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Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Stella Maeve, Scout Taylor-Compton ... see more see more... , Alia Shawkat , Riley Keough , Johnny Lewis , Tatum O'Neal , Brett Cullen , Hannah Marks , Jill Andre , Ray Porter , Kiaya Snow , Allie Grant , Shammy Dee , Aaron Parker Mouser , Peggy Stewart , Robert Romanus , Jay Thames , Masami Kosaka , Masayuki Yonezawa , Hiroshi Sakata , P.D. Mani , Mickey Petralia , Antonella Sigismondi , Nick Eversman , Keir O'Donnell , Lisa Long , J.R. Nutt , Alejandro Patino , John Konesky , Tim Winters , Adam Silver , Koji Wada , Josh Albee , Dorothy McGuire , Neva Patterson , Lenka Peterson , John Randolph , Van Williams

The story of the groundbreaking '70s female rock group the Runaways is recounted in this River Road Entertainment production focusing on the duo of guitarist/vocalist Joan Jett (portrayed by Twilight'... read more read more...s Kristen Stewart) and lead vocalist/keyboardist Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) as they navigate a rocky road of touring and record label woes under the malevolent eye of abusive manager Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) during their teen years. Acclaimed video artist Floria Sigismondi directs from her own script, with Scout Taylor-Compton co-starring as guitarist Lita Ford. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

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55% liked it

82,776 ratings

Critics

68% liked it

177 critics

R, 1 hr. 47 min.

Directed by: Floria Sigismondi

Release Date: April 9, 2010

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DVD Release Date: July 20, 2010

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Stats: 4,207 reviews

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The Runaways KRISTEN STEWART, STELLA MAEVE, SCOUT TAYLOR-COMPTON & ALIA SHAWKAT The Runaways NY premiere after party Kristen Stewart THE RUNAWAYS MOVIE POSTER DAKOTA FANNING AS CHERIE CURRIE KRISTEN & DAKOTA The Runaways KRISTEN STEWART The Runaways KRISTEN STEWART AS JOAN JETT KRISTEN, JOAN, DAKOTA, AND CHERI KRISTEN STEWART & DAKOTA FANNING The Runaways New Photo The Runaways NY premiere after party KRISTEN STEWART The Runaways
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Flixster Reviews (4,207)

  • 5oclockcoffee
    May 11, 2012
    5oclockcoffee

    The opening scene. A drop of menstrual blood hits the pavement. Itīs not necessary much more to understand that itīs a movie about girls. With a sort of disappointment, I already knew what to and what to not expect, an apprehension confirmed right in the next scenes, dialog... read moreues between the sisters. Itīs not only a film from a girlīs point of view, but it is also like any other music biography weīve already seen. Something like: turn up the sound and (try to) enjoy it.

    The film tells the story of the beginning of the band, its success and fall, but itīs not exactly a film about The Runaways. It focus on Cherie Currie and Joan Jett, letting Lita Ford, Jackie Fox and Sandy West "in the backstage", being West the only one who has more scenes with them. With the exception of Cherie Bomb and I Love Rock NīRoll, we donīt see a daily band routine, the artistic process of writing and arranging songs, what would be more interesting than the pattern "sex, drugs and rock nīroll". Yes, itīs the year of 1975, they are the first all-girl rock band, but all this we already know.

    Itīs difficult to conceive that so young girls had so much freedom to do whatever they had in mind when we look to Dakota Fanning, still too "little" girl to convince us that she is the fox we've been waiting for. However, the times are others. If the real Runaways looked like what today would be twenty something, Fanning and Stewart fits perfectly into those seventeen years old.
    Cherie Currie was much wilder for sure (what can be perceived in her voice) but Fanning makes a great job. Like Iīve read somewhere , she is making the transition from child actor to a grown up actress in a strong way.

    Speaking about looks, if you, like me, didnīt really know The Runaways, but in the other hand knew The L Word, Kristen Stewart will look so much like Shane that will be hard to properly enjoy or take in consideration her portrait of Joan Jett. Too bad! After watching some old videos of The Runaways on youtube, I can say she is very good as Jett. Watching their live in Japan, in 1977, itīs incredible how Scout Taylor-Compto is very alike to Lita Ford.




  • clintervin
    January 2, 2012
    clintervin
    Being a quasi-fan of the Runaways back in their day, I couldn't wait to see this film. Its fairly amusing and thoroughly entertaining; maybe the best aspect is the outstanding performances of the two leads. I'm not sure about the accuracy of every scene in this biopic, but that's... read more unimportant. Director Floria Sigismondi's film captures the essence and spirit of the time. Drug use and experimentation were rampant, and svengali-type producers made new acts stars overnight. Its all clichéd, undeniably. This is an all-too-common story, differentiated only because this is a teen all-girl band. Finally, back then, as now, infighting as to direction and leadership led to a breakup.

