tomgillespie2002 It has been said that when it comes to cinema, there is no such thing as bad publicity. Controversy can spread word-of-mouth and natural curiosity faster than most ad campaigns, propelling a film that may have flown under most people's radar to surprise success and welcome notoriety. This isn't always the case however, as Deborah Kampmeier's Hounddog proves. Following a screening at the Sundance Film Festival, the film faced protests for a scene in which Dakota Fanning's character is raped (she was 12 at the time of filming). Hounddog went onto to be a critical and box-office failure, and has since faded into obscurity. In fact, the gut- wrenching power of the hard-to-watch rape scene and the performance of Fanning are the only good things to be said about this slow- moving and cliché-ridden drama.It's the late 1950's. Lewellen (Fanning) is a precocious young girl living in rural Alabama with her deadbeat dad (David Morse), and next door to her religious disciplinarian grandmother (Piper Laurie). She spends most of her spare time performing awful renditions of her favourite Elvis Presley songs, or down at the local watering hole with her friend Buddy (Cody Hanford). The two share the odd kiss and inspect each other's private parts with fascination. We're told that Daddy is abusive, and clearly gets violent with his new girlfriend (listed as 'Stranger Lady' in the credits and played by Robin Wright). However, he is struck by lightning one night and reduced to a simpleton, becoming reliant on his tom-boy daughter and terrified she will abandon him. Lewellen's main concern is nabbing tickets for Elvis's visit to town, until a horrific attack turns her world upside down.In an attempt to capture Lewellen's poverty and the general barrenness of the Deep South setting, Kampmeier has pasted together images of rusty, decrepit vehicles parked on overgrown lawns and damp, sweaty interiors, combined with the constant chirping of crickets. It's beautifully filmed, but this kind of imagery has been used countless times before. It often feels like a foreigner's idea of Alabama, all string vests, small-town ignorance and God-fearing. You wait for the story to kick into gear, but it never does. Instead, the film seems to revel in putting Lewellen through one horrible experience after another, with seemingly no point. She seeks guidance from local snake-catcher Charles (Afemo Omilami), who teaches the girl about the blues which inspired Elvis, and the two share a few scenes in which he comes across as the clichéd wise black man. Hounddog is terrible on almost every level, but thank God for Fanning, who even outshines seasoned veterans like Morse and Wright.

Smile_smile270 I actually thought the film was pretty good. I read several reviews and it seemed like it was going to be terrible. A lot of people also said that the acting was bad, specifically Dakota Fanning's performance. I thought Dakota did a great job at the role, alright some parts were a bit rough around the edges. I don't know what people were talking about.The film had a good storyline. The only thing I would've changed was that the children in the movie seemed a bit young for the things they were doing. I know it was supposed to be set in a different time, but they should've been at least 12 or 13, instead of 8 or 9 like they actually were. Overall I did like the film. I'm 14 and I was a bit nervous watching it, but it really isn't anything bad unless you can't handle emotional movies. A job well done!

bluepolkadotsxo But with this, I had to. Once I start watching a movie I never, ever take it out no matter how bad it is. But this movie was so morally depraved, so disturbing, and such a sick-twisted film that I really honestly felt like I was going to throw up. The fact that anyone can see this without feeling the same way makes me even more weak to my stomach. What the h*ll is wrong with people?!!! Since when is something like that rape scene okay?!?!?!??! My stomach is still wrenching and knotted up, my hands are shaking slightly,, and my heart is racing and I didn't even finish the rape scene. As soon as she screamed I shut it off, yet I'm still trembling. What a terribly disturbing movie. It literally disgusts me that anyone would make such a terrible, terrible film with such a horrible scene as that. How old was Lewellen? Nine maybe? What the f*ck is wrong with the writers, directors, and anyone who watched this movie and actually felt differently? How can you have such a cold stone heart to not even fathom the immensity of sickness you just experienced. I don't care if this sounds dramatic, because I honestly feel so sick to my stomach right now and there are some pretty messed up people in this world if you found that at all amusing or entertaining. You belong in a jail cell, or better to be executed. What bothered me the most about this film was that there wasn't even an underlying message to it. All you're doing is sitting there watching really sick and disturbing events. I am not entertained, I am sickened. Not just by the movie itself, but by anyone and everyone who somehow found that worth making or watching. So unnecessary, so wrong, and just plain twisted garbage. Terrible script, too. And melodramatic acting.

Skylerz Warning- Some of this maybe consider a possible spoiler It takes something extreme to get a 12 year old white girl to sing the blues. She was a shimmer of light being engulfed by the darkness that surround her. Everyone turned on her, her father neglected her and then became mentally challenged, her grandmother gave her no room to be "her", the stranger lady lied and turn her back on her, her childhood friends that she confined in would turn against her and even her idol Elvis kept on riding by. The only person she could trust was Charles and he was a mentor that guided her to find peace and harmony within her spirit. All her Elvis mimics weren't her true self it was just a fantasy, an escape from her daily hardships. Charles could see her for what she really is, which was an amazing beautiful gift from god that was trapped in a world of darkness. That's why Charles says 24 minutes in the film "feeling the spirits in the dark, are you?" Charles identifies her life as that of a snake charmer or medicine man that handles the venom of the snake when the medicine man gets so much of the venom in their veins they either die or become immune to it. What more poison can a little girl have then to be raped? She was bite by the snake and the venom was killing her. Charles realized this and knew her spirit was buried and suffocating from the darkness that poison her body,mind and soul. He knew the only way to bring forth that spirit was for her to do which she loved most despite all the wrong she been dealt and that was to sing "hounddog" but not to imitate Elvis with the song but to sing it from her own perspective, with her heart and soul. Dakota plays it perfectly when she first is standing their singing I can almost see the darkness around her through her body language and speech but as she sings it's like a light emerging from underneath her and rising upward completely surrounding her that takes her away from that dark place. As horrible as it seems, something like what happen to her would make a little white girl sing the blues.As for Dakota Fanning she absolutely blows my mind. I never seen a child on screen as talented as her. I just hope as she gets older that the life style that comes with being a famous actor doesn't eat her up. I personally have and will continue to enjoy seeing her grow up before my eyes on the wide screen as she continues to take on challenging roles such as Lewellen.In my opinion Dakota is the next Hilary Swank but yet innovating enough to still be in her own league.way to go kiddo!