Hounddog

Hounddog is a movie that puts the "red" in redneck. It may be about kids, but it's not for kids. The opening scene has otherwise charming Dakota Fanning contending with a boy her age about a deal to "show her his thing" in exchange for a kiss. Then her father brings home a "stranger lady" for a new girlfriend, and the next day he shoots Dakota's dog. Her father leaves the house, and the new girlfriend says it's permanent. She's sporting a big red mark on her face, and the girl brings her a cold beer (not to drink but to cool and soothe the bruise). The girl finds out that the boy can't swim, so she offers to teach him. She likes to climb a big tree and sing Elvis songs up there. A local black man tells her to "find the spirit" and that "Hound Dog" isn't an Elvis song (a woman had recorded it a few years earlier than Elvis). One evening there's a thunderstorm, and her father is struck by lightning and forgets his identity (see amnesia). Then the girl gets rape, having been lured to an isolated shack.