    I was enthralled by both female leads especially Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie. She was a (more) feminine David Bowie and focus of the contrived jailbait image. No doubt, Cherry Bomb was written for her! Kristen Stewart was not Bella Swan, thank God, although she still managed to mope somewhat. They're successful in realistically portraying the excesses of the rock and roll lifestyle and the central conflict of girls who want to rock vs. jailbait sleaze. Joan Jett would be proud.
  • aliceinpunderland
    May 23, 2011
    aliceinpunderland
    The story never penetrates the surface. We never really get to know Joan and Cherie beyond the obvious sex, drugs, and rock and roll, to say less of the other three in the band. Kristen Stewart's good in her usual sullen way, and Dakota Fanning is okay at times, not great at ti... read moremes, and pretty awesome in the last "Cherry Bomb" performance.
  • jennifxu
    April 30, 2011
    jennifxu
    It's quite a spectacle watching Dakota and Kristen do their thing, but yeah, it can get a little dull if you don't actually care about Joan or Cherie, which I didn't.
  • fb100000040220993
    March 9, 2011
    fb100000040220993
    This wasn't very good. Maybe I'd have been more entertained if I actually gave a shit about the people portrayed in the movie. Then again, if I did, I'd be disappointed because this movie doesn't delve very deep into anything. It's just there. Weak effort. Unless you're a fa... read moren of the band, avoid. And if you are a fan of the band, reevaluate your taste in music.
  • mjgildea
    February 23, 2011
    mjgildea
    I know The Runaways was all... indie or whatever, but despite the paint by numbers plot points and heavily cliched script, a bigger budget really could've helped this movie. Kristen Stewart trades in her play-with-my-hair-and-bite-my-bottom-lip acting style for straight-up skulki... read moreng as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning did something kind of different, so... yay. The direction kind of annoyed me, especially during the concert scenes that were slightly less ADD than any given music video. The first hour was pretty good but the last act switched gears so abruptly from a plot standpoint with little to no explanation. That's kind of odd considering you expected it to happen. The soundtrack was amazing but Michael Shannon stole the show and The Runaways is worth watching for him alone. Besides that, just so-so...
  • FrizzDrop
    February 17, 2011
    FrizzDrop
    The true story of The Runaways is short, tragic, and drug addled, much like the acting. Fanning is a performer, and between the amazing stage scenes as Cherie Currie, there is little to be desired in her act as a taken advantage of youth in the big bad world of rock n' roll. Kris... read moreten Stewart on the other hand, makes Joan Jett, already so badass in my mind, resonant. She gets back to her roots from indie films, playing a balls out guitar goddess with an attitude that matches her incessantly awesome idolistic legacy. The rest of the actresses are something of background noise, much like the band was when they were seen in the public eye. Great turn for Michael Shannon as the neurotic,psychotic, gender-bending Kim Fowley. The only I quelm I must address is the adamant use of epithets where they shouldn't be placed by Fanning and Stewart. They don't take hold of the scene and make it their own in these instances.
  • gor41
    February 13, 2011
    gor41
    Dakota Fanning comes of age with a powerhouse performance of many hues which overshadows Stewart. Shannon continues his crusade to find the most extreme oddball characters and push them to the limit. The basic tale is hardly new but is delivered with conviction and verve.
  • ceWEBrity
    January 25, 2011
    ceWEBrity
    As musical biopics go, The Runaways isn't exactly sensational. If you've heard the tale of one troubled band, scuttled by sex and drugs and in-fighting, Cherie Currie and her little group of miscreants won't have much enlightenment to share. If you're willing to still give the fi... read morelm a shot, though, there are some surprising rewards to be found. As a time capsule, it's insightful and fun and even sort of fashionable for those who are into that sort of thing. You can't help but be absorbed by the atmosphere - the rock and roll lifestyle is portrayed as wild, messy, irresponsible and way too much fun, as it surely was for just about every superband back in those days. There's an oddly small amount of dialogue in the film and much of it is told through montage and music, and its visual diversity keeps the movie feeling fresh. The acting is solid, and Kristen Stewart, despite her obvious limitations, is an excellent fit for the part of Joan Jett. She must be a godsend to casting directors looking for women of both intelligence and frigidity, and her ability to convey detachment is unmatched. Dakota Fanning still has a little growing up to do but she seems to have a relatively strong grasp on what makes her character work - the barely-expressed need to break away from her tedious home life, for one. Michael Shannon is a standout as the completely repulsive, hypocritical Kim Fowley, recalling the very worst of every hipster douchebag you've ever encountered.

