty-Four Years Later, Dakota Fanning & Kristen Stewart portrayed Cherie Currie & Joan Jett in a biographical drama film.
Released in 2010, (same year Black Swan came out) The Runaways, received positive reviews from critics and movie goers alike. Although a critical hit, the film failed at the box office. Dakota Fanning (one of my favorite actresses) has a few upcoming projects. She’ll reunite with Denzel Washington in “The Equalizer 3.” Star in Ishana Night Shyamalan’s (M. Night’s daughter) directorial debut “The Watchers.” Work with Nicole Kidman Liev Schreiber in a mini-series on Netflix titled, “The Perfect Couple.” As a huge fan of Ms. Fanning’s work, I wanna share my thoughts on The Runaways.
This review contains no SPOILERS. Feel free to read my non-spoiler article.
Yay & Nay Aspects
Yay: Dakota Fanning & Kristen Stewart both did an excellent job for their respective performances as Cherie Currie & Joan Jett.
Fun Fact: Dakota & Kristen are good friends in real-life.
Other Cast Members such as Michael Shannon, Riley Keough, Scout Taylor-Compton & Tatum O’Neal all did a decent job for their respective performances.
Chemistry between Cherie & Joan serves as the main highlight. Their friendship moves the story forward.
Set in the 70s, the film follows the band’s rise and fall. Due to a combination of pressure with their record producer Kim Fowley and drugs spiraling outta control.
There are a few funny moments that made me laugh. Cherie checking out at a grocery store got me crackin’ up.
The story borrows elements from Cherie’s memoir, “Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway.”
Elvis Presley is mentioned. Riley Keough’s actually Elvis’ real-life granddaughter.
Dakota did all her own singing with training from the real Cherie. She also wore her outfits. Ms. Fanning earns Bonus Points for all that hard work. It’s a darn shame she didn’t get an Oscar nomination for “Best Actress.” This is why we can’t have nice things people.
The film ends with a “where are they now” montage.
If you own a DVD/Blu-Ray copy, Dakota, Kristen and the real Joan provide commentary. Reflecting on their experience making the film
Nay: Cinematography can be annoying as heck.
The Final Verdict: A-
The Runaways is a near-perfect biopic. If you’re a rock band enthusiast or a fan of Dakota Fanning, it’s a must-see film worth your spare time. I consider The Runaways as one of the best music biopics next to “The Doors,” “Sid and Nancy,” “Ray,” “Straight Outta Compton,” “Walk the Line,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Rocketman” & “Elvis.”
Nickthemoviecritic.com 