Rape Scene in Hounddog

**the nut** · 01-28-2007, 04:49 AM

Film's Child-Rape Scene Causes Stir
Jan 24, 4:54 AM EST

The Associated Press

PARK CITY, Utah -- 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 boycott.

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.

"It's not a rape movie," Fanning said Tuesday. "That's not even the point of the film."

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?"

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."

Sundance director Geoffrey Gilmore said independent filmmakers should pursue sensitive subject matter.

"I feel the mission and very nature of what Sundance is about is to provide a platform for that," he said.

**Pianomahnn** · 01-28-2007, 09:53 AM

k

**Prince** · 01-28-2007, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by the nut

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.

**Pianomahnn** · 01-28-2007, 11:25 AM

It's a movie. It's acting.

Overreacting tards.

**Brachiisaurus** · 01-28-2007, 11:26 AM

Why can't the kid be in bed, and the adult actor walk in the room and slam the door or something and that be the end of scene?

**BoneCrusher** · 01-28-2007, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by Brachiisaurus

Why can't the kid be in bed, and the adult actor walk in the room and slam the door or something and that be the end of scene?

The point would have been lost ... had less of an impact to the soul of the viewer. The director wanted you to feel the scene. It is still morally clean. The child was never naked, and she was obviously well behind the intended veiws of the production. We have a vehicle that allows a child to promote awareness of the devistation endured by children, but because the material is too primally abrasive the "moral right" wants to kill her voice.

Sensorship has no place in our society. If it was kiddie porn I'd be all for nailing everyone involved (except the victim(s) of course) to a tree by his/her genitals and setting the tree on fire. This is not that ... it is art used to make a statement.

Don't like what's out there? See a therapist and resolve your issues but do NOT sensor what I can do with my eyes or mind, nor what a child can do to reach me or inspire me.

**KelJu** · 01-28-2007, 12:20 PM

The film maker is an artist, and the movie is trying to convey the brutality of rape. God forbid people might have to feel an uncomfortable emotion.

If it is in your congressional party or church it is fine, but if it is in a movie everybody flips out.

I think anyone who has a problem with the movie is a small minded loser.

**Mudge** · 01-28-2007, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by KelJu

The film maker is an artist, and the movie is trying to convey the brutality of rape. God forbid people might have to feel an uncomfortable emotion.

Sometimes people need a dose of reality, the truth is shitty sometimes.

**Brachiisaurus** · 01-28-2007, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by BoneCrusher

The point would have been lost ... had less of an impact to the soul of the viewer. The director wanted you to feel the scene. It is still morally clean. The child was never naked, and she was obviously well behind the intended veiws of the production. We have a vehicle that allows a child to promote awareness of the devistation endured by children, but because the material is too primally abrasive the "moral right" wants to kill her voice.

Sensorship has no place in our society. If it was kiddie porn I'd be all for nailing everyone involved (except the victim(s) of course) to a tree by his/her genitals and setting the tree on fire. This is not that ... it is art used to make a statement.

Don't like what's out there? See a therapist and resolve your issues but do NOT sensor what I can do with my eyes or mind, nor what a child can do to reach me or inspire me.

Easy there champ.

**KelJu** · 01-28-2007, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by BoneCrusher

The point would have been lost ... had less of an impact to the soul of the viewer. The director wanted you to feel the scene. It is still morally clean. The child was never naked, and she was obviously well behind the intended veiws of the production. We have a vehicle that allows a child to promote awareness of the devistation endured by children, but because the material is too primally abrasive the "moral right" wants to kill her voice.

Sensorship has no place in our society. If it was kiddie porn I'd be all for nailing everyone involved (except the victim(s) of course) to a tree by his/her genitals and setting the tree on fire. This is not that ... it is art used to make a statement.

Don't like what's out there? See a therapist and resolve your issues but do NOT sensor what I can do with my eyes or mind, nor what a child can do to reach me or inspire me.

Well put!

**Pepper** · 01-28-2007, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by BoneCrusher

The point would have been lost ... had less of an impact to the soul of the viewer. The director wanted you to feel the scene. It is still morally clean. The child was never naked, and she was obviously well behind the intended veiws of the production. We have a vehicle that allows a child to promote awareness of the devistation endured by children, but because the material is too primally abrasive the "moral right" wants to kill her voice.

Sensorship has no place in our society. If it was kiddie porn I'd be all for nailing everyone involved (except the victim(s) of course) to a tree by his/her genitals and setting the tree on fire. This is not that ... it is art used to make a statement.

Don't like what's out there? See a therapist and resolve your issues but do NOT sensor what I can do with my eyes or mind, nor what a child can do to reach me or inspire me.

I was going to respond, but this about sums it up for me too.

**Pepper** · 01-28-2007, 02:27 PM

...but I will add that it is NOT censorship if people as individuals get upset with the movie.

