Based on the book Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway by the band’s lead vocalist Cherie Currie, I thought this movie just wouldn’t work, but it had to age before I watched it. Post-Twilight it felt like sacrilege to have Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett, but now it feels right.
Director Floria Sigismondi made the music videos for “The Beautiful People” by Marilyn Manson, “Obstacle 1” by Interpol and multiple videos for Bowie and Sigur Ros, so she understands rock and roll. And while this movie moves pretty quick through the history of the band, she succeeded in her goal of making it a coming of age story more than a biography. I really like the look of the film as well, as it moves from a colorful world to darkness by the end with each major moment having a slightly different look that never distracts from the whole of the movie.
Cherie Currie praised Dakota Fanning for her performance in the film, but obviously realized that so much of the book wouldn’t be filmed. She said, “My book is the real story. This is just a lighter kind of flash of what The Runaways were for a specific amount of time. How do you possibly take two and a half years and make it a film that’s an hour and a half, and make it even closely touch what was truly going on?”
As for Joan Jett, she felt that it captured 1970s Los Angeles.
Along with Stella Maeve as Sandy West, Scout Taylor-Compton as Lita Ford and Alia Shawkat as Robin Robins (Jacqueline Fuchs would not allow her name or image to be used in the movie), the girls start the film in the shadow of Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon), who sees himself as the creative force behind the band, which may be true at first, but so many of his mental games just end up destroying what he’s started.
It’s not perfect, but if it allows one person to discover the real music, isn’t that a great thing?
B&S About Movies 
I was a Runaways fan, but too young to see them live. However, a few years later I saw Joan Jett when her first album debuted (way before the hit “I Love Rock N’ Roll” put her on the map. I was right in the front, she smiled at me and let me strum her guitar. Many years later I finally met her at a vegan event and she was just the same, full of smiles. (I also met Cherie, twice, and the late Sandy West — very nice ladies!) I guess they were all cool to me because I was a younger fan (though not that younger, only by 4 or 5 years).
The movie was cool, but it’s great advice to read Cherie’s book (mine is autographed by Cherie from when I met her). But what I loved most about the movie was it had songs that were more obscure, not just the well known ones like “Cherry Bomb.”
Movie fans should also check out “Foxes” which Cherie starred in. It was excellent and she’s a terrific actress.
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That’s awesome. Yes, I loved the music selections in this movie.
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Honestly one of the few films Stewart is really good in as she is exactly like Jett in facial expressions of life. And I discovered Michael Shannon here which was a pleasure in and of itself! 🙂 #ChaChaChaCherryBOMB
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Agreed! Shannon captivated me, here. Knowing a little about Kim Fowley, I can tell you Shannon his research and nailed the persona.
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I actually knew Kim Fowley and yes he really did do him complete justice. 🙂
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Oh, that’s cool you knew him! Now a feature film — an indie, of course — of his life and career proper, I’d love to see. What a life and career! A fascinating man.
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He might look fascinating on the outside – but alas his real truths are much darker – hopefully the real story will tell the truth.
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