Earning acclaim as a child actor may or may not be a harbinger of future success. There are more than a few movie and TV kids who proved incapable of transitioning to grown-up roles for one reason or another. So it’s worth celebrating when a precocious urchin with genuine acting ability matures into an accomplished adult performer, as is the case with Dakota Fanning.
At the tender age of 7, Dakota earned raves for her delicately moving scenes as the daughter of a mentally challenged man played by Sean Penn in the 2001 drama I Am Sam. She followed that with youthful parts in films including Man on Fire and War of the Worlds and continued her career as a teenager in the Twilight movies and The Runaways. Reaching her 20s, she was cast as Manson Family member Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and as a lead in the TNT series The Alienist.
Lately, she hasn’t been getting the sort of attention her talented younger sister Elle Fanning attracted as the star of high-profile TV projects such as The Great and Margo’s Got Money Troubles. That imbalance appears to be changing. Dakota received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal of an American expat in the 2024 miniseries Ripley, and she’s up front and superb in the just-released dramedy The Sun Never Sets — a thoughtful, intimate look at the push and pull of modern romance.
Playing the love triangle
Set in Anchorage, Alaska, The Sun Never Sets delves into a love triangle that develops after a partner in a seemingly happy couple suggests taking a break in order to be absolutely sure about their long-term commitment to one another. Dakota’s character Wendy drives an excavator for a construction company, hangs out and drinks pints with her friends at favorite local bar, and is in what appears to be a satisfying relationship with Jack, a somewhat older local teacher played by Jake Johnson.
Jack is a divorced father with shared custody of his cute son and daughter. He adores Wendy, but he isn’t interested in getting married again or having any more children. Since Wendy says she would eventually like to be a wife and mother, Jack suggests that she take some time to explore her options before they settle down. He says he’s cool with her going on a few dates and seeing what’s out there. Jack is sure the pickings are slim, and Wendy will return to him regardless of his reluctance to remarry or procreate again. When a charming, self-absorbed former boyfriend named Chuck comes back into Wendy’s life, Jack suddenly isn’t too eager to continue the break.
Dakota is marvelous as the conflicted Wendy, shifting from comfortable in her life to hurt by Jack’s plan, stoked by the possibility of reigniting an old flame, and righteously angry about perceived betrayals. Her actions and reactions are painfully real as her honorable intentions come up against her desires. There is nary a false note in her portrayal, and the rest of the players match her truth. Johnson, who is best-known for the Zooey Deschanel sitcom New Girl, does a first-rate job as Jack and participates in a de facto New Girl reunion with Lamorne Morris, his former cast mate on the show, here playing his best friend. And Cory Michael Smith is appropriately good-looking and smug as Wendy’s ex Chuck, a prop plane pilot whose job lets The Sun Never Sets lean into the beauty of the Alaskan wilderness.
Beyond mumblecore
Screenwriter and director Joe Swanberg — a veteran of the low-budget, light-on-plot, often improvised sub-genre of indie filmmaking dubbed “mumblecore” — has made his most accomplished, accessible movie with The Sun Never Sets. The mumblecore connection can be sensed in its focus on interpersonal relationships and the natural quality and spontaneity of its dialogue. In the process, The Sun Never Sets addresses some serious questions: What do we want from a significant other, and when do we want it? What do we do if we get it, and how do we cope if we don’t?
As the central figure in the story, Dakota Fanning not only provides someone for the audience to care about; she offers a shining example of an actress who has honed her craft since childhood, didn’t waver in her career path, and, over time, has brought deeper and more complex shadings to her performances. It will be exciting to see what she does in the coming years.
The Sun Never Sets is currently in select theaters.