    If you're not into this genre, The Runaways will not change your mind. Though women in musical films are rarely seen, their band was obviously selected for its very familiar trajectory; there's an interesting plot thread about the sexualization of Currie as a point of dissent within the band, but that's really where the differences end. If you're willing to look past narrative and view it more as a cinematic spectacle, it's much more effective, a very well-crafted film with a considerable eye for visual flair. Floria Sigismondi deserves better, frankly.
  • hunterjt13
    December 23, 2010
    hunterjt13
    Dakota Fanning is, in the words of Vince Vaughn's character from Swingers, "all growns up." In The Runaways she is sexy, funny, compelling, and lost in a sea of drug-addled discontent. Kristen Stewart has moments when she rages her way into an attention-grabbing m... read moreoment or two, but overall, the Twilight girl's dead face and eyes once again fail to provide any insight into her character. Michael Shannon is a strong actor normally, but much of his performance here is over-the-top.
    This film's weakness is the script. Why tell the story of The Runaways? What is it about this band that should compel our interest? The film can't retreat to the concept that The Runaways was the first all-female band because much of the film is spent convincing these vixens that they should be male or male fantasies. What could be compelling about a female band that made its fame kow-towing to androcentric culture? This criticism is even more poignant when we take into account the fact that our heroes follow the same trajectory as many of their male counterparts, making this the feminine version of an old story.
    Overall, though Fanning's performance is quite fun to watch - almost like what it must have been like to first see Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver - the film's storyline and subject needs an angle, something new to add to the conversation.

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Critic Reviews

Glenn Gamboa
July 6, 2010
Glenn Gamboa, Newsday

The Runaways is cool, but the Runaways were just so much cooler. Full Review

Tom Long
April 9, 2010
Tom Long, Detroit News

Aside from following the clichéd (if real) storyline, The Runaways is plagued by something of a split personality, thanks to its two young stars. Full Review

Lisa Kennedy
April 9, 2010
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

Excess is abundant in photographer and music-video director Floria Sigismondi's energetic debut. Full Review

Peter Rainer
April 9, 2010
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

There's a flinty integrity in this movie's look at the rock grind, and Stewart and Fanning are intensely watchable. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
April 9, 2010
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

While Jett and Currie emerge as blurry, half-formed characters, Shannon's Fowley brings the contradictions the Runaways embodied into sharp, biting focus. Full Review

Ty Burr
April 8, 2010
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Jett, Currie, and the others are teen outcasts in Me Generation Los Angeles, aching to break out of their lives. You can feel their frustration, their need to make an unholy racket. Full Review

Roger Moore
April 7, 2010
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

A well-acted and vivid re-creation of a dark, downbeat era when "girls don't play electric guitar," and you had to be someone pretty tough and pretty special to try it. Full Review

Dana Stevens
March 19, 2010
Dana Stevens, Slate

The beats the movie hits are predictable enough that, after a rousing, raunchy opening act, the story of the group's fast rise and spectacular flameout begins to feel like an exceptionally dirty-mouth... Full Review

Liam Lacey
March 19, 2010
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

Floria Sigismondi has created a movie that's more interesting than the band that it's about. Full Review

A.O. Scott
March 19, 2010
A.O. Scott, New York Times

The movie may be a little too tame in the end, but at its best it is just wild enough.

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Facts

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    • Cherie Currie: I think I just need a break... From the band.
    • Joan Jett: If you haven't noticed, Cherie, we're in the middle of cutting a record.
    • Cherie Currie: I just gotta spend time with my family, you know?
    • Joan Jett: Who? Youre mom is in Indonesia? Your drunk dad? Are we not your fucked up family now?
    • Cherie Currie: I can't do this anymore. I need my life back.
    • Joan Jett: This is my life.
    • Tammy: My brother said guys don't like tough girls. They want girls to be... soft.
    • Joan Jett: Of course he'd say that, he's a pussy.
    • Joan Jett: Good fucking job. No, really, good fucking job!
    • Kim Fowley: Anarchy, mayhem!
    • Joan Jett: [throws two bottles at window]
    • Kim Fowley: Rock and roll, baby! Come on, Joanie.
    • Joan Jett: Fuck you! Fuck you! [bangs on window]. Fuck you!
    • Kim Fowley: I like your style. A little Bowie, a little Bardot, and a look on your face that says I could kick the shit out of a truck driver.
    • Cherie Currie: Hey, Derek, did Marie tell you she's not wearing any underwear?
    • Tammy: You should go solo like Bowie. Bowie's just Bowie - he doesn't need a band.
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The Runaways Trivia

  • Which movie stars an ensemble cast including Will Smith, Sean Astin, Kyle Maclachlan, Alyssa Milano, Lara Flynn Boyle, and Ricki Lake about teen runaways on the streets of L.A.?  Answer »
  • In what 1968 movie do you see Richard Dreyfuss, Patty McCormack and Isabel Sandford ?  Answer »
  • What was one of the bands in Juno's top three?  Answer »
  • Who stars in The Runaways (2010)?  Answer »
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