wiffleball 4,790 Posted January 24, 2007 PARK CITY, Utah (AP) -- At a festival that features several films with sexual content, including full male nudity and a documentary about bestiality, a Southern Gothic tale that includes the rape of a young girl is causing the biggest stir. "Hounddog" is the story of Lewellen, a girl played by 12-year-old Dakota Fanning, who is growing up in the 1960s South. She is a free-spirit obsessed with Elvis Presley and has little supervision by her abusive father and alcoholic grandmother. Even before the first screening of "Hounddog" at the Sundance Film Festival this week, a Christian film critic, citing Fanning's age, decried the movie as child abuse, and Roman Catholic activist Bill Donohue called for a federal investigation. Fanning is defending her work as well as the movie, and so is the head of Sundance, who said it was courageous for director Deborah Kampmeier to tackle "challenging material." "Hounddog" is entered in the festival's dramatic category. (Blog: Read the reaction of CNN's Brooke Anderson.) "It's not a rape movie," Fanning said Tuesday. "That's not even the point of the film." (Watch Fanning's dance with a lamp pole 'microphone' and her take on the role ) The disturbing scene lasts a few minutes but is not graphic. There is no nudity, the scene is very darkly lit and only Fanning's face and hand are shown. Kampmeier said it took her a decade to get the film made, largely because of the rape scene, but cutting it was a compromise she was unwilling to make. "This issue is so silenced in our society. There are a lot of women who are alone with this story," she said. "When you're shooting a film, it's the images you line up next to each other that create a story," Kampmeier said. "If you have a hand hitting the ground, Dakota screaming 'stop' and you see a zipper unzip -- that creates a rape." Ted Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission and publisher of the Web site movieguide.org, claims "Hounddog" breaks federal child-pornography law. He said the law covers material that "appears" to show minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. "Even if they're not actually performing the explicit act, we are dealing with a legal issue here," he said. Baehr said Fanning is being exploited in the film, and that it should be considered an outrage. "Children at 12 do not have the ability to make the types of decisions that we're talking about here," he said. "If we're offended by some comedian's racial slur, why aren't we offended by somebody taking advantage of a 12-year-old child?" Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, said he has asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate whether anti-pornography laws have been broken. Two other children perform in the film. Cody Hanford plays Buddy, and Isabelle Fuhrman plays a girl nicknamed "Grasshopper." Kampmeier said she talked with the children and their parents but didn't go into great detail with the young actors about the content. "I didn't have to articulate to Cody and Isabelle the psychological elements that were going on in this film," she said. "I used images to tell the story. I didn't manipulate these children or explain to these children what was going on." Fanning said she and Kampmeier talked for months before the film was shot and spent a day painting pottery together and discussing the story. "It's not really happening," Fanning said of a rape. "It's a movie, and it's called acting. I'm not going through anything. Cody and Isabelle aren't going through anything, their characters are. "And for me, when it's done it's done," she said. "I don't even think about it anymore." Sounds like Dakota's being a crapload more mature than the religous freaks. My biggest problem is 1) None of the fockers that are protesting have even seen the movie and, more importantly, this Bill Donahue is an absolutely smarmy fock. A self-proclaimed "catholic activist", he has no problem calling for a federal investigation of a movie he's never seen where fake child sex abuse is alleged to have been represented. BUT: He refuses to call for a federal investigation the Catholic Church that has committted thousands of ACTUAL child sex crimes. I saw him on TV a while ago and luckily, some news reporter called him on exactly the same thing. He weaseled out of it. Maybe somebody has a right to biitch about this movie, but I damn sure guarantee it ain't this guy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phillybear 366 Posted January 24, 2007 Sounds like Dakota's being a crapload more mature than the religous freaks. My biggest problem is 1) None of the fockers that are protesting have even seen the movie and, more importantly, this Bill Donahue is an absolutely smarmy fock. A self-proclaimed "catholic activist", he has no problem calling for a federal investigation of a movie he's never seen where fake child sex abuse is alleged to have been represented. BUT: He refuses to call for a federal investigation the Catholic Church that has committted thousands of ACTUAL child sex crimes. I saw him on TV a while ago and luckily, some news reporter called him on exactly the same thing. He weaseled out of it. Maybe somebody has a right to biitch about this movie, but I damn sure guarantee it ain't this guy. Slightly off tangent: Bill Donahue was on Opie and Anthony this morning. Among other things, Louie CK and Jimmy Norton brought up how he badmouthed "Lucky Louie" on HBO with a press release. When called out on it, Bill Donahue admitted he had never seen the show. When asked to explain why he or his staff that did watch it had issues with certain segments, he danced around the topic, until Louie CK called him a blockhead. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kutulu 1,676 Posted January 24, 2007 Giant Fan already has the pirated tape of this movie and has watched this scene at least 400 times. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
