The Runaways – Got Me Nostalgic Thinking About Rock Bands Of The Past

I used to read biography of the bands formed in the 60’s and 70’s.  Most with tragic beginning or ending or both.  Sex, drug, and rock and roll.  Bands that could not stay together, for whatever reason.  The amount of angst and feeling poured into the lyrics and the music.  The sacrifices too.  Music of that era is unlike what we have today.  On that note, while watching “The Runaways”, countless rock band stories that I have read in my younger days – from the books and from the magazines – flooded my head.  The film got me feeling nostalgic.  Gosh.  I love the music of that era.

Dakota Fanning.  My oh my.  Look what she has grown up into.  I remember how impressed I was when I watched her in Steven Spielberg’s “Taken”.  And some of her movies too.  But “The Runaways” is a whole new level.  Let’s forget about the less than impressive storyline and music for a moment – as the movie is based on a true story of a girl rock band called “The Runaways” and nothing could changed the history.  For the 16 years old Dakota to act out the part of Cherie Currie as the band’s lead vocalist  is in my opinion technically difficult.  She has to smoke cigarettes and take drug, act intoxicated by drug and alcohol, and living in a dysfunctional family; to be a girl who adores David Bowie, trained as a rock band vocalist in the 70’s, and transformed into a sex symbol for the music business; make out with a guy and make out with a girl.  If you stop for a moment and think of Dakota as a little girl growing up, you probably would be like me hoping that this film will not destroy her real life.

“The Runaways” has indirectly set Cynthia and I on a soft collision course.  Why?  It is because she is a fan of Kristen Stewart and I Dakota.  For a film that is co-produced by Joan Jett (acted by Kristen as the guitarist of the band) and by the fact that Joan Jett is the more commercially successful one, you would have thought that Kristen Stewart should have more air time than Dakota Fanning.  In the movie, it does not seem to be that way.  While Dakota is given the opportunity to act out a wide spectrum of emotion throughout the film, Kristen Stewart’s part is rather one dimensional, as demanded by the script.  Dark, with determination to succeed (a good departure from being a vampire’s love interest).  Hence, “The Runaways” may not please Stewart’s fans.  Having said that, my counter-observation is that a lead vocalist is the focus of the band (in this case, the focus of the movie).  When you take the vocalist away from the band, the rest seems to fade away (if it helps, recall what Slash & Co. looks like when Axl Rose left).  And to that extend, it explains why this film seems to be all about Cherie Currie.  It also explains why “The Runaways” may seem to have climaxed a little bit too early.

I enjoy watching “The Runaways” mainly because I care about the music created during that era.  I am unsure if someone may find it awkward to watch girls being ‘bad’ just like the boys.  I have heard pockets of laughter as well as pockets of sighs and disapproval from the audience.  My only stereotypical observation is that in the history of rock, there are a lot more all-guy bands than all-girl bands.  I wonder why.  On a separate note, the director “Floria Sigismondi” has made a lot more music videos than films (this being her second one).  No wonder those music clips are so beautifully made.

If you are curious about the soundtrack inspired by this movie, Dakota and Kristen have sung in 4 out of 14 tracks.  3 tracks from the band “The Runaways”.  1 song performed by Joan Jett called “Don’t Abuse Me”.  From my first listen, the album does sound coherence, sound-wise.  But since I have my reservation on the music of the band “The Runaways”, the soundtrack is pretty average.