I was intrigued by the synopsis when I stumbled upon this movie. I typically enjoy these 50's/60's coming of age period movies ala "Man in the Moon". That was my expectation, a different spin on "Man in the Moon". The movie started out pretty good and I was intrigued. Around 20mins in, story elements just seemed scattered all over the place. In the introductory scene, Lewellen discusses bruises on her body and how she's going to kill her daddy. I'm all set to witness a young girl who's obsessed with meeting Elvis, kill her dad. One of those two things ought to be her goal? Nope. That's the last thing we hear or see about her resentment towards her dad. In fact, she's quite fond of her dad through the rest of the story. So, maybe it's about her journey to see Elvis? I recognize his music is what comforts her, but the story is setup for an Elvis meeting... and when she misses out on the Elvis concert at the midpoint, I figure the ending will also involve Elvis. As a screenwriter myself, her missing out on Elvis at the midpoint has me suspect that she will not be successful in this goal, and she isn't. In fact, Elvis is really never mentioned in the last half of the movie. The snakes throughout were kinda cool, but what did they mean? Symbolism for sure... but extremely vague in my mind. Throughout the last half of the movie, I'm waiting for something to happen. I want clarity on what her goal really is, what the story's about, and I'm waiting... still waiting... and end credits. What? It's a shame that such beautiful scenery, music, and acting talent was wasted on such a lousy story. I didn't get it at all. So, I do some brief investigating and this is what I found...I've already mentioned I didn't like the story or the screenwriter's (Deborah Kampmeier) attempt at putting together a story. OK, so who's the director? Hmm, the director is also Deborah Kampmeier. Hmm, OK so who's the producer that actually liked the project enough to through some money at it? also, Deborah Kampmeier. I'm sorry to say it, but this leads me to believe that no one in the industry wanted to get on board this project. This explains the strange use of 'symbolism'(?) throughout the movie, because it was weird enough that only one person understood it... Deborah Kampmeier. I couldn't figure out if the snakes represented evil, poison, personal demons, etc... who knows? With 20mins remaining in the film, I suspected the snakes were actually symbolic for good? Perhaps a cleansing of the soul? But then at the very end, when dad goes to pick up a dead snake and the snake has a 'dead reflex' to strike... the dad is bit. Yet, Lewellen skips happily along and into the house... roll credits. What? Backup. OK, so maybe... just maybe... if she actually disliked her abusive father this would make sense. But, he wasn't abusive and she loved her father. What? It almost seems like there was an original script with a major rewrite, and no one bothered to fix the ending?I also noticed that pretty much any film Deborah Kampmeier has been associated with, has also been written, directed, and produced by herself. She's also teaches a master scene study class in New York City. Who am I, a newbie screenwriter (who can spot 20+ things wrong with this story), to critique Deborah? Hmm, maybe it's just me?

Reading some of the reviews here, and elsewhere, it is clear that the reviewers haven't actually seen this film - unless there are lots of different versions out there. They didn't see the film I did, for sure. There is no gratuitous or graphic violence or sex, and the only bit of nudity comes courtesy of David Morse's behind. If anything, a little more sex or violence might have enabled more of today's jaded audience to actually get the point of this movie.As I understand it, the story they are trying to tell (in my opinion, unsuccessfully but more of that later) is of an adolescent girl who over a short period of time, due to a sequence of unfortunate events, goes from expressing herself through the voice of Elvis, to eventually being able to express her true self with her own voice, with help from Charles (Afemo Omilami).As a story it holds water, is certainly - unfortunately - true to life and the central role is played with much maturity and sensitivity by Dakota Fanning (bar her mandatory screaming-for-no-reason scene) who may or may not have over-egged her performance (I don't know what was and wasn't said by her) but she is the one carrying this film, and it is not her fault that through clumsy editing and a weak screenplay the story kinda gets lost in the overall dullness.None of the supporting characters are particularly well described and just when we do think we're getting to know them ... cut to a completely different scene. It's almost as if this was a vehicle for a 12-13 year old Dakota Fanning, which is not doing her, her co-stars or the film any favours. It perhaps should have been longer, and less time devoted to the relationship with her father which isn't particularly relevant to the story I think they're trying to tell.My advice is watch it and make up your own mind, but don't expect to be shocked, disgusted, or entertained. The brief glimpses of humour and happiness are lost amongst the monotony of dull sound and scenery. Where's the rock'n'roll, where's the blues? Where are all the characters that surely must have been in the story, in the south, in the 1950s? A worthy attempt to tell a powerful story, but lacking in flair and direction.

