The Real Runaways Story: Behind the Scenes with Kristin Stewart, Director Floria and Kim Fowley
- Author: Faith-Ann Young
- Posted on: Wednesday April 7, 2010 at 12:00 PM
- Filed under: exclusive, the runaways film, kristen stewart, kim fowley, dakota fanning, floria sigismondi, rock biopic, the runways interview, the runaways questions
L-R: The Runaways Director Floria, the real Joan Jett, Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning and the real Cherie Currie.
Why is importrant to see the biopic film The Runaways? While leaving the theatre, we overheard two teenage girls saying: "Wow! I didn't even know that song, "I Love Rock 'N' Roll" was by Joan Jett. The two versions of the song I know are that one and Britney Spears' version."
Wait! Hold on! Stop the (digital) presses! For any young girl who appreciates her independence, loves to play music loud, and is enchanted by Gwen Stefani, Katy Perry, or even pop stars like Lady Gaga, they should see the film The Runaways to know the path that was blazed by the all-female hard rock band The Runaways in the 1970s. Like rock equivalent of feminist bra-burners, the corset-wearing, electric guitar-blaring group helped pave the way for the independence of female musicians today (and indeed females in general) by breaking all industry and societal rules of their time.
As for why males should see the film? There's almost 2 full hours of young chicks rocking in corsets and leather, sweating on an electric guitar. Nuf said.
Dakota Fanning on left; Kristen Stewart on right
Based off of the book, Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway, (co-written by Cherie Currie), the film - which opens nation-wide on April 9th - is engrossing. Within the golden-tinted sun of the bell-bottomed '70s, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning are a convincing mix of niave and deviant as Joan Jett and blonde bombshell Cherie Currie. Meanwhile, tall, brazen Michael Shannon debuts as the film's comedic break out character, as their eccentric manager/producer Kim Fowley, strutting and hollering witty profanities while sporting a thick layer of David Bowie facepaint.
At this year's SXSW, we met Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning and first time director Floria Sigismondi. Afterwards, we coincidentally sat next to the still charismatic, 'slightly' lunatic 70-year-old Kim Fowley on the plane from Austin to LA. From those insider scoops, we've assembled a comprehensive list of behind-the-scenes quotes from the stars and legends of The Runaways. Enjoy:
Behind-The-Scenes Quotes About The Runaways
Kristen Stewart on playing Joan Jett:
"You do one movie for a million reasons, but somebody said, "Hey do you want to play Joan Jett?" and I was like “yeah!!!".....and then I got really freaked out afterwards bc you realize all the stuff that goes along with that. (laugh) [But] to a T, the most I’ve ever seen anyone be comfortable with themselves, Joan is comfortable with herself, even though she’s shy."
Director Floria on how she prepared for the film:
"I did a ton of research. But also that’s the period that I love from music. For the girls, I just kind of went back into my childhood, and sort of picked at things that I remembered that felt right…"
Kim Fowley on Floria's direction:
"She did a good job. But she wasn't making a documentary. That's not what she signed up to do. She had a book; she made a movie of a book. It must be hard for her because we're still living."
The real Runaways posing in the 70s (Joan and Cherie in front)
Floria on the rock aesthetic:
"For me, it was very important for the girls to play their instruments so everybody had lessons, [and] bonded together as a band. I made sure that happened every day like four hours a day for two weeks….so they were able to really feel what it was like. I wanted to give it an energy."
Floria on the explicit aspects of the film:
"If this was a PG movie, I would have been completely unfaithful to The Runaways and to those girls. I think the thing that made it so instrumental [was] how young they were - thrown into this world [with] no parental guidance, plucked away from their families on tour. Can you imagine?!? You are at that age when you want to just try everything - [not to mention] in the 70s."
The Runaways' Film Trailer
Dakota Fanning on wearing THE corset:
"I really loved the corset. It was exactly like the one [Cherie Currie] wore. I felt the most in character in the corset. If you know who Cherie is, you think of her performing in that corset so it was really an exciting moment for me."
Floria on Michael Shannon playing Kim Foley:
"Oh my god, he just knew how to play it! [His dialogue] was so wordy, and in the wrong mouth - my god - it could have been awful! [But] he played it in a way that was menacing but funny and condescending. There’s so many things that were a little bit more complicated in his dialogue. I thought he nailed…."
Kim Fowley on training Michael Shannon:
"Michael met me off set. Joan suggested that he should meet me to get the character research thing going on. Since they didn't let me on the set, they had to meet me at Denny's. Micheal and his assistant, Kristin Stewart, Joan Jett, an Associated Press and my ex-girlfriend showed up. I said to Micheal I have 28 personalities. I used them all on these girls. Clown, pimp, idiot, monster shrink...I wasn't dad, I wasn't the priest, but I was the PR guy. I was the roadie. I was all over."
Kristen Stewart on the 70s setting:
"I’ve always been really nostalgic for the 70s, even though I’ve never obviously lived in them. So I was excited to live in the 70s for a while."
The Real Joan Jett and her movie substitute Kristen Stewart
Dakota and Kristen on what soundtracks they listened to while filming:
Dakota: "I listened to a lot of The Runaways and Joan and David Bowie on set."
Kristen: "Joan put together little playlists. The make-up trailer was pumping."
Kim on Joan Jett:
"Joan and I are comfortable with each other talking and that's why in the movie Kristin Stewart and Kim could converse like we're conversing. I believed in her. It was just her and me before the other ones came along."
Floria on the ending:
"I think this ending is inspirational. I think Cherie’s story is very inspirational; she listens to herself and gets out when she can. I think it would have ended the other way if she had stayed.
Hopefully it gives [the younger generation] some courage to follow that little voice inside of them, telling them you should really be doing this…"
Will the real Kim Fowley please stand-up? Michael Shannon on the left. The real Kim Fowley on the right back in the 70s.
The real Kim Fowley, on the plane from Austin to LA, March 22nd, 2010. (Photo: Faith-Ann Young)
Photos Courtesy of Getty Images unless otherwise indicated.
PS The real Cherie Currie - a chain-saw sculpturer in California - is rumored to be opening onstage for Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, along with her 19-year-old son, this August.
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“ OMG, the picture of the man with the hands and glasses freaked me out at first. All I saw were the hands, but then I saw the glasses. I wear glasses too. Donna Karan. You should come in to my café sometime.. KIng's Road on Ventura. Don't tell anyone you know me... ”
“ OMG, the picture of the man with the hands and glasses freaked me out at first. All I saw were the hands, but then I saw the glasses. I wear glasses too. Donna Karan. You should come in to my café sometime.. KIng's Road on Ventura. Don't tell anyone you know me... ”
“ OMG, the picture of the man with the hands and glasses freaked me out at first. All I saw were the hands, but then I saw the glasses. I wear glasses too. Donna Karan. You should come in to my café sometime.. KIng's Road on Ventura. Don't tell anyone you know me... ”
“ Thanks for posting about this. It's great to see the word out about The Runaways and feminism but I want to reiterate that feminist bra-burning is an urban legend, not a historical reality. You can find more about that and other myths about feminists on the Women's History site of About.com (http://womenshistory.about.com/od/mythsofwomenshistory/a/bra_burning.htm). You can find more about The Runaways and Women in Music there, too! ”
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