Dakota Fanning Sex Abuse in Hounddog
Please Note that The Compass Blog, in NO WAY, endorses this movie or the sick and twisted minds that wrote, directed, produced or in any way supported the creation of this travesty called Hounddog.
Hounddog” caused a stir when unveiled last week at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah because it depicts pre-teen actress Dakota Fanning being raped.
Because of the outcry over Hounddog, North Carolina State Senator and majority leader Phil Berger called for all future films made in North Carolina to have their scripts approved in advance if they are to get the normal production subsidy from the state. Berger says that he has not seen the film but is acting in response to what he has read about it.
Critics say Berger’s proposal could have a chilling effect on the statewide industry by requiring government officials to preview scripts from every film project seeking North Carolina’s 15 percent refund of in-state production costs.
Berger’s response to that is, “‘Well, if you don’t like it, then don’t ask for government money,’” “But if you want a government handout, then you should abide by whatever rules government sets out.” Berger is a Republican from Rockingham County.
Berger plans to introduce a bill this session aimed at preventing another “Hounddog” controversy by having state administrators clear scripts before incentive applicants start filming.
Hounddog is a film written, directed and produced by Deborah Kampmeier and starring child actress Dakota Fanning. Robin Wright Penn serves as an executive producer (and also has an acting role, as Stranger Lady). The film was produced by Raye Dowell, Jen Gatien and Terry Leonard. It premiered in competition at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.
Taking place in the 1960s American South (the film was shot in North Carolina), Fanning plays Lewellen, “a troubled 12-year-old girl who finds solace from an abusive life through blues music. This music is delicately woven throughout the film to create a colorful tapestry of a melancholy life that finds release and healing through the music of Elvis Presley, whose character appears in the movie, and the singing of the blues.The film garnered a great deal of attention, and generated significant controversy, due to the use of such a young actress in the lead role. The controversy at one point caused the film’s financial backers to withdraw, and production was halted while additional financing was arranged. Specifically, there were concerns because the screenplay called for Fanning to appear nude, to appear in nothing but underwear and to appear in what has been described as a rape scene. However, the scene in question had already been filmed when funding was withdrawn, and additional investors were found to replace them.
The desperate producer, Jen Gatien, daughter of former club czar Peter Gatien, sent out an SOS to New York entertainment entrepreneur Lawrence Robins. Robins located emergency investors, filming resumed.
Note* I can not out any information on who these new “Funders” are,Other than The National Endowment for the Arts gave between $100,000 and $249,000 to help underwrite the festival, and the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) gave between $50,000 and $99,999. but I would sure like to.
Fanning’s mother, Joy, and her Hollywood agent, Cindy Osbrink, see the movie as a possible Oscar vehicle for the pint-size star. But despite Fanning’s status as a bankable actress – whose movies, including last year’s “War of the Worlds,” have earned more than half a billion dollars since 2001.
“Specifically, there were concerns because the screenplay called for Fanning to appear nude, to appear in nothing but underwear and to appear in what has been described as a rape scene.”
This is incorrect. Please do some research before posting misinformation. Dakota never appeared nude, and the script plainly states this. Also, both North Carolina and Utah state officials have reviewed the film and found nothing wrong with the movie. People are simply uncomfortable with the subject of rape.
“Note* I can not find out any information on who these new “Funders” are, but I would sure like to.”
This information is readily available on the internet. I’d suggest using a search engine.
Otto,
Please do some research on the English language before insulting my lack of research on this story. It appeared as though you had something intelligent to say, do I really need to add “But I see you did not?”
maybe you should learn to read..The article says “called for Fanning to appear nude, to appear in nothing but underwear and to appear in what has been described as a rape scene”
Get the point?
APPEAR NUDE! Here is a definition of the word APPEAR, for you “give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect; “She seems to be sleeping”; “This appears to be a very difficult problem”; “This project looks fishy”; “They appeared like people who had not eaten or slept for a long time”; “Dakota Fanning to Appear nude, but not really”
Regarding the part of your comment that states “North Carolina and Utah state officials have reviewed the film and found nothing wrong with the movie”. “People are simply uncomfortable with the subject of rape”
First of all the “Officials” whomever they are,who found nothing wrong with the movie, (and I add, should have their heads examined) have their opinion, however the lack of support for the movie premier, shows that there are some other, opposite opinions, as well. Moral people who do not believe that there is nothing wrong with this movie.
( no I do not want to get into a discussion about who’s morals, as obviously you are unarmed, when it comes to morals)
I believe that you should have said that people are uncomfortable with the subject of rape and especially a rape portrayed upon a 12 year old.
As for telling me to use a search engine to find the funders of this movie, I did this and the information was limited to:
The National Endowment for the Arts gave between $100,000 and $249,000 to help underwrite the festival, and the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) gave between $50,000 and $99,999.