**the nut** · 01-28-2007, 03:57 PM

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 boycott.

**Pepper** · 01-28-2007, 04:02 PM

So.. I guess your point is that since some Catholics are child molestors, they all are.

**the nut** · 01-28-2007, 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by Pepper

So.. I guess your point is that since some Catholics are child molestors, they all are.

Hardly....

I'm Roman Catholic, and I sure as shit haven't molested anyone. I think the Catholic church is so fucked up right now, they should take care of their own problems, before they worry about some some scene in a movie. Not to mention organized religion in general is the root of so many problems in this world.

**themamasan** · 01-29-2007, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by the nut

Film's Child-Rape Scene Causes Stir
Jan 24, 4:54 AM EST

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 boycott.

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.

^^^^^ Examples of what's wrong with today's society. Why is it so popular to complain about everything these days? And not only the complaining, but actually trying to come up with the most insanely idiotic angles to make their case. A movie being labeled as child abuse? A movie being labeled as child-pornography when it doesn't show child pornography?
Get real people.

**maniclion** · 01-29-2007, 10:37 PM

I think that if Dakota's family had no objections and if Dakota herself was aware of what the scene portrayed and had no objections then nobody else can make that decision....

What i think is that too many people are ignorant to how smart 12 year-olds are, I can remembe when I was 12 I knew full well what rape was, I knew that I could be kidnapped and raped by some sick ass bastard. In fact I remember this 25 year-old guy who lived with his parents used to have my friends come over to his house to play his video games, they said he used to talk about masturbation all the time, my friends knew he was a perv so they never went alone to his house, and the only reason they kept going was they would steal money, expensive baseball cards, they'd steal his drugs too, then after a few years we were around fifteen he had tried to get one of my friends to have a circle jerk with him. The next day my friends smashed te shit out of his Mustang, stole his stereo, broke into his garage stole all of his videogames and we never talked to him again. Then one day he came walking up the street towards our houses, yelling that his neighbor had seen a boy who looked just like my friend Christian coming from out of the garage with a backpack and a Nintendo system under his arm....my friend Billy grabbed a baseball bat and beat the shit out of him and threatened to tell the police he had been molesting all of us, he ran off crying...It wasn't long until we found out he finally moved out of his parents house. So I think it's muchbette for kids to know more about these fuckers than to try to preserve their innocence and let them end up victims....

**viet_jon** · 01-29-2007, 11:40 PM

Originally Posted by BoneCrusher

Sensorship has no place in our society. If it was kiddie porn I'd be all for nailing everyone involved (except the victim(s) of course) to a tree by his/her genitals and setting the tree on fire. This is not that ... it is art used to make a statement.

my thoughts exactly.

I don't know how the film goes, but I"m sure they aren't glorifying child porn. It's all for good intentions.

**KentDog** · 01-29-2007, 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by maniclion

I think that if Dakota's family had no objections and if Dakota herself was aware of what the scene portrayed and had no objections then nobody else can make that decision....

What i think is that too many people are ignorant to how smart 12 year-olds are, I can remembe when I was 12 I knew full well what rape was, I knew that I could be kidnapped and raped by some sick ass bastard. In fact I remember this 25 year-old guy who lived with his parents used to have my friends come over to his house to play his video games, they said he used to talk about masturbation all the time, my friends knew he was a perv so they never went alone to his house, and the only reason they kept going was they would steal money, expensive baseball cards, they'd steal his drugs too, then after a few years we were around fifteen he had tried to get one of my friends to have a circle jerk with him. The next day my friends smashed te shit out of his Mustang, stole his stereo, broke into his garage stole all of his videogames and we never talked to him again. Then one day he came walking up the street towards our houses, yelling that his neighbor had seen a boy who looked just like my friend Christian coming from out of the garage with a backpack and a Nintendo system under his arm....my friend Billy grabbed a baseball bat and beat the shit out of him and threatened to tell the police he had been molesting all of us, he ran off crying...It wasn't long until we found out he finally moved out of his parents house. So I think it's muchbette for kids to know more about these fuckers than to try to preserve their innocence and let them end up victims....

Damn. I remember there was this kid who rode the same bus as me when I was in 5th grade. He was in 12th and always asked me and my friends to come over to play video games. He would show us porn on his computer, but he never tried to do anything. It was later that I realized just how creepy that all sounds. He had the hottest sister though.

**viet_jon** · 01-29-2007, 11:53 PM

Originally Posted by the nut

Hardly....

I'm Roman Catholic, and I sure as shit haven't molested anyone. I think the Catholic church is so fucked up right now, they should take care of their own problems, before they worry about some some scene in a movie. Not to mention organized religion in general is the root of so many problems in this world.

I agree 150%.

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