Hounddog

2007
R
1h 38m

IMDb RATING

6.2/10

6.6K

YOUR RATING

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Drama Music

A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.2/10

6.6K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 wins & 1 nomination total

Trivia
According to the site Slate, after playing family friendly roles for years, Dakota Fanning decided to her first controversial role as Lewellen in this film. The part of the Elvis fanatic included some very mature scenes, such as the horrifying rape of her character. The reviews at the time noted the public backlash of the role, and as Slate wrote, "Protesters of the film may be genuinely concerned that acting out a rape scene in a film is traumatic to Fanning." Fanning didn't take too well to her critics. She lashed out in a press conference in Los Angeles (via Today), "When it gets to the point of attacking my mother, my agent ... my teacher, who were all on the set that day, that started to make me mad ... They hadn't seen the movie." At the end of the day, the young, but seemingly mature beyond her years starlet felt she was leading audiences to harrowing discussions worth talking about. In an interview with The New York Times, Fanning, at just 12 years old, mused, "There are so many children that this happens to, every second. That's the sad part. If anyone's talking about anything, that's what they should be talking about."

Goofs
The 45 rpm record that Lewellen's father gave her in the truck (supposedly by Elvis on RCA) is apparently a reissue of an original which did not exist at the time.

Quotes
Lewellen: What's that from?
Buddy: What?
Lewellen: That big ole bruise you got there.
Buddy: Nothin'.
Lewellen: I got one, too.
Buddy: Where?
Lewellen: Right here. My daddy did it.
Buddy: My daddy don't hit me!
Lewellen: Does so.
Buddy: Does not, you liar!
Lewellen: I'm gonna kill my daddy one day.
Buddy: Are not.
Lewellen: Am too! I'll kill your daddy too, if you want.

Crazy credits
The film has a 2008 copyright date in the credits, despite first being shown in early 2007.

Connections
Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Roles Too Mature for Child Actors (2019)

Soundtracks
Homage to Harry Partch
Written by Dave Soldier, Richard Lair and The Thai Elephant Orchestra
Courtesy of Mulatta Records

User reviews68

Review

Featured review

7/10

a slow burner.

Shot in 2006 and released in 2007 this film has some good things about it. The acting is quite strong from Dakota Fanning, she does a very good southern accent. There's a nice yellow tint to it, colours look lovely, the production design very well recreates the 1950s rural southern poverty while the music of Elvis acts as a great soundtrack. The hot nights and church services and sense of reality is very much present in the film. It's a story of a girl who uses music to get through tough times and grow as a person. There's also a real loss of innocence that comes along too in the film and it can at times be quite grim. Religion is not well portrayed in the film either, it's fixation on rock and roll is shown as being ill thought through while one woman who prides herself as being a firm Christian is perhaps the most unforgiving character in the story. There's lots of snake imagery to it too. I also did wonder why nobody seemed to go to school.

The film is also quite slow paced, very much a slow burner.