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The LA Times seems to think so, namely Chris Lee.
Lee writes a rapt outline of the Kristen Stewart-Dakota Fanning film which is based on the biopic of Joan Jett, Cherie Currie, the Runaways and their band days.
The movie will premiere this Sunday at the Sundance Film Festival and should hit theaters shortly thereafter. Lee claims the storyline is intended to be based more upon what life in the limelight is like when it’s been thrust upon unsuspecting young women rather than following the particular antics of the band itself. Director Floria Sigismondistates:
“It’s [the film] young girls getting swept up into a world they couldn’t handle … Feeding on those confusing feelings that develop from moving from girl to woman, I could reach deep into myself to find those things.”
The storyline follows the girls’ backgrounds: Cherie Currie, lead singer of the Runaways and Joan Jett, founder of the band. Fanning, who portrays Currie and Stewart, who emulates Joan Jett, are bound together by their mutual desire for fame, the thrill of rock and roll and moral destruction. Fanning and Stewart both claim that it’s been interesting to put themselves in a place where they never thought possible — in the eye of the rock and roll storm, taking the world by surprise and not only that; by the balls, too.
Director Sigsimondi says about Stewart’s portrayal of Joan Jett:
“She has completely embodied the character of Joan,” Sigismondi said. “Her body language, her face, her walk. It’s amazing how she has just become her.”
I’ve said in previous posts that Kristen Stewart will at one point become “someone” in Hollywood despite the peg-and-hole of Bella Swan and I think this particular movie will really allow the young actress to unfurl her wings. Dakota Fanning, who also had appearances in the Twilight series will also be allowed to think outside of her child-star box and really get into the dirty grit that solidifies epic portrayals of characters well beyond the realm of the public’sunderstanding.
Not to mention, the film is directed by a woman who’s no stranger to the dark side of fame herself: she directed the creepiest clip of all in the video for Marilyn Manson’s The Beautiful People.
I’m actually looking forward to this movie. I’m an admitted fan of chick flicks. I also think that this chick flick is going to have a certain je ne sais quoi about it that other films of the genre won’t be able to touch and it’s going to have a whole lot to do with the femme aspect that’s like a stake driven hard through the “black”est of “hearts.”
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[...] The Runaways to Be Epic Feminist Film? – Zelda Lily [...]
I agree totally. I cannot wait to see this movie. I really hope it’s all it’s cracked up to be. I’m really rooting for Kristen Stewart. We all know Dakota Fanning can act, but I hope Kristen can remove herself from the Twilight circus and really show everyone what she can do.
Well, Kristen appeared already in many movies before Twilight Saga. She definely can act and is a good actress. It’s just a matter of preference for the others. I really liked her and would love to see her in all her future films.
Feminist? Well the trailers don’t seem to know what kind of film they’re advertising, so it really could be anything I s’pose.
Also, I’ve seen some of Kristen Stewart’s other acting and it is just as abysmal (to me) as it is in the Twilight series. If she manages to refrain from chewing her goddamn lip for the whole thing then I will do a happy dance at the end of the film.
I have a feeling that she will be blown off the screen by Dakota (and that sounds dirtier than I intended).
I can’t remember what movie I saw Kirsten Stewart in, but she had a much greater range of acting abilities than I ever saw in Twilight, although admittedly I only made it through about half of the first movie so my experience is a tad limited.