The Runaways
Short description
The Runaways follows two teenage girls in mid-1970s Los Angeles who come together and end up fronting an all-female rock band. Joan Jett and Cherie Currie are the central figures, and the story traces how they are pulled into the group by the eccentric impresario Kim Fowley, whose guidance drives their rise even as the pressures around them mount. The film takes its characters from ordinary teenagers to performers on stage, and looks at what that change costs them.
It is a biographical drama directed and written by Floria Sigismondi, a music video director and photographer making her feature debut; her only other directing credit is The Turning, released a decade later. Kristen Stewart plays Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning plays Cherie Currie, with Michael Shannon as Kim Fowley and supporting turns from Stella Maeve, Scout Taylor-Compton and Alia Shawkat.
Produced by Art Linson, Bill Pohlad and John Linson on a budget of about 10 million dollars, the film took roughly 3 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb and TMDB the audience scores sit at 6.5 out of 10 from 868 votes, while the critics' rating comes in slightly lower at 6.2 out of 10 from 193 reviews.
What's left behind the scenes
- For the film, Kristen Stewart had to cut her signature long locks into a choppy 'mullet' hairstyle.
- Filming began in June 2009.
- Producer Joan Jett was greatly annoyed by the fact that Kristen Stewart, who played her, constantly wore leather pants, as she herself preferred jeans in her youth.
- Kristen Stewart could play the guitar, but Joan Jett herself wrote the guitar parts for the soundtrack, deciding to show what she still had.
- Before filming began, Kristen Stewart spent a lot of time with Joan Jett, adopting her manner of speech and behavior.
- For the scene of the brawl in the studio, Kristen Stewart had to wear sneakers because the actress kept falling in platform shoes, which she had initially put on.
- Scout Taylor-Compton was initially considered for the role of Joan Jett. She even began learning some Runaways songs on guitar. Then the actress changed her mind and decided to audition for the role of Sandy, as she already knew how to play the drums. At one point, the filmmakers suggested she try out for the role of Robin, and the actress had to learn to play the bass. Ultimately, however, she was cast as guitarist Lita Ford.
- The real story of the Runaways in the film is condensed. In reality, the band continued to perform successfully for another 3 years after Cherie Currie's departure. Currie herself also achieved relative success as an actress and musician, but her addiction to alcohol and drugs ended her career around the mid-1980s.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
