By Ashley Bradley/ne news editor
The best audience for this movie can’t even get into the theater.
This adolescent flick (an unfunny, Michael Cera-esque film) has been rated R because of the sex, drugs and, well, rock ’n’ roll, but the producers made a huge mistake.
Tweenage drama queens would love this movie.
The Runaways follows the life of Joan Jett, played by Kristen Stewart, and Cherie Currie, played by Dakota Fanning, while in a 1975 band of the same name.
Though the movie centers on the fact that Jett is a woman pioneer to the electric guitar, it later gets off track by focusing on Currie as an over-drinking, over-drugged and over-sexed teen.
Though it is riveting to see Fanning play her first part as a semi-grown-up, it’s much more uncomfortable.
Audiences may find it difficult to place Fanning, known for children roles, into this racy character.
From the first scene where the audience watches her first period begin to a much later one when she is wearing only a negligee, it’s only human to want to scream, “Put some clothes on, Dakota!”
Fanning is a great actress, no doubt about it, but sometimes I wondered if Fanning was playing Currie or if Fanning was playing Fanning in a similar situation.
In one scene, the band producer yells at Currie to sing a certain lyric, but she protests. Is it Fanning who’s protesting? The words are pretty vulgar.
Both Fanning and Stewart do a great job embodying the doubts and questions teens have. That’s why this movie should have targeted a younger crowd to give insight into the insecurities even young rock ’n’ rollers have.
Minus the scenes of drug abuse, sexual encounters and lady-kissing, this movie would have said the exact same thing —Jett was successful because she didn’t over sell herself and stuck to her beliefs.
Also, this movie didn’t give enough feminist credit.
In the film, before The Runaways were formed, a guitar teacher tells Jett, “Girls don’t play electric guitar.”
She, of course, later sticks it to him by going overseas for a tour, during which she plays lead electric guitar.
Other than that and a few strong quotes, it mostly touches on the failure of Currie, not the empowerment of women.
The majority of the movie was unnecessary, but anyone wanting to see Stewart kissing girls should lineup.
I personally have seen a million previews where she is kissing Robert Pattinson, and that’s close enough for me.
