Just finished Cherie's book + I realize the leads' performances...

...were even worse than I had initially felt after seeing the movie. How do people who read the book feel that the "vulnerability" Dakota played was accurate? Cherie went through hell and back and she didn't leave the experience a scared puppy... by her own words, she was a survivor, not a victim. Was it a defense mechanism? Sure! But it was there none the less. Even before all the horrible things that occurred in her life, she was raw, both on and OFF the stage.

But Dakota just copied what hundreds of actresses have done with "young girl thrown into the adult world" stories. It was a stock character, and not well done at that. She can't play drunk or angry without showing how hard she is trying.

Kristin Stewart really does play the same role in everything, and this time was no exception. She just added a smokey voice. While Cherie was edgier in real life, Joan was more down-to-earth. Watch or listen to interviews from the time. She's more real, more playful, and -- dare I say it? -- more feminine than what we saw in The Runaways. Stewart just stomped around like a badass and called it a day.

Look, I'm NOT an actor, but I'm a huge fan of theater and film. When done well, it is art. There are thousands of girls out there with the ability to perform these roles with actual craft. I've seen it. But this stupid industry wants what will sell and keeps shoving these franchise hacks down our throats. They don't want us to see the character; they want us to see the actor.

The script was a failure too (just look at all that was left out), but it seems like most people agree on that. I just don't get why the same discernment is not made against the leads in this glorified Lifetime biopic.

There, I said it!