Hounddog

Set in rural Alabama in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Hounddog follows Lewellen, a young girl growing up in poverty and instability. She lives with her devout grandmother while remaining devoted to her father, a troubled man who drifts in and out of her life. Precocious and emotionally unsettled, Lewellen finds both comfort and an outlet for her anger in the music of Elvis Presley, performing his songs and copying his movements. When Elvis comes to town for a concert she longs to attend but cannot afford, her friend Buddy pressures her into singing and dancing for a ticket, and the events that follow leave her withdrawn and profoundly shaken. A neighbour, Charles, tries to reach her through the blues.

The film was written and directed by Deborah Kampmeier, who also produced it with Raye Dowell and Scott Franklin. It was her first feature, followed years later by Split. Dakota Fanning plays Lewellen, with Piper Laurie as Grammie and David Morse as her father, and Isabelle Fuhrman appears as Grasshopper.

On IMDb the film holds a rating of 3.8/10 from 52 reviews, while on TMDB it has a rating of 6.5/10 from 143 votes, so viewers rate it considerably higher than critics do. The film runs 102 minutes.