Hounddog (2008)

One of the best things about movies is that they take us places we normally wouldn’t or couldn’t go. In the case of Hounddog, we journey to the rural South in the 1950s, but it’s actually a deeper journey than that. This is not the kind of place we envision. There are no sock hops or drugstores with teens boppin’ around a jukebox while drinking malts. This is more like wandering through one horrible and traumatic repressed memory after another. Hounddog may be one of the hardest watches ever, ranking right up there with Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and, more recently, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. At the center of this difficult film is a young actress who may one day be considered among the best ever: Dakota Fanning.

Fanning stars as Lewellen, a young tomboy growing up in a dysfunctional household. Her father is the town drunk, and her grandmother is a fanatical Christian who chides Lewellen for her love of Elvis Presley and swimming with boys. She is probably too grown up for her age and curious about things she shouldn’t be, but this is a damaged girl. Things get even worse after her father is struck by lightning, rendering him a cretin. The only bright spots in her abysmal life are a chance to see Elvis Presley perform in concert and her friendship with a black shaman who encourages her to sing. Robin Wright Penn also stars as a woman linked to Lewellen through mysterious ties and the abuse both have suffered.

Make no mistake about it: Dakota Fanning is one of the definitive talents that define her generation of Hollywood performers. She may be a minor character in the Twilight franchise, but she’s a superstar when it comes to the future of this industry. Despite the narrative shortcomings of Hounddog, her performance is what will keep audiences in their seats. She holds her own when engaging in a memorable scene where Lewellen and her father lose control and bellow out their agonizing frustrations with the other. David Morse has been acting for thirty years, and Fanning plays like a seasoned vet opposite him. It’s quite remarkable.

The cinematography is also stunning. Writer-director Deborah Kampmeier seems like she’s painting with her lens early on, giving the viewer lush, serene images. But this is only an illusion in keeping with Lewellen’s brave exterior. Hounddog soon gives way to the grimy realities of abuse.

This is not a feel-good story; it may leave you downright nauseated. It offers the least amount of narrative reward of any film in recent memory. Even with Precious, as difficult as that is to watch, by the end there’s a sense of hope for the protagonist. Despite all the torment she’s endured and the enormous difficulties she may face ahead, when you hear those opening soulful notes of LaBelle’s “It Took a Long Time,” you feel an elation, some faint and hopeful spark that Precious will be okay in the end. In Hounddog, I didn’t feel that at all. In fact, if there were any sparks of hope, it seems like Kampmeier did her best to fully extinguish them.

There are scenes that brim with awkward sexual tension between Fanning and older male actors, giving the audience a queasy feeling. There’s also a disturbing rape scene. All of this would be fine if it was building to something rewarding, justifying all the torment we’ve witnessed this young girl go through from practically the opening credits. Sadly, it’s not. The ending is actually ambiguous and will leave viewers with more questions than answers.

I’m not saying movies about tormented abuse victims have to end with bluebirds, rainbows, and all things Lesley Gore. But it would be nice if there seemed to be some merit to it all. The viewer should be rewarded for sticking with the character and stomaching the brutality throughout. The Shawshank Redemption, This Boy’s Life, and The Color Purple are great examples of the aforementioned dynamic.

Hounddog features a tremendous performance from Fanning, but it’s not enough for me to recommend this dreary, somber film. I’ve already done the leg work, and I don’t want others to experience the same hopeless exhaustion.

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