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SUNDANCE 2007
Hounddog
"Hounddog"
by Zack Roddy
Written and directed by Deborah Kampmeier, the film Hounddog, starring Dakota Fanning, has made its debut at Sundance to dismal reviews. The story centers on Lewellen (Fanning), a precocious twelve-year-old girl in the deep south that lives for the music of Elvis Presley, especially the song Hounddog, which she sings whenever the mood strikes her. Repeat this scene about twelve more times, and you've got the basic gist of the film. The film is packed with more clichés than even the worst horror films: The abusive father (David Morse), the Bible spouting granny (Piper Laurie), the kind black man (Afemo Omilami), and the mysterious Stranger Lady (Robin Wright Penn) with links to Lewellen's past.
And now onto the scene that everyone really wants to hear about, the rape scene. Really, it was quite disturbing to watch, considering how much audiences love the adorable face of Dakota Fanning. Lewellen is tricked by an older teenager about an hour into the film, who promises her tickets to Elvis Presley's concert in their hometown if she dances and sings "Hounddog" in the nude for him. Lewellen, desperate and unable to afford a ticket of her own, does this without question, and it is here that this ugly moment occurs. Kampmeier shoots the scene quite tastefully (as far as rape scenes go), panning the camera away from the action, leaving the audience to just hear Lewellen's anguished screams. The final shot of the scene is just her face; tear streaked and pale, as if Lewellen's innocence has just been drained straight out of her body. The rest of the film follows Lewellen as she tries to put her life back together again.
Was the film really as bad as people have been saying? No. The actors throw all their talent into the very weak script by Kampmeier, especially Fanning, and the acting alone is the one admirable prospect of the film, although I still can't figure out Wright Penn's part in this, as her character was completely transparent and unnecessary. The film has been a justified bomb at Sundance, and no distributors will touch it, leaving the film one of two options: straight to DVD release, or a premiere on cable television.
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