Hounddog (2007)

Directed by: Deborah Kampmeier 

Starring: Dakota Fanning, David Morse, Robin Wright-Penn, and Piper Laurie

Genre: Drama

Rated: R

Set in the 1950s south, the story follows Lewellen (Fanning), a precocious preteen with a love for Elvis. She lives a troubled life with her overly religious grandmother (Laurie) and abusive father (Morse). The only way to cope is to lose herself in singing and dancing along with Elvis’s music. When tragedy strikes her family, Lewellen is forced to deal with situations beyond her years.

While this film is by no means great, I found it to be a decent effort as a drama. Dakota Fanning’s performance was amazing considering the issues her character faced. She also is a fairly talented singer, especially toward the end of the film. David Morse’s turn has the abusive alcoholic turned mentally handicapped is also well done. He was able to bring humor and sympathy to what was at first a detestable character. However, I felt that Piper Laurie was playing an older, slightly less crazy version of her character in Carrie and the character of Charles as the all-knowing, wise and kindly black man, was a bit of a Hollywood cliché.

This movie stirred up quite a bit of controversy due to a particular scene involving Fanning. The scene depicts the rape of her character, and many people were up in arms about this. Whether it is because it was America’s sweetheart being victimized (there are plenty of other films involving scenes far more graphic that have earned less controversy or have been completely overlooked) or just the fact that it was shown at all, the reasons for the outrage differ. Some say the scene was unnecessary to the film and found it brutal. I disagree. This is the climax to the film – when the one thing she has left in the world is ripped away from her, and necessary for the story arc. Also, brutal, it is not. The scene was tastefully shot and heartbreaking, based more on the emotions involved than the actual actions.

The film is rife with symbolism – mostly religious or folkloric in nature. There are snakes in abundance and mention of the Native American belief in snake medicine (if one gets bitten enough times by a snake and survives, that person gains great wisdom).  After enduring trauma, Lewellen crushes apples beneath her feet. There is also plenty of foreshadowing, and the director makes sure that everything foreshadowed comes to light. The cinematography is also beautifully shot. Filmed in North Carolina, the setting is authentically southern, and feels right out of the 1950s.

Overall: Kampmeier clearly has a grasp on the makings of a good film and script. If she had only relied less on the stereotypes and focused a bit more of flushing out the characters, I would have liked the film a lot better. As it stands, it provides great performances, lovely cinematography, and a proper use of symbolism and foreshadowing.

6.5/10