Floria Sigismondi’s The Runaways (2010) is an explosive and highly romanticized look at the early years of the titular band. Inspired more than based on Cherie Currie’s memoir Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway, The Runaways focuses on the love/hate relationship between Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) and Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) that drove the band. Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) is depicted as more of a benevolent force than he actually was, since the details of his behavior had not come to light at the time of production.
But Sigismondi isn’t all that interested in the historical record. The story of The Runaways is simply a means to explore what, in a historical context, what the teenaged girl experience was. The Runaways is a film to inspire young women and empower queer women with a portrait of group strength in the face of adversity. Combining elements of Punk and Glam, The Runaways were trailblazers in the realm of male dominated rock, laying the ground work for the Riot grrrl movement.
In terms of structure The Runaways resembles most rock music biopics, notably Almost Famous (2000). One way, besides content, that Sigismondi sets her film apart is by shooting the film on 16mm. The Runaways already had a very authentic looking production design, but in 16mm the film almost looks like it was shot in 1976. It’s an inspired choice by Sigismondi that really pays off.
At the center of The Runaways is Stewart and Fanning. Their chemistry elevates any of the cheesier moments in the film. Individually, Stewart and Fanning electrify their scenes with a palpable sense of defiance and raw energy. The Runaways revolved around Jett and Currie, The Runaways revolves around Fanning and Stewart.
The Runaways is loud, intense, and totally queer. Sigismondi made the best rock picture since Todd Haynes’ Velvet Goldmine (1998). As popular as films like RocketMan (2019) and Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) are, neither of them feels as urgent or as relevant as The Runaways. By contrast these more recent blockbusters feel like overly sentimental portraits of rock stars; all of the edge and all of the energy has been siphoned off for mass appeal. The Runaways knows its audience, fuck the rest.
