Hounded

Hounded

Year: 2001

Runtime: 91 mins

Language: English

ComedyTV MovieFamily

A teenager ends up being hounded by a well-groomed and seemingly cute and tiny dog that actually turns out to be a nightmare of a beast.

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Timeline & Setting – Hounded (2001)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Hounded (2001). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Columbus Hall, Van Dusen pool house, Martin Family Home, Starkwell Military Academy

Columbus Hall is the prestigious school where the scholarship competition takes place, setting the central conflict between merit and nepotism. The Van Dusen pool house and the Martin family home are key settings where the protagonists confront plagiarism, dog-related chaos, and family tension. Starkwell Military Academy represents the punitive future for Ronny if the truth isn’t upheld, symbolizing an institution of discipline and consequence. The overall geography spans the school, the home front, and a boarding-style academy, underscoring the clash between opportunity and favoritism.

🏫 School 🏡 Home 🐶 Dog 🗺️ Local Setting

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 11:52

Main Characters – Hounded (2001)

Meet the key characters of Hounded (2001), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Jay Martin (Tahj Mowry)

A 13-year-old student at Columbus Hall with a strong drive for artistic achievement. He prepares a heartfelt presentation for the Peterson scholarship and fights to prove his work wasn’t stolen. Jay’s integrity and persistence push him to uncover the truth despite setbacks and threats of nepotism.

🎓 Protagonist 🎭 Artist 🏃 Determined

Ronny Van Dusen (Shia LaBeouf)

A rival student and bully who capitalizes on his father Ward’s influence to win the scholarship through plagiarism. He’s quick-witted, ambitious, and willing to bend rules to secure success, ultimately facing consequences at Starkwell.

⚔️ Rival 🧠 Cunning 🐍 Deceptive

Ward Van Dusen (Ed Begley Jr.)

The headmaster whose nepotism fuels the central conflict. He manipulates events to protect Ronny and resist accountability, and his allergy to Camille adds a humorous vulnerability. His eventual demotion marks the school’s shift toward fairness.

🏛️ Authority 🧪 Nepotism 🩹 Flawed

Mike Martin (Craig Kirkwood)

Jay’s older brother who champions merit and helps orchestrate a plan to expose the truth. He reveals Ward’s favoritism and stands by Jay, ultimately participating in the course correction that restores justice.

👦 Brother 🧭 Strategist 🛡️ Ally

Eliza Van Dusen (Rachelle Carson-Begley)

Ward’s wife and Camille’s owner. She is a key observer of the unfolding chaos and shares the family’s stakes in recovering the dog, illustrating the personal costs of the conflict.

👩 Family 🐶 Owner 🧪 Compassion

Armand Columbus (Tony Larimer)

Former headmaster who steps back into leadership to confront Ward’s nepotism and restore order. He advocates for merit over favoritism and enforces accountability, prompting a return to fairness at Columbus Hall.

🧭 Authority 🧑‍🏫 Restorer 🛡️ Justice

Camille

Eliza’s show dog whose anxious behavior and medication-triggered reactions drive part of the plot’s chaos. Camille’s presence heights the stakes and ultimately signals the family’s motivation to resolve the conflict.

🐕 Dog 🐾 Companion 🧬 Tension

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 11:52

Major Themes – Hounded (2001)

Explore the central themes of Hounded (2001), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🏛️ Nepotism

Nepotism drives key decisions at Columbus Hall, shaping who receives opportunities and who is sidelined. Ward Van Dusen uses his position to advance his family while attempting to suppress the truth about theft and plagiarism. Armand Columbus returns to restore fairness, revealing how privilege can corrupt an institution. The story ultimately critiques favoritism that tramples merit and integrity.

🛡️ Integrity

Jay and Mike pursue integrity by protecting the honors of the scholarship and exposing the deception surrounding the stolen presentation. The characters navigate pressure from authority figures to hide the truth, choosing instead to reveal it publicly. The dog Camille’s behavior also functions as a test of loyalty and moral steadiness. The resolution reaffirms merit-based reward over manipulation.

👬 Sibling Rivalry

Jay and Mike form a makeshift alliance against a common adversary, turning sibling rivalry into a cooperative effort to defend family honor. The dynamic contrasts youth ambition with experienced manipulation from Ward and Ronny. Their plan to outsmart Ronny relies on trust, strategy, and shared goals. In the end, the brothers achieve justice together.

🔎 Justice

The narrative builds toward uncovering truth and accountability, culminating in Ward’s demotion and Armand’s comeback. The competition is reopened and Jay is rightfully awarded the Peterson scholarship, illustrating that justice favors genuine merit. Ronny faces consequences at Starkwell, marking a corrective path away from nepotism. The resolution solidifies a sense of rightful order in the school’s ecosystem.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 11:52

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Hounded Summary

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Hounded Summary

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Hounded Timeline

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More About Hounded

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