Personal life
Dakota Fanning was born in Conyers, Georgia, the daughter of Joy (née Arrington), who played tennis professionally, and Steve Fanning, who played minor league baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals and now works as an electronics salesman in Los Angeles. Her maternal grandfather was former American football player, Rick Arrington, and her aunt is former ESPN reporter Jill Arrington. Dakota is the older sister of Elle Fanning, also an actress.
Her father had wanted to name her "Dakota" and her mother wanted to name her "Hannah".
Fanning is of half German descent and her last name is of Irish origin. Fanning and her family are members of the Southern Baptist Convention. Fanning attends Campbell Hall School in North Hollywood, California and is on the varsity spirit cheerleading squad.
Acting career
Early years
Fanning began acting at the age of five after appearing on a Tide commercial. Her first significant acting job was a guest-starring role in the NBC prime-time drama, ER, which remains one of her favorite roles ("I played a car accident victim who has leukemia. I got to wear a neck brace and nose tubes for the two days I worked.")
Fanning subsequently had several guest roles on established television series, including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Practice, Spin City. She also portrayed the title characters of Ally McBeal and The Ellen Show as young girls. In 2001, Fanning was chosen to star opposite Sean Penn in the movie I Am Sam, the story of a mentally challenged man who fights for the custody of his daughter (played by Fanning).
Her role in the film made Fanning the youngest person ever to be nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award, being seven years of age at the time. She also won the Best Young Actor/Actress award from the Broadcast Film Critics Association for her performance.
2002–2003
In 2002, director Steven Spielberg cast Fanning in the lead child role of Allison "Allie" Clarke/Keys in the science fiction miniseries Taken. By this time, she had received positive notices by several film critics, including Tom Shales of The Washington Post, who wrote that Fanning "has the perfect sort of otherworldly look about her, an enchanting young actress called upon ... to carry a great weight."
In the same year, Fanning appeared in three films; as a kidnap victim who proves to be more than her abductors bargained for in Trapped; as the young version of Reese Witherspoon's character in Sweet Home Alabama, and as Katie in the movie Hansel and Gretel.
Fanning was featured even more prominently in two films released in 2003; playing the uptight child to an immature nanny played by Brittany Murphy in Uptown Girls, and as Sally in The Cat in the Hat.
Fanning did voice-over work for four animated projects during this period; as Satsuki in Disney's English language release of My Neighbor Totoro, as a little girl in the Fox series Family Guy, and as young Wonder Woman in an episode of Cartoon Network's Justice League.
2004–2005
In 2004, Fanning appeared in Man on Fire as Pita, a nine-year-old who wins over the heart of a retired mercenary (Denzel Washington) hired to protect her from kidnappers. Roger Ebert wrote that Fanning "is a pro at only 10 years old, and creates a heart-winning character."
Hide and Seek, was her first release in 2005, opposite Robert De Niro. The film was generally panned, and critic Chuck Wilson called it "a fascinating meeting of equals — if the child star [Fanning] challenged the master [De Niro] to a game of stare-down, the legend might very well blink first." Fanning voiced Lilo (succeeding Daveigh Chase) in the direct-to-video film Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch. She also had a small part in the Rodrigo Garcia film Nine Lives (released in October 2005), in which she shared an unbroken nine-minute scene with actress Glenn Close, who had her own praise for Fanning: "She's definitely an old soul. She's one of those gifted people that come along every now and then." Fanning also recorded voice work for Coraline during this time.
Fanning completed filming on Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story (opposite Kurt Russell) in late October 2004. Russell declared he was astonished by his co-star's performance in the film. Russell, 54, who plays her father in the movie, says, "I guarantee you, (Dakota) is the best actress I will work with in my entire career." Kris Kristofferson, who plays her character's grandfather in the movie, said that she's like Bette Davis reincarnated.
While promoting her role in Dreamer, Fanning became a registered member of Girl Scouts of the USA at a special ceremony, which was followed by a screening of the film for members of the Girl Scouts of the San Fernando Valley Council. She is not a member of a troop, but rather registered as a "Juliette", GSUSA's title for independently registered girls.
She then went directly to the set of War of the Worlds, starring alongside Tom Cruise. Released in reverse order (War in June 2005 and Dreamer in the following October), both films were critical successes. War director Steven Spielberg praised "how quickly she understands the situation in a sequence, how quickly she sizes it up, measures it up and how she would really react in a real situation."
