Title: The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane
Available from Amazon.com
Cast, Crew, and Other Info:
Written by Laird Koenig,
Directed by Nicholas Gessner.
Cast:
Jodie Foster as Rynn
Martin Sheen as Frank Hallet
Alexis Smith as Mrs. Hallet
Scott Jacoby as Mario
Mort Shuman as Miglioriti
Premise:
A thirteen-year-old girl and her mysterious, reclusive father move into a small town. Both townsfolk and audience begin to suspect she hides some sinister secret. The suspicious include a busybody landlady and her emotionally disturbed son.
High Point:
Many horror films feature teenagers, but few prove so teen-positive (controversial subject matter notwithstanding). Rynn and new friend Mario have been written and portrayed as competent and thoughtful human beings. Foster, barely in her teens at that point, appears in virtually every scene, and proves more than equal to her adult costars.
Low Point:
One aspect of this film has dated badly: the score. The background music belongs in a period cop show.
The Scores:
Originality: 4/6. Koenig adapted the script from his own novel. It's a fairly original take on teens, old houses, and mysterious secrets.
Story: 5/6. More than anything, the film resembles a taut, suspenseful play.1 We see few characters and fewer sets, but the performances and plot twists keep us interested.
Effects: 4/6. The film has no real special effects, but certain scenes have been effectively staged so that we see what the director wants us to believe-- at least the first time through.
Acting. 6/6.
Production: 5/6. The filmmakers managed well with very little budget.
Emotional Response: 5/6.
Overall: 5/6.
In total, The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane receives a score of 30/42.
1. The author later adapted the story for stage.
Additional Comments
In order to maintain a PG rating, the U.S. version of this film excised one instance of the f-word and a brief nude shot. Television, in the past, has broadcast this version. The unbowdlerized Canadian/European release has been selected for DVD. The 70s were a different time; Gessner reportedly asked Foster to appear nude. She declined, and her older sister appears very briefly as her body double.
Halloween Countdown
Oct. 13: The Golem
Oct. 20: The Car
Oct. 27: Them
Oct. 31: ???
