THE RUNAWAYS
CAROLINE: The Runaways is the new biopic about Joan Jett and Cherie Currie surrounding their uniting to make the first all-girl rock band in the ’70s; but I like to think of it more as That Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart Movie.
RYAN: [laughs’ Exactly. Until now, all buzz has really been eclipsed by their fame. I wish you had been able to be at the screening with me.
CAROLINE: I know, I’d really like to see it. But let me guess – Dakota’s better than Kristen.
RYAN: I remember when we used to hate on Dakota but she really turns a corner in this movie. I’m willing to consider her a competent actress. She’s just 16, and this movie is a really great showcase for her.
CAROLINE: They’re also both together in the Twilight movies. They must be besties by now.
RYAN: Kristen was okay but she’s still sort of annoying and one note and I don’t want to see her play a rocker with a baditude, you know? Since we know she’s all “eff you” in real life, I kinda wanna see her stretch more as an actress… if she can.
CAROLINE: Didn’t they do some of their own singing too?
RYAN: I know Dakota did and she’s ok, but she’s nowhere near as good as the real thing, LBH. The actor who plays their agent/manager Kim Fowley is terrific and highlar.
CAROLINE: How’s the rest of the movie?
RYAN: It’s got an incredibly indie feel and it moves along pretty well. It’s a compelling story and obviously, the music is great. I liked it and it piqued my interest in the music of The Runaways but I don’t know… it’s not like a must see.
CAROLINE: How are the costumes?
RYAN: Oh, the whole period-pieceness of it is beyond. Tatum O’Neal plays Dakota’s mom in a scene and I wanted more. She was brill.
CAROLINE: Ooh, that’s fun. I enjoyed her on that one episode of Sex and the City too.
RYAN: My pal, Jennifer, interviewed the cast and the original members of the band and schooled me on some things I wouldn’t otherwise have known about the production of this film.
CAROLINE: Like what?
RYAN: Well I was disappointed at the end, before the credits, when they put up the words of “where are they now” for Joan Jett and Cherie Currie but don’t for the other members of the band.
CAROLINE: That’s rude.
RYAN: Especially since there’s Lita Ford, the girl hard rocker, and one of the others went onto join The Bangles. Their updates should have been included. Supposedly there’s some bad blood between them, so I guess egos got in the way.
CAROLINE: Sad.
RYAN: And there was much more drama on tour with The Runaways with hooking up between the roadies and such, but they really didn’t go there in the movie for some reason.
— BOTTOM LINE —
RYAN: It’s a definite for any music history buff or even indie movie fan. It was a little slow at parts and doesn’t give the most accurate impression of the band’s success over in the US versus Japan and how they broke up. But its pop culture worthiness trumps that – if only for Dakota’s and Kristen’s moments together.
— RATING —