After filming was completed on War of the Worlds, Fanning moved straight to another film, without a break: Charlotte's Web which she finished filming in May 2005, in Australia. Released on December 15, 2006, Web met generally warm critical acclaim. Producer Jordan Kerner said, "...when she was so caught up in War of the Worlds, we had to end up going on a search for other young actresses. They would have been nothing compared to her."
2006–2007
Over the summer of 2006, Fanning worked on the film Hounddog, described in press reports as a "dark story of abuse, violence and Elvis Presley adulation in the rural South." Fanning's parents have been criticized for allowing her to film a scene in which her character is raped. However, in response, Fanning said that "It's not really happening," to Reuters. "It's a movie, and it's called acting." Director Deborah Kampmeier addressed the controversy in the January 2007 edition of Premiere: "The assumption that [Dakota] was violated in order to give this performance denies her talent."
In 2006, at the age of 12, she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, becoming the youngest member in the Academy's history. Her income for 2006 was $4 million, earning her the fourth place in Forbes Magazine's list of top-earning stars aged under 21.
In March and April 2007, she filmed Fragments - Winged Creatures, alongside Kate Beckinsale, Guy Pearce, Josh Hutcherson, and Academy Award winners Forest Whitaker and Jennifer Hudson. She plays Anne Hagen, a girl who witnesses her father's murder and who turns to religion in the aftermath.
In July 2007, Fanning filmed for three days a short film titled Cutlass, one of Glamour's "Reel Moments" based on readers' personal essays. Cutlass was directed by Kate Hudson.
From September to December 2007, Fanning filmed Push which centers on a group of young American expatriates with telekinetic and clairvoyant abilities who hide from a U.S. government agency in Hong Kong and band together to try to escape the control of the division. Fanning plays Cassie Holmes, a thirteen-year-old psychic.
2008–present
In January 2008, Fanning began filming the movie adaptation of The Secret Life of Bees, a novel by Sue Monk Kidd. Set in South Carolina in 1964, the story centers on Lily Owens (Fanning), who escapes her lonely life and troubled relationship with her father by running away with her caregiver and only friend (played by Jennifer Hudson) to a South Carolina town where they are taken in by an eccentric trio of beekeeping sisters (played by Queen Latifah, Sophie Okonedo and Alicia Keys). Her movies Coraline and Push were released on the same day, February 6, 2009.
Fanning played Jane in New Moon and will reprise the role in Eclipse, based on novels by Stephenie Meyer. New Moon was released on November 20, 2009, and Eclipse is set for release on the 30th June 2010.
She finished filming the movie The Runaways alongside Kristen Stewart, Stella Maeve, and Scout Taylor-Compton, where she plays Cherie Currie, the lead singer of the band.
Dead End Justice
Dakota Fanning Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're momma says you go straight to hell
I'm sweet sixteen and a rebel queen
I look real hot in my tight blue jeans
Dead end kids in the danger zone
All of you are drunk or stoned
Dead end kids you're not alone
Long hot summers make you wanna fight
The roar of the city lasts all night
You like drugs you like brew
You won't believe what I can do to you
Dead end kids in the danger zone
All of you are drunk or stoned
Dead end kids you're not alone
You sleep in the street when you're not at home
I got away clean with my fake ID
No more school or mommy for me
Stealing cars and breaking hearts
Pills and thrills and acting smart
Dead end kids in the danger zone
All of you are drunk or stoned
Dead end kids you're not alone
You sleep in the street when you're not at home
In the naked city, spaces ain't that pretty
As I was getting dusted, I happened to get busted
Oh yes, I was arrested, oh God, how I protested
They beat me with a board, it hurt just like a sword
They kicked me in the eye, my brain began to fry
This is like a movie, I know I'm gonna scream
All the pain that I feel makes me feel mean
It's so sad and crazy here, I think I'm gonna cry
If I don't wake up from this dream
I think I'm gonna die
Where am I?
Your in a cheap run down teenage jail that?s where
Oh my God
Yeah, blondie you?re gonna be here till your 18 so get used to it
Behind the bars, there's a superstar
Who never had a chance, she could sing, she could dance
You don't sing and dance in juvie honey
Behind the walls, they've seen it all, gotta have, gotta have
Justice, justice
Don't want your law and order
Justice, justice
Or world wide disorder
What you in for? Wouldn't you like to know?
