Based off the book, Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway, (co-written by Cherie Currie), the film 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, strutting and hollering around in David Bowie facepaint as their eccentric manager/producer Kim Fowley.
We met Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning and first time director Floria Sigismondi at this year’s SXSW. Afterwards, we coincidentally sat next to the still charismatic, ‘slightly’ lunatic 70-year-old Kim Fowley on the plane from Austin to LA. Below we’ve assembled the behind-the-scenes bible of 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. [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.”
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 – in the 70s.”
Dakota Fanning on wearing THE corset:
“I really loved the corset. It was exactly like the one she wore. I felt the most in character in the corset. If you did 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 offset. 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.”
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.”
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…”
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