D_House 0 Posted January 24, 2007 Dakota Fanny? Freudian slip much, perv? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wiffleball 4,790 Posted January 24, 2007 Dakota Fanny? Freudian slip much, perv? Deliberate. Come on, you know it's the not the first time she's heard that one. Sure, maybe not from a grown man, but still.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vikings4ever 550 Posted January 24, 2007 Giant Fan already has the pirated tape of this movie and has watched this scene at least 400 times. Don't forget about MDC. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MicktheGreat 1 Posted January 24, 2007 "It's not really happening," Fanning said of a rape. "It's a movie, and it's called acting. I'm not going through anything. Cody and Isabelle aren't going through anything, their characters are. It's funny to me how 12-year-old Dakota Fanning seems to have this figured out while the adults are busy arguing. From what it sounds like, the infamous scene in this film depicts (very tamely) a terrible, disturbing situation that unfortunately happens in real-life. By Donohue's logic, I suppose we shouldn't allow films to confront any of the awful things that happen in reality. While we're at it, I guess we should put a warrant out for Robert DeNiro...after all, haven't we all seen how he murdered all those guys in Taxi Driver??? Etc., etc., etc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MDC 7,407 Posted January 24, 2007 Don't forget about MDC. I don't even know who Dakota Fanning is. But congratulations on working your way into the FFT "in" crowd. A few more hilarious blowup doll and mascara jokes and maybe they'll let you eat lunch with them in the caf. I'll be vulturing sandwiches and drinking beer - get it! Funny stuff! It's funny to me how 12-year-old Dakota Fanning seems to have this figured out while the adults are busy arguing. From what it sounds like, the infamous scene in this film depicts (very tamely) a terrible, disturbing situation that unfortunately happens in real-life. By Donohue's logic, I suppose we shouldn't allow films to confront any of the awful things that happen in reality. While we're at it, I guess we should put a warrant out for Robert DeNiro...after all, haven't we all seen how he murdered all those guys in Taxi Driver??? Etc., etc., etc. It's more about the religious right's puritanical hangup about sex than anything else. None of them complained about The Passion of the Christ even though it showed extended scenes of torture. But sexual assault like homersexuality is one of those taboo subjects in the church and they'd rather just ignore it. Probably one reason why the Catholic church attracts to many phags and predators. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snuff 10 Posted January 24, 2007 I don't even know who Dakota Fanning is. She's a fine young actress. She started out when she was a very little girl. Good for her. Alot of little girls grow up to be secretaries who wear too much mascara. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MDC 7,407 Posted January 24, 2007 She's a fine young actress. She started out when she was a very little girl. Good for her. Alot of little girls grow up to be secretaries who wear too much mascara. Hilarious! You are like a 3rd rate kpbuckeye! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snuff 10 Posted January 24, 2007 Hilarious! You are like a 3rd rate kpbuckeye! Wasn't trying to be hilarious, just pointing out that many little girls grow up to be secretaries? You dispute that? Link? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fumbleweed 547 Posted January 24, 2007 It's more about the religious right's puritanical hangup about sex than anything else. None of them complained about The Passion of the Christ even though it showed extended scenes of torture. But sexual assault like homersexuality is one of those taboo subjects in the church and they'd rather just ignore it. Probably one reason why the Catholic church attracts to many phags and predators. Them? Who are you talking about? I swear, you are the most stereotypical person I've ever conversed with when it comes to matters of religion. Are you talking about an organization? Every Christian? Every Catholic? Your whole post just seems like another dig at a group of people way too large for you to paint such a broad stroke in categorizing. I don't how I feel about this. I'd have to give it some thought and listen to what others had to say. I can tell you this, though: hom0sexuality and sexual assault are hardly taboo subjects in most of the churches I've been a part of. That may be the case in one of your experiences....dunno. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wiffleball 4,790 Posted January 24, 2007 FLANDERS!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fumbleweed 547 Posted January 24, 2007 FLANDERS!! I really, really totally hate that. I have about as much in common with Flanders as I do Darth Vader, but you insist on referring to me as that whenever I show up and express an opinion. Do what you will. It just irritates me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wiffleball 4,790 Posted January 24, 2007 I really, really totally hate that. I have about as much in common with Flanders as I do Darth Vader, but you insist on referring to me as that whenever I show up and express an opinion. Do what you will. It just irritates me. And that's what makes me Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fumbleweed 547 Posted January 24, 2007 And that's what makes me I know. I just had to tell you once again that it really pisses me off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