Behind the fence, there is no defense
There's murder, rape and bribery in and out, burglary
You don't look so tough, oh, I been around
On the planet sorrow, there is no tomorrow gonna get
Justice, justice
Don't want your law and order
Justice, justice
Or world wide disorder
You can't turn off the tears
They crawl in juvenile hall cruel reform schools
They don't smile, they got no bail or jury trial
Joan, lets break out tonite okay Cherie, whats the plan?
You grab the guard, in the prison yard
Get his keys and gun, we'll run
My old man's waiting outside in a van is he handsome?
You'll see ?cause you know, we gotta be free
Justice, justice
Don't want your law and order
Justice, justice
Or world wide disorder
We'll go far through the prison yard
You and me, we will be free
Just be safe, don't be late
If you see the guard don't hesitate
But Joan I'm getting tired, I've run out of fire
I can't go any farther but Cherie you must try harder
Joan, I'm down, my ankle, I can't go on, but I can't leave you
What do I do? Save yourself you know what you gotta do
Oh my God
The song "Dead End Justice" performed by Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart tells the story of two rebellious girls who find themselves in a juvenile detention center. The lyrics depict their tough attitude and determination to break free from the prison and the society they feel trapped in. The first verse of the song expresses their confidence and edginess, as they describe themselves as a "blond bombshell" and a "rebel queen." They also mention that they enjoy the attention they receive from people on the streets.
The chorus describes the environment they are in, where all the "dead end kids" are drunk, stoned, and sleep on the street when they're not in detention. They sing about the hardships they face in the juvenile hall and how they find comfort in each other's company. They then reveal their plans to escape and be free again.
The second verse provides more detail about their experiences in the juvenile hall, portraying a bleak and violent world where they are the victims of abuse and discrimination. Despite this, they refuse to give in to the system, and they even express a desire for justice that is not based on "law and order." The song ends with a cliffhanger as the girls try to escape, with one of them getting injured and the other trying to decide whether to leave her friend behind or stay with her.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a blond bombshell and I wear it well
I am a beautiful blonde girl and I know how to show off my looks.
You're momma says you go straight to hell
Your own mother thinks you are living in sin and you are going to hell.
I'm sweet sixteen and a rebel queen
I am young and rebellious, and I know how to take control of my life.
I look real hot in my tight blue jeans
I know how to wear tight jeans and look good in them.
Dead end kids in the danger zone
Children who have nowhere to go and face imminent danger.
All of you are drunk or stoned
All of you children are either drunk or high on drugs.
Dead end kids you're not alone
You are not the only children living in such terrible conditions.
You sleep in the street when you're not at home
You have no home to go to and have to sleep on the streets.
Long hot summers make you wanna fight
The hot summer exacerbates your situation and makes you want to fight.
The roar of the city lasts all night
The noisy sounds of the city continue all night long.
You like drugs you like brew
You enjoy doing drugs and drinking alcohol.
You won't believe what I can do to you
You are unaware of the kind of trouble I can get you into.
I got away clean with my fake ID
I was able to escape without getting caught by using a fake ID.
No more school or mommy for me
I don't have to attend school or live with my mother anymore.
Stealing cars and breaking hearts
I enjoy stealing cars and breaking hearts of others.
Pills and thrills and acting smart
I love to take drugs and do dangerous things to feel alive.
In the naked city, spaces ain't that pretty
The spaces in the city are not as attractive as they seem in reality.
As I was getting dusted, I happened to get busted
As I was doing drugs, I got caught by the authorities.
Oh yes, I was arrested, oh God, how I protested
I was arrested, and I strongly protested against it.
They beat me with a board, it hurt just like a sword
They physically assaulted me with a board, and it was extremely painful.
They kicked me in the eye, my brain began to fry
They hit me in the eye, and it affected my brain in a harmful way.
This is like a movie, I know I'm gonna scream
This is like a scene from a movie, and I feel like screaming.
All the pain that I feel makes me feel mean
All the pain I am experiencing is making me feel angry and cruel.
It's so sad and crazy here, I think I'm gonna cry
This place is so sad and insane that it makes me want to cry.
If I don't wake up from this dream
If I don't come out of this situation, as if it was just a bad dream.
