Hounddog (2007)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Deborah Kampmeier

Writer:

Deborah Kampmeier (written by)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

Gotta always somehow make good outta what can poison you.

Plot:

A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley. |

Plot Keywords:

Elvis | Elvis Presley | American South | Child Rape | Domestic Violence

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Dakota Fanning	...	Lewellen
Isabelle Fuhrman	...	Grasshopper
Cody Hanford	...	Buddy
Piper Laurie	...	Grammie
Chandler McIntyre	...	Buddy's Mother
David Morse	...	Daddy
Robin Mullins	...	Marge
Afemo Omilami	...	Charles
Ryan Pelton	...	Elvis
Robin Wright Penn	...	Stranger Lady
Ron Prather	...	Truck Driver
Christoph Sanders	...	Wooden's Boy
Jill Scott	...	Big Momma Thorton
Frank Hoyt Taylor	...	Doctor
Jody Thompson	...	Preacher

Also Known As:

Hounddog (USA) (working title)
Untitled Dakota Fanning Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for a disturbing sexual assault of a young girl, and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

USA:102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR (Dolby 5.1)

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Orton Plantation, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Deerjen Films

Trivia:

Deborah Kampmeier wrote the script in 1996.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Elvis Presley's appearance singing "Houndog" on the Milton Berle Show took place on June 5, 1956. Several of the vehicles used in the movie were newer than this. The pink Desoto (or Dodge) was probably a 1956, but it's not likely that a rural Alabama woman would be driving a new car. The tow truck used to tow the Desoto was a 1957 at the oldest, and it was quite beat up. The red Pontiac at the Elvis concert was a 1959.

Quotes:

Daddy: I got you somethin'.
Lewellen: What'd you get me? What'd I get, what'd I get?
Daddy: Let me see if I can find it. Let's see, where'd I put it? Baby, I can't seem to find it. I just don't know where it is.
[He hands her an Elvis record. She screams in excitement]
Lewellen: Daddy!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Drew Barrymore/Lily Allen (#32.12)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Hound Dog

Amateur rubbish

I saw this film at the Santa Barbara Film Festival and was very, very disappointed. First up let me say the rape scene was completely irrelevant to the rest of the story - it seemed very much out of place and like it was just inserted to generate controversy. The film had some tolerable aspects - I like parts of the cinematography - but the music seemed badly chosen and there were a few scenes where the editing didn't seem right - it seemed choppy, done in a hurry (maybe to cut out bits which would have been offending, and pretend they were never shot). Dakota is an astounding actress, but this was one of her weakest roles yet, probably because the inexperienced director was unable to guide her performance. (I thought the same about Robin Wright Penn.) The other child actors appeared to have been equally badly guided, and they don't have the experience of Fanning to be able to give good performances. It was horrible watching some of the scenes they had to do. The worst part of the film was the boring, long and pointless storyline. It was degrading. There was no triumph over adversity, definitely no escapism, no big moral issues that seemed to have been dealt with. This is an over-hyped, amateur hack film that should not be seen by audiences anywhere.

(Oh, and the Q&A was terrible. I hadn't known there would be one, yet it seemed suspiciously staged with audience plants - yes it really did seem like that. Also a nasty dig at Abigail Breslin, who seems to have done much better this year than Dakota.)