The Dakota Fanning rape movie

SLC

So Hounddog, the film that's been referred to as the "Dakota Fanning rape movie" at the fest and panned by critics was surprising. Not that it was an amazing film, but it wasn't bad at all. It definitely deals with some very sensitive subject matter (the rape of an eleven year old girl), but it does so with a lot of respect and taste. The story takes place in the rural Deep South and follows the life of Lewellen, a young girl played by Dakota Fanning., over a period of a few weeks. This girl loves to perform Elvis songs, particularly Hounddog, complete with gyrating hip movements and passionate lyrics (Dakota took voice lessons four times a week for nine months before filming). Her father and surrogate mother (the sister of her real mother, now deceased) have a strained and shaky relationship, with both of them leaving for long periods of time. When both of their absences overlap, Lewellen stays with her disapproving and highly religious grandmother nearby. I'd go into more detail on the rest of the story (father is struck by lightning while riding his tractor, Elvis comes to town, Lewellen is raped and then has to figure out how to go on with her life. The story is very meandering and there's very little closure. But that's life. Ultimately the film is really about personal growth and finding a way to overcome such a traumatic experience and live life on your own terms. I generally thought it did a good job and there's little I would have changed. The film has yet to be picked up for theatrical release, so I'm not sure what kind of life this film will have. Deborah Kempmeier, the film's director, said that although the film has sparked a lot of negative press and has received poor critical reception, the audiences at the fest have received it quite well and that she believes it will ultimately find it's audience through wider release.