“The desperate producer, Jen Gatien, daughter of former club czar Peter Gatien, sent out an SOS to New York entertainment entrepreneur Lawrence Robins. Robins located emergency investors, filming resumed.”
I guess your just a product of the University of Texas education system.
A young girl “appearing nude” (it was a body stocking I think) acting in a scene where her character is raped, can not be emotionally or psychologicaly healthy.
But that is just me, and I care for childrens welfare and have morals.
Same here, I think it is just plain WRONG!
Sounds like Dakota’s sick Mother was interested in the publicity and financial gain and not in her Daughter. I do not understand how a parent, especially a mother, can let this happen to her own child.
This, in my opinion, comes under the title of pedophilia, not art.
Thanks again, in part, to the sick perverts from PBS and The National Endowment for the Arts.
Pedophilia is a very realistic subject, especially in this day and age.
To not allow this is a blatant violation of the right to freedom of speech and expression, and free enterprise.
Pedophilia is an issue all over the globe, especially nowadays. There is no reason that this can’t be displayed in a movie.
This is no more wrong than any other kind of rape that might be displayed in any other type of movie, or any other media.
Because pedophilia is a realistic issue in todays world, it is perfectly fine that this issue is addressed in a movie. It is just like any other issue that is addressed in the form of any other type of media.
The intent of this movie was not to promote pedophilia, but to show that it is a realistic problem. I personally am sick of constitutional rights being taken away because people can not look at things from the proper point of view.
This is not a pornographic movie. This is not porn. If you can not stomach it, that is fine, do not watch it. This country and the fundamentals and freedoms that it was founded on is being completely ruined by people that can not accept that freedom is freedom, period end of statement. If you don’t like something then don’t watch, or be a part of that thing. Stop prohibiting other people from exorcising their rights.
The biggest ” Crime ” here is that people are letting their personal feelings conflict with the basis of freedom that this country was founded on. If filmmakers and directors are allowed to address other controversial content in movies or books ( etc.. ) then there is no reason that this specific controversial content should be frowned upon.
This country was founded upon freedom. If you don’t like it then go somewhere else. IT’S JUST A MOVIE. IT IS NOT REAL LIFE. Is pedophilia wrong? YES. Is addressing a real world issue in a movie wrong? NO. People like you people that want everything that YOU think is wrong to be made illegal is ruining everything that this country is founded on. If you don’t want people or your children to watch it then take responsibility on yourselves to not watch it or not let others watch it. YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, not that of government officials or others that can seriously ruin the constitutional rights of thousands of people based on one event.
There have been plenty of movies that display the action of rape as a problem. These movies make the screen without a problem because it is addressing a real world problem. Why are we then having a problem with a movie that addresses underage sex as a problem. IT IS A PROBLEM. Have any of you people ever thought even once that maybe putting this problem into the type of media that many people enjoy might help to rectify the situation? Of course not, all people in this day think is that ” I don’t like this, let’s put a stop to this “. STOP. It is that type of thinking that is ruining this country and its constitutional privileges that it was founded on. Take responsibility for yourselves and leave everyone else alone. The government is not here for babysitting a bunch of useless people that can’t cope with certain subjects. It is here for protecting the people from things like war. Take responsibility for yourselves or leave and quit ruining this country.
Have I seen this movie? No. Do I have any desire to see this movie? No. Do I agree with what is being portrayed? No. Am I going to ruin other peoples lives because of it? Definitely not. If they want to portray this in a movie to send a message, fine. Am I going to watch and support it? No. Am I going to ruin this countries rights of freedom because of my personal feelings of how wrong this is? No. This is a free country, deal with it you weak, weak people. You are all weak and have to have something better to do than ruin everything that this country was founded on just because you can’t deal with freedom. Shut up and quit complaining and go about your daily lives and let other people take advantage of the rights that were guaranteed to them by this wonderful document that was created called the constitution.
Shut up and worry about your own lives, not the lives of others. Stop ruining America and go somewhere else where your communist way of thinking is accepted. MY GOD YOU PEOPLE ARE PATHETIC. STOP FORCING YOUR WAY OF THINKING ON OTHER PEOPLE IN A COUNTRY THAT IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE UNLIMITED FREEDOM. GO AWAY. WE HATE YOU. JUST SLIT YOUR WRISTS AND JUMP IN THE TUB AND GET IT OVER WITH. WE DON’T NEED YOU IN THE LAND OF THE FREE. HEAR THAT? THE LAND OF THE FREE. FREEDOM. SHUT THE ##%$%)( UP AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
Birchwood Resources of Denver is giving “the desperate producer” Jen Gatien money. God only knows why?