Greatness can be overwhelming. For the members of The Runaways, a band with short−lived success in the '70s, the public spotlight changed the course of their lives and their outlook on the world. The girls in the all−female rock group were forced to rediscover what music and fame meant to them. The movie of the same name, however, takes on too much by incorporating aspects of youth and femininity, resulting in a flat story with disjointed plot lines and incomplete character development.
Directed by newcomer Floria Sigismondi, "The Runaways" is a coming−of−age story that follows the lead singer, Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning), on her journey to find her self−expression through rock and roll. Together with guitarist Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart), band manager Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) and the rest of the girl rockers, The Runaways are formed on the streets of Los Angeles. This film documents their rise to fame, from the early days of success to the hatred and jealousy engendered by their popularity.
"Runaways" attempts to go beyond the inevitable story of all rock−and−roll bands by emphasizing the gender, age and vulnerability of the girls in the band. Cherie, the face of the band and the movie's protagonist, battles with drugs, her sexuality and her sense of self while touring abroad as a mere 16−year−old. Joan, a rocker to the core with a true knowledge of herself and her talents, struggles with her expectations and the realities of making music.
One night while on tour, Cherie and Joan have some sort of undefined, vague, sexual relationship. The film neglects the encounter by refusing to mention it again and simply separating Joan and Cherie from further interactions. The disconnect between the characters in the film makes the entire story seem unconvincing.
Additionally, the exclusion of the other band members from the main plot emphasizes Cherie more than the band itself, taking away from the potential power of the film. The underdevelopment of the various storylines seems incomplete, making the film confusing and uninteresting.
The plot is only one of the underdeveloped aspects of this movie. While women should be empowered to see the story of an all−girl rock group, the feminism and the female role itself are both squandered in the face of Kim's desperation to get the band members to act how men would want them to act. Instead of being herself, Cherie changes and becomes overly sexualized, doing photo shoots and performing in sexy lingerie. Many of the group's members turn to drugs, and Cherie especially is transformed from an innocent child into an insecure adult. Kim's patriarchal influence makes it seem as if Sigismondi is attacking women in the film, eliminating any hope that "Runaways" has of becoming an inspiring story.
The acting in the film varies from disappointing to satisfying. Fanning and Stewart both had to do their best to sing in Currie's moan and Jett's growl, respectively, and both have moderate success. Fanning's portrayal of a teen transforming from a delicate girl to a drug addict with reckless abandon then to a recuperating adult was fulfilling, if not quite up to the quality of her acting in the past.
Nonetheless, Fanning's acting was outstanding compared to Stewart's. Stewart allows her stoic, expressionless face to permeate all of her films, and viewers can easily see the fragile Bella Swan of the "Twilight" series beneath her rocker exterior. While it was not Stewart's fault that Joan's character did not have enough of an active role in "Runaways," Stewart's screen time was utterly forgettable. Even by giving Stewart a mullet, slinging a guitar over her shoulder and shoving a cigarette in her mouth, one can not force her to learn how to play with her emotions and develop a character.
"Runaways" acts as a memoir of a period of time in the lives of five girls as they find out who they are and realize the significance of music and fame. The movie, however, fails in its overall attempt to move beyond the basic music biopic in terms of plot and falls back on stereotypes through its exploitation of the female characters.
