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Suggest pagesHounddog (film)
| Hounddog | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
|
| Directed by | Deborah Kampmeier |
| Produced by | Deborah Kampmeier Robin Wright Penn Raye Dowell Jen Gatien Terry Leonard |
| Written by | Deborah Kampmeier |
| Starring | Dakota Fanning Isabelle Fuhrman Robin Wright Penn Piper Laurie David Morse |
| Music by | Meshell Ndegeocello |
| Cinematography | Jim Denault |
| Editing by | Sabine Hoffmann |
| Distributed by | Empire Film Group |
| Release date(s) | September 19, 2008 |
| Running time | 102 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3,750,000 |
| Box office | $131,961 |
Hounddog is a 2007 American coming-of-age drama film written, directed, and produced by Deborah Kampmeier and starring Dakota Fanning, Robin Wright Penn, and Piper Laurie, among others. It is also Isabelle Fuhrman's debut film. Robin Wright Penn also serves as an executive producer. The film was produced by Raye Dowell, Jen Gatien, and Terry Leonard. It premiered in competition at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, and was given a limited release in 11 North American theaters on September 19, 2008.
Shot near Wilmington, North Carolina and taking place in the late 1950s American South, the film stars Fanning as Lewellen, "a troubled 12-year-old girl who finds solace from an abusive life through music of Elvis Presley."[1]
The film was somewhat panned by critics, following a controversial scene in which Fanning's character is raped. The film currently holds a 16% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was also a box office failure, grossing only $131,961.
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[edit] Plot
Lewellen (Dakota Fanning) lives with her stern, religious grandmother, Grannie (Piper Laurie), who has taken it upon herself to raise the girl, as neither of Lewellen's parents can provide her a stable home. Her father, Lou (David Morse), loves her and tries to please her, giving her gifts such as Elvis Presley recordings. Although he battles with alcoholism, he tries his best to give Lewellen a stable home. He even tries to provide a motherly figure in Lewellen's life by dating a mysterious girlfriend, Ellen (Robin Wright Penn), who promised one night to rescue Lewellen from life in the rural South should the relationship falter. We later learn that Ellen is in fact Lewellen's aunt, her mother's sister.
Lewellen is able to maintain her innocence by finding consolation in playing with her best friend Buddy (Cody Hanford), idling away her last preteen summer with typical outdoor rural pastimes such as swimming in the pond and exploring the woods, meeting a new friend, Grasshopper (Isabelle Fuhrman), while spending the summer with her grandparents. Lewellen is enchanted by her idol, Elvis Presley, who is making a homecoming tour in the South. Her town is one of the venue stops. Lewellen finds that singing Elvis' music is a way to channel her trauma into something constructive and creative. Charles (Afemo Omilami) acts as a mentor, imparting wisdom of his snake handler religion to explain this emotional channeling to her; in other words, how to create something positive out of something venomous and deadly.
Lewellen is challenged by many problems besides living in a "broken home". Ellen leaves one day and breaks Lewellen's heart, burdening her with the responsibility to be a "mother" despite not having one herself. Her father suffers a terrible accident, and is handicapped to the point of infantile retardation, but the thought of Elvis coming to town gives her the resolve to carry on despite this newest of many traumatic circumstances. Buddy tells Lewellen that Wooden's Boy (Christoph Sanders) has an Elvis ticket and is willing to give it to her if she does her Elvis dance for him naked. When she finds out the deal, she for a moment questions doing such an act. She then agrees to do so, before Wooden's Boy rapes her.
The sexual assault causes life threatening emotional trauma, that manifests as an illness. Her loved ones, Charles and Grannie, are distressed by her causeless sudden decline in health. In fits of feverish illness she hallucinates she is being attacked by venomous snakes, and she also vomits after church. Enraged by hearing the cause of Lewellen's descent into figurative hell, Charles resolves to rescue his young friend from the depths of despair and tries to help her reclaim her stolen paralyzed voice by encouraging her to sing "Hound Dog". He nurses her back to health. Ellen soon returns to the town to keep her promise to Lewellen. Lewellen bids farewell to her father and departs for a better life with her new mother.
[edit] Cast
- Dakota Fanning as Lewellen
- Isabelle Fuhrman as Wendy "Grasshopper"
- Piper Laurie as Grannie
- Jill Scott as Big Mama Thornton
- David Morse as Lou
- Robin Wright Penn as Ellen
- Christoph Sanders as Wooden's Boy
- Cody Hanford as Buddy
- Afemo Omilami as Charles
- Ryan Pelton as Elvis
- Sean A. Wallace as Boy
[edit] Reaction
The film garnered a great deal of attention, and generated intense controversy, owing to the use of such a young actress in a role that included a rape scene. Though the scene only showed Fanning's face and her character's reaction to the trauma of the act,[2][3] it became known as the "Dakota Fanning rape movie" at the Sundance Film Festival.[4] Fanning expressed ire towards the attacks against her family, most of which she said were directed toward her mother.[5]
Because of the outcry over Hounddog, North Carolina State Senator and minority leader Phil Berger called for all future films made in North Carolina to have their scripts approved in advance if they are to get the normal production subsidy from the state. Berger says that he has not seen the film but is acting in response to what he has read about it.[6]
As of March 22, 2010, the movie has 50 reviews on RottenTomatoes.com and rates at 16%, certified rotten.[7] However, Fanning was praised for her performance by Roger Ebert, who compared it to Jodie Foster's in Taxi Driver.[8]
[edit] Box office
In its opening weekend of September 19-21, 2008, the film took in $13,744 in 11 theaters. It grossed $131,961 in its entire run.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ "The Motion Picture Group, Inc. co-finances Hound Dog". The Motion Picture Group. September 12, 2006. http://www.themotionpicturegroup.com/news_releases/09222006.html.
- ^ Breznican, Anthony (2007-01-23). "Fanning speaks up on rape scene". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2007-01-23-fanning-hounddog_x.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
- ^ "Fanning Controversy". TIME magazine. 2007-01-24. http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1581847,00.html. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
- ^ Thomson, Katherine (2008-10-15). "Dakota Fanning's "Hounddog," The Rape Movie, Savaged On Way To Release". The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/14/dakota-fannings-hounddog_n_126267.html. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
- ^ Breznican, Anthony. "Fanning speaks up on rape scene", USA Today, 23 January 2007.
- ^ "Republican: Scripts need reviewing - Movie prompts lawmaker's film incentive idea". The Star-News. 2007-01-26. http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070126/NEWS/701260363.
- ^ Hounddog at Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Roger Ebert (2008-09-18). "Hounddog". Chicago Sun-Times. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080918/REVIEWS/809180302/1023. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
- ^ "Box Office MoJo". www.BoxOfficeMoJo.com. 2008-10-10. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=daily&id=hounddog.htm.
