DAKOTA FANNING - O'NEAL DEFENDS DAKOTA FANNING RAPE SCENE

Former child star TATUM O'NEAL finds nothing wrong with DAKOTA FANNING appearing in a rape scene because the 12-year-old actress is just playing a part. O'Neal was eight-years-old when she appeared in the film PAPER MOON with her father RYAN O'NEAL and was 10-years-old when she won an Oscar for her performance. In the film HOUNDDOG, which is currently screening at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, Fanning plays a girl who endures a graphically suggested rape scene. O'Neal explains, "I think it's her parent's decision. I think she is a real actress, she really is an actress. "I think she's probably very smart and she probably looked and the script and said that she felt it was OK for her to do as an actress. I think it's OK." The star admits it would be a different story if her 15-year-old daughter wanted to appear in the film adding, "Would I let my daughter? No. But I'm her mother. Dakota's mother thinks it's OK."