I think I actually haven't seen Dakota Fanning in any movie, but from what I've heard she's a very talented actress.

I think I see what Wildeboy means by her being a little too precocious, which is often a problem with girl actresses. I find they have a tendency (or perhaps directors encourage them) to act like grown ups, and I don't find that cute at all. What gives a boy actor his charm is that he looks and behaves like a boy, not like a smaller, cuter version of a man. And I find that in movies, generally speaking, boys are given more of that freedom to just be boys, whereas girls are often treated like "precious little dolls" or precocious little women.

But my criticism is really more directed at society in general than it is directed at Dakota Fanning, whom I'm sure is a good actress and deserves all the critical attention she's receiving.

Wow!

I guess I'll have to take back about girl actors not getting as much abuse as boys from movie fans. That really is sick.