I think I'm gonna die
I might not survive this whole ordeal.
Your in a cheap run down teenage jail that?s where
You are in a low-quality juvenile prison.
Yeah, blondie you?re gonna be here till your 18 so get used to it
You will remain in this juvenile prison until you turn 18 years old.
Behind the bars, there's a superstar
Even behind the bars of the prison, there are some people who have the potential for greatness.
Who never had a chance, she could sing, she could dance
There is a teenage girl in prison who had talent but never had a chance to utilize it outside.
You don't sing and dance in juvie honey
You can't sing and dance in a juvenile prison.
Behind the walls, they've seen it all, gotta have, gotta have
People behind walls and prison have seen it all.
Justice, justice
The need for justice.
Don't want your law and order
I don't want the law and order system we have in place.
Or world wide disorder
I don't want to live in a world of chaos either.
What you in for? Wouldn't you like to know?
What crime did you commit to be in this prison? Would you like to find out?
Behind the fence, there is no defense
There is no true defense or hope behind the fences of a prison.
There's murder, rape and bribery in and out, burglary
Crimes like murder, rape, bribery, and burglary are rampant in and outside of prison.
You don't look so tough, oh, I been around
You don't even look that tough to me, I've seen worse.
On the planet sorrow, there is no tomorrow gonna get
In a harsh world full of sorrow, there is no future for human kind.
Justice, justice
The need for justice.
Don't want your law and order
I don't want the law and order system we have in place.
Or world wide disorder
I don't want to live in a world of chaos either.
You can't turn off the tears
You can't help but cry in this situation.
They crawl in juvenile hall cruel reform schools
Tears creep out of your eyes in these cruel juvenile halls and reform schools.
They don't smile, they got no bail or jury trial
There's no hope or happiness on the faces of children stuck in these juvenile prisons, because they get no bail or trials by jury.
Joan, lets break out tonite okay Cherie, whats the plan?
Let's escape from here tonight Joan. Alright, Cherie, what's your plan?
You grab the guard, in the prison yard
You get control over the guard in the prison yard.
Get his keys and gun, we'll run
Get his keys and his gun, we will escape.
My old man's waiting outside in a van is he handsome?
My father is waiting outside the prison in a van. By the way, is he handsome?
You'll see ?cause you know, we gotta be free
You'll come to see how he looks like, since we both have to be free.
We'll go far through the prison yard
We will escape far beyond the prison yard.
You and me, we will be free
You and me will be free from this prison.
Just be safe, don't be late
Be safe and don't be late.
If you see the guard don't hesitate
If you see the guard, don't wait to take control.
But Joan I'm getting tired, I've run out of fire
But Joan, I'm getting tired now, I don't have the same passion.
I can't go any farther but Cherie you must try harder
I can't continue any further, but Cherie, you have to try harder.
Joan, I'm down, my ankle, I can't go on, but I can't leave you
Joan, I'm in pain, I can't continue due to my ankle, but I can't go without you.
What do I do? Save yourself you know what you gotta do
What should I do? Save yourself, you know what you have to do.
Oh my God
An expression of shock or surprise.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@moonshine-morningstar
To every person who didn't like Kristen singing this, Joan Jett herself was impressed and pleased with it. So in other words your opinions really don't matter.
@kieakewii
marcus8483 exactly if Joan wasn’t pleased than I’d gladly rip in but I love their vocals here.
@ShockMe1994
People are still entitled to their opinions 😂
@ShockMe1994
And this is OK but it sucks compared to the original lol
@NightmareeWhispers
I did
@daeday26
@@ShockMe1994 opinions are what they are. They mean zip. Usually ppl who have more opinions than facts are lost.
@Ellenportia1
Kristen Stewart did an AMAZING job as Joan Jett in this movie. she even looked exactly like her when Joan was younger. Dakota Fanning was briliant as well
@loganarnoldkicks4321
I know! Whenever I see Kristen as Joan I'm like "Wow, they did a really good job of casting because Kristen looks a lot like a young Joan !"
@loganarnoldkicks4321
@380_Pound_Black_Woman's _Stool_Sample Calm down 😂 Them missing one letter of the word 'brilliant' is hardly the end of the world.
@loganarnoldkicks4321
@380_Pound_Black_Woman's _Stool_Sample True