But with this, I had to. Once I start watching a movie I never, ever take it out no matter how bad it is. But this movie was so morally depraved, so disturbing, and such a sick-twisted film that I really honestly felt like I was going to throw up. The fact that anyone can see this without feeling the same way makes me even more weak to my stomach. What the h*ll is wrong with people?!!! Since when is something like that rape scene okay?!?!?!??! My stomach is still wrenching and knotted up, my hands are shaking slightly,, and my heart is racing and I didn't even finish the rape scene. As soon as she screamed I shut it off, yet I'm still trembling. What a terribly disturbing movie. It literally disgusts me that anyone would make such a terrible, terrible film with such a horrible scene as that. How old was Lewellen? Nine maybe? What the f*ck is wrong with the writers, directors, and anyone who watched this movie and actually felt differently? How can you have such a cold stone heart to not even fathom the immensity of sickness you just experienced. I don't care if this sounds dramatic, because I honestly feel so sick to my stomach right now and there are some pretty messed up people in this world if you found that at all amusing or entertaining. You belong in a jail cell, or better to be executed. What bothered me the most about this film was that there wasn't even an underlying message to it. All you're doing is sitting there watching really sick and disturbing events. I am not entertained, I am sickened. Not just by the movie itself, but by anyone and everyone who somehow found that worth making or watching. So unnecessary, so wrong, and just plain twisted garbage. Terrible script, too. And melodramatic acting.

Warning- Some of this maybe consider a possible spoiler It takes something extreme to get a 12 year old white girl to sing the blues. She was a shimmer of light being engulfed by the darkness that surround her. Everyone turned on her, her father neglected her and then became mentally challenged, her grandmother gave her no room to be "her", the stranger lady lied and turn her back on her, her childhood friends that she confined in would turn against her and even her idol Elvis kept on riding by. The only person she could trust was Charles and he was a mentor that guided her to find peace and harmony within her spirit. All her Elvis mimics weren't her true self it was just a fantasy, an escape from her daily hardships. Charles could see her for what she really is, which was an amazing beautiful gift from god that was trapped in a world of darkness. That's why Charles says 24 minutes in the film "feeling the spirits in the dark, are you?" Charles identifies her life as that of a snake charmer or medicine man that handles the venom of the snake when the medicine man gets so much of the venom in their veins they either die or become immune to it. What more poison can a little girl have then to be raped? She was bite by the snake and the venom was killing her. Charles realized this and knew her spirit was buried and suffocating from the darkness that poison her body,mind and soul. He knew the only way to bring forth that spirit was for her to do which she loved most despite all the wrong she been dealt and that was to sing "hounddog" but not to imitate Elvis with the song but to sing it from her own perspective, with her heart and soul. Dakota plays it perfectly when she first is standing their singing I can almost see the darkness around her through her body language and speech but as she sings it's like a light emerging from underneath her and rising upward completely surrounding her that takes her away from that dark place. As horrible as it seems, something like what happen to her would make a little white girl sing the blues.As for Dakota Fanning she absolutely blows my mind. I never seen a child on screen as talented as her. I just hope as she gets older that the life style that comes with being a famous actor doesn't eat her up. I personally have and will continue to enjoy seeing her grow up before my eyes on the wide screen as she continues to take on challenging roles such as Lewellen.In my opinion Dakota is the next Hilary Swank but yet innovating enough to still be in her own league.way to go kiddo!