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Thursday, January 11, 2007

I’ve been talking about the content of the Dakota Fanning starrer “Hounddog” with her mother Joy and her agent Cindy Osbring since an interruption in the filming last August. That’s when the rumors started about depiction of a rape scene involving the then 12-year-old Dakota. “Hounddog” continues to get hounded by questions of the film’s rape or nudity scenes. Her mom assures us, “This is not an exploitive movie. It is real life and unfortunately this is what happens in real life. Dakota is very proud of it. And she is not shown nude.” When I asked Osbring about the reported description of a rape scene, she answered, “Do they think we have rocks in our head? You do see her face — a lightning shot -- maybe 15 seconds.”

Starring with Dakota is Robin Wright Penn, David Morse (“Dreamer”) and black thesp Afemo Omilami, who is described by Osbring as the one “who saves Dakota’s soul.” Dakota, you recall, costarred with Sean Penn in “I Am Sam,” the story of a mentally-impaired man who fights for the custody of his daughter (played by Dakota).

"Hounddog" is set to bow Jan. 22 at the Sundance fest in Park City. The Fanning family will be at Sundance en masse. In addition to Dakota, there for “Hounddog,” her mom Joy and father Steve will be there as well to applaud daughter Elle, 8, who costars in “The Nines” which gets its first viewing Jan. 21 in Park City, plus three other fest showings. John August makes his directorial debut on the film, in which Elle plays a deaf-mute, where she had to learn sign language for the film. August says, "Elle is a very special young lady."

And both talented Fanning children have choices of films to follow.

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