Posted on 08/07/2006 6:13:10 PM PDT by BlueJ7
Prosecutors in Wilmington, N.C., "are aware" of a scene for the movie "Hounddog" in which 12-year-old actress Dakota Fanning reportedly is violently raped, and if an investigation is launched authorities could consider sexual exploitation charges.
The scene, widely reported on the Internet, is in the movie where Fanning plays the role of a "precocious, troubled girl (who) finds safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley," according to Blue Line Radio, which monitors child-abuse allegations.
Susan Jordan, a district attorney in Wilmington assigned to work with such complaints, said she could not at this time confirm a formal investigation into the rape scene.
"I am aware of that situation," she told WorldNetDaily. "The charge that would potentially apply to the scenario would be sexual exploitation of a minor."
She said statutory rape laws would require the actual assault, and her understanding was that any assault was simulated. Third-degree or second-degree sexual exploitation would involve having or trading child pornography, she said.
But to make such a scene could be first-degree sexual exploitation of a child, a charge on the same level with armed robbery, she said.
"That is to facilitate … sexual activity for the purpose of producing material that would contain child pornography," she said.
Carla Roberts, who runs the Yahweh Center Children's Village for abused or neglected children in Wilmington, told WND she would have to wonder about the adults responsible for putting a child in such a position.
And, she said, she also is concerned by the ramifications for the child to whom that would be done.
Jordan said she just doesn't understand such scenes, now described in "a file on my desk."
The movie is an independent that had to raise additional money when some initial investors pulled their support because of the rape scene. It is being assembled by writer-director Deborah Kampmeier. Her earlier work, "Virgin," was about a young girl who is raped, but doesn't remember the attack and believes she's carrying the Christ child.
In "Hounddog," the 12-year-old Fanning plays 9-year-old Lewellen, who is told she must sing for concert tickets to hear Elvis. The script graphically describes her clothes dropping to the floor before she sings, and an assailant unzipping his jeans.
Others in the production include Isabelle Fuhrman, Cody Hanford, David Morse, Christoph Sanders, Jody Thompson and Robin Wright Penn.
According to an independent movie website, Kampmeier's "Virgin" was "profound and exquisitely melancholy" and was nominated for the John Cassavetes Award for the best feature made for under $500,000.
Its story is about "Jessie," (Elizabeth Moss) who hides her suffering from being trapped by her family's conservative Baptists beliefs with liquor, kleptomania and drugs. She has a sexual encounter after a spell of drugs and liquor and finds she is pregnant, deciding that she is carrying the next Christ child.
At that time, Kampmeier, who previously worked in the New York City theater industry, said she shot the film for $65,000 in 21 days.
Kampmeier did not return a message WND left at her Full Moon Films office.
World Entertainment News Network said the movie was a shocker for Fanning's fans.
"She has shot child rape scenes and appears semi-naked," the network said.
But it also said the actress' agent, Joy Osbrink, told the New York Daily News, fans shouldn't worry.
"It's not just the rape scene – the whole story is challenging Dakota as an actress. And I've never been so proud of her in my life. I've seen the dailies, and in every scene she gets better and better."
One crew member called the movie "dynamite" because of the scene, and said adult stars would have baulked at some of the situations.
In 2002, Fanning worked with Steven Spielberg as the lead child in a science fiction miniseries and she also appeared in "Trapped," "Sweet Home Alabama," and "Hansel & Gretel." She later worked with Kurt Russell in "Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story," and Tom Cruise in "War of the Worlds."
Hear about the porn theater that decided to run Shakespeare? This is what they put up on the marquee. Can you guess the plays?
Two Inches
Twelve Inches
Wet
Gay
Didn't "Bastard out of Carolina" deal with the same issue? Sexual molestation of minors is extremely common, sadly. It would be unusual if it didn't make its way to the movies.
NY POST--excerpt
Cute-as-a-button child star Dakota Fanning, who turned 12 in February, is venturing into sexually disturbing territory in a movie being filmed in North Carolina. The screenplay for "Hounddog" - a dark story of abuse, violence and Elvis Presley adulation in the rural South, written and directed by Deborah Kampmeier - calls for Fanning's character to be raped in one explicit scene and to appear naked or clad only in "underpants" in several other horrifying moments.
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 - the alarming material seems to have scared off potential investors from the under-$5 million indie project.
"The two taboos in Hollywood are child abuse and the killing of animals," a source close to the situation told me. "In this movie, both things happen."
"The subject matter is very tough," Robins told me, "but I was attracted to it because in the end it's a story about human understanding, about a little girl who's dealt a very bad deck of cards, but finds solace in the music of Elvis and survives."
They must give you free membership at NAMBLA. You're doing a helluva job with their talking points.
Sometimes I just want a movie to entertain and sometimes I want to be challenged to think.
I watched To Kill A Mockingbird Sunday afternoon for umpteenth time. While perhaps not as graphic as what is described in this movie, it is still disturbing as it was meant to be and I’m a better person for it because it makes me feel and then think.
From when Atticus shoots the rabid dog to the perceived menace of 'Boo' Radley’ to the stalking of the children, Scout and Jem in the dark woods and the very real menace of racism at it’s vilest, the novel and film deals with rape, murder, intimidation, vigilantism and violence with young children in the middle of it all and in harms way. It also is a story about the importance of rule of law and justice for all, of a father's wisdom and love and the goodness of most people and in community.
I think it all depends on whether a rape scene is relevant and important in telling the story and what the story is saying about us as a society or whether it is done to merely shock or titillate. I don’t know enough about this movie to pass judgment on it’s possible redeeming qualities despite it’s disturbing content.
I also remember studying Greek Mythology in school at about 12 and that was some pretty sick stuff too…rape, kidnapping, adultery, lust, murder… BTW - sounds a lot like many stories in Bible too.
That would be Death in Venice with whatshisname...
I believe that the freedom of the creative artist to deal with whatever subject matter he chooses is paramount and that the finished product should be judged according to its merits or lack thereof.
Man, what a rebel!
You realize that technology is responsible for all this hub-bub. Thirty years ago they would have made the movie. It would have played in about ten art houses and vanished forever. The majority of people never even would have heard of it. The thing would have been as obscure as Mysteries of the Organism.
30 years ago 'Snakes on a Plane' would just play a few drive ins...
Apparently her parents are easy to manipulate. The filmmaker couldn't shoot the scene any other way? It's amazing what filmmakers used to convey without resorting to overt graphics. There's a decided lack of creativity nowadays.
I wonder what Snakes on a Plane is about?
BTW substitute Sweet Movie for Mysteries of the Organism in previous post. I'm having flashbacks of obscure 70s films.
Well, go ahead and defend the concept of Dakota- Fanning- Nude-and-Raped for Oscar Gold, if you must.
Just don't get busted like PeeWee Herman while you are watching it in a public theater.
You must wear out lots of trench coats.
How the heck is that relevant?
In fact, they reluctantly didn't want her to pursue an acting career but did so at the advice of an agency because her child was such an unusual prodigy.
Yeah, right. What do you expect them to say? "We're crazed stage parents?"
"artists"? Get a frigging grip.
Borges is a fairly reasonable guy on most subjects. He presented a pretty cogent argument. There's no need to be insulting.
GREAT film!
The version released theaterically in the U.S. actually had some of the stuff between Reno and Portman cut out.
Hmmmmm.......but then, MJ likes lil boys..........so, maybe they'll see PeeWee Herman or one of Muhammad's homicidal/psychomaniacal/goat-buggering "warriors" sitting in the back row, with a trenchcoat and sunglasses.
Should all unpleasant matter be depicted?
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