‘Hounddog’ Premieres In NYC
Dakota Fanning was on hand at the Village East Cinemas here in NYC last night for the premiere of her controversial new movie Hounddog. I gotta say, I was very surprised to see how much older Dakota looks these days, as is evident in these photos of her on the red carpet … can someone say, growth spurt?
Having lurched through a gantlet of Sundance jeers, recuts, and release delays, writer/director Deborah Kampmeier’s Hounddog—at least as far as the press notes indicate (urgently)—now exists as a version different from the one that met such derision. One imagines, however, that the song—both the hip-swiveler of the title and the Southern Gothic story of FUBAR families, innocence, and, yes, child rape that it brackets—remains more or less the same. Dakota Fanning plays 12-year-old Lewellen, and while the role will test the patience of even the staunchest survival-parable lovers, Fanning’s extraordinary poise finally trumps precocity. “I’m gonna kill my daddy one day,” she declares in the first scene, and why not? Played by David Morse, he’s an inconstant brute with a wardrobe full of wife-beaters, in case there was any doubt. The symbolism is as clobbering as the blows that send Lewellen’s maybe-mommy (Robin Wright Penn) reeling: Snakes abound, notably in a grotesque, crotch-slithering dream sequence. Shot in mellow green and gold, Hounddog manages an engaging summer sweetness in its early scenes, as Lewellen plots to obtain a ticket to a local Elvis concert, but in the wake of the inadvertent betrayal that leads to her now-notorious rape (a sequence that, ironically, seems to have lost the horrific impact it needs), the film turns listless. By the time Lewellen gets tutored in the white-girl blues by a band of magical Negroes, it has fulfilled its risible potential.
This movie review by the Village Voice does seem to imply that the controversial nature of the rape scene is now not only nullified a bit but is, sadly, the high point of the film. I, personally, have no interest in seeing this movie … but I am very taken with how much older Dakota looked at last night’s premiere. She’s not longer the cute little tot that the world fell in love with … nor is she the gangly-looking, heebie-jeebies teen smiling thru her braces. She has grown into a mature looking young girl … which is a little hard to process for me. I realize it’s unfair to want to lock child stars into the youthful cute kids that they used to be … so I am very much looking forward to seeing if Dakota Fanning can translate from a child star into a bona fide actress. I’m not sure if this movie is the right vehicle for her to do that … but mebbe one day.
[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]
Tags: 'Hounddog', Dakota Fanning
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September 17th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Hey Trent, are you aware of this supposed Britney song leak?
Candy from Strangers from BritneySpearsCircusLeak.com.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkSqrEQWALc
“Candy From Strangers” reportedly features Laze & Royal. Brit or not, the song sure is super catchy!
September 17th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
awwww…..she looks so grown-up! i wouldn’t have recognized her if i wasn’t told who she was!
September 17th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Oh my! She’s so grown up! It’s like when Kirsten Dunst was growing up! She’s going to be a stunner!
September 17th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Wow! She is definitely out of the awkward years! I wish mine only lasted a couple of years like hers did! What a pretty little girl! I say that, because here is hoping she STAYS innocent…
September 17th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Ahh she’s going to be really gorgeous :( Poor thing, that means Hollywood men will be pawing at her and dragging her down into the depths of evil…unless she can help it. She has at least beaten the critics of ‘child actors’ and is taken waay more serious than the idiotic Disney brats.
If anyone makes a comment about the poor girl’s eyebrows I shall beat them with a wet, smelly fish. I am tired of seeing nasty comments about Lourdes’ eyebrows. Actually mine need plucking right now, and I don’t care :) and I’m 21.
September 17th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
so refreshing to see a 14 year old looking 14.
September 17th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
That second link in your post, under “heebie jeebies teen” is nothing but a flashing red-blue picture. It’s seizure inducing!!
September 17th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
I can’t even recognize her! She has grown up so fast! Also… It’s weird to see a 14 years old girl wearing high heels.
September 17th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
she looks amazing for a 14 year old, for sure as hell i did not look like that when i was 14 lol! like the poster above me said: it’s great to see a 14 year old act 14!! Listen up ali lohan!
September 17th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Wow she looks stunning. She reminds a bit of Amanda Seyfried.
September 17th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Damn! It’s always so trippy and kinda depressing to see cute little kid stars grow up seemingly overnight. Time flies man. She’s grown very gracefully into a young lady, she looks absolutely gorgeous. Let’s hope she doesn’t trip herself up, she realizes that she should enjoy her childhood and not force herself into trying to be an adult too quickly by partying like a rock star. I’d hate to see her pull a Lindsay Lohan.
September 17th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Wow she looks like a completely different person!! I’ve always enjoyed her movies and acting abilities but i havent seen her in awhile and WOW im totally shocked here!
September 17th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Wow! I just saw her the other day in a movie when she was younger. She really has grown. How weird
September 17th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
hahah that’s not dakota fanning. IS IT?! if so, holy crappppppp so grown up
September 17th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
I actually saw this at Sundance 2 years ago. It was interesting and all the clout and hype was all wasted on the film. It was ok. I’m interested how different the movie is now compared to when it screened originally. And I know one of the reasons for all the changes is because no distributor wanted to buy it. Ha
September 17th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
She reminds me a little bit of Kate Winslet. I love this girl!
September 17th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
She looks so pretty! Definitely out of the awkward phase we all went though :) Like many have said, it’s great to see how gorgeous she is while looking her age .. And it’s great to see talented teens who haven’t been seduced to the money-making disney bandwagon.
September 17th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
My sister is the same age as Dakota (I’m 22) and I can definitely say girls grow up fast! I live 300 miles from my sister and every time I see her I am like, whoa! So it’s not surprising that she’s grown up this much. She’s looking very pretty.
September 17th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
I’m not surprised, she always had really good bone structure. I hope she continues to keep doing what she’s doing, and maybe have a career like Jodie Foster or Natalie Portman.
September 18th, 2008 at 5:52 am
She has grown up!
however, you can still find pictures with her braces…and well, it’s like any 14 year old with braces…
mmm…
I do agree with all the comments…amen for 14 year olds BEING 14….and not 40!
September 18th, 2008 at 5:54 am
Oh my gosh, she’s so grown up now. And how refreshing to see a young teenager actually looking like a young teenager. She’s very talented so I hope she keeps it together and has an amazing career.
September 19th, 2008 at 7:09 am
She is definitely out of the awkward phase. I just hope her acting is out of the “Look at me! I’m PRECOCIOUS and BRATTY AS HELL!” phase.
September 19th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
LMAO @ your heebie jeebies comment! I’m dying…
September 21st, 2008 at 12:02 am
wow! she’s not a little girl anymore!