Robin Wright Penn is in a fighting mood. Ask about her new controversial film "Houndog," starring Dakota Fanning -- with the now-infamous rape scene -- and the elder actress comes out swinging. "I find the people who are so against this movie pathetic. They've never seen the movie and many of them are from fundamentalist groups. They should be ashamed of themselves. Go crawl back under your covers," says Penn, who plays Fanning's aunt in the film, which just screened at the Sundance Film Festival. Things are far calmer when it comes to her latest film, "Breaking and Entering," directed by Oscar winner Anthony Minghella and co-starring Jude Law. Robin Wright Penn plays a mother coping with her child's emotional problems and her longtime boyfriend's affair with another woman (Juliette Binoche).

1. Do you think Dakota Fanning should have done a rape scene in "Houndog"?
I think it's a very truthful movie. It's not exploitive in any shape or form. Dakota does an amazing job, and every scene in that movie is tastefully performed and edited. As for the controversy, how dare people speak ill of a young child venturing into serious acting. She's incredibly talented. These people who now demean her and her family because of this scene do this out of fear of a story that's actually, sadly truthful.

2. What message did you get from "Breaking and Entering"?
I play a mother who is involved with Jude Law. I loved the realism of the story. Jude has a relationship with someone else. The moral of the story for everyone is you can't always fix everything. I don't like movies that wrap it up in a bow. I think life leaves many questions left unanswered.

3. What was it like to work with Jude Law?
He's great. Attentive. Willing to try anything. Advnturous.

4. You've been acting for 25 years. Are you still as passionate about the work?
I'm just as passionate about the work. But show business is more of a business than ever before. Commerce supercedes the art most of the time and that's unfortunate. You just have to play the game and I don't play the game very well. But I don't have any regrets. I've done everything I want to do and there is much more work to do. I'm glad that I see Julianne Moore and Annette Bening working. It's almost as if Hollywood drew a blank for a while when it came to what to do with women over 40. Now we're seen as viable and sexy. That's good.

5. What's the secret to being married to Sean Penn?
We've actually been together for 17 years, married 10, which means we're breaking a record in Hollywood. As for the secrets? Criminy! It's nonstop work to have a happy marriage. Nobody gives you the how-to book. You just remain consistent in loving each other, and I think you should take romantic vacations as a couple. It's really true you have to make the special times happen and not take anything for granted. ... As for the kids, they're teenagers now. They're all grown up and talking back. But we're both good disciplinarians. We have the iron hand when needed. But basically, we don't need it. We're close as a family -- very much a foursome.