Film Review: The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976)

Here’s an early film in Jodie Foster’s career, and one that helped to show her great acting abilities. It falls somewhere between a thriller and a domestic drama, more so on the latter front but with some dark and unsettling elements that give the film dimension. It’s a story about a character that we do sympathize with in certain ways, but might also be concerned about in others, and Jodie Foster does a great job at capturing that. Granted, the premise might seem a bit far-fetched to some viewers, and its not too difficult to see what’s going on or where things are headed, but the film still manages to tell a good story with its premise, and the ambiguity of whether or not we should root for the main character does make for interesting viewing and contemplation. So, first off, let’s look at the story, or at least the initial events.

Our story follows a young adolescent girl named Rynn who lives in a house outside of town. She supposedly lives there with her father, but curiously, her father rarely shows his face in town, if ever. Rynn makes several different claims if she’s ever asked about her dad: he’s working in his study, he’s away on business, etc., and in general, she seems to be getting along just fine without any visible parental figure in her life. However, things take a turn when she’s visited on Halloween by Frank, a creepy pervert and the son of their landlady who tries to appear friendly at first but is clearly after Rynn and ends up making advances on her before quickly backpedaling and leaving (though, as you’d imagine, it won’t end up be the last time he tries this). The next day, the landlady herself, Cora, visits the house and asks Rynn about her father (and her situation in general). The questioning slowly becomes an argument, as both of them try to get the other to admit what’s happening beneath the surface (that Rynn is living here all by herself illegally and that Cora’s son is a pedophile). Eventually, Cora wishes to get the jelly jars that she had left in the house before it was sold, but Rynn claims that they’re in the basement and stops Cora from trying to go down there to get them herself. Though Rynn eventually gets Cora to leave, the latter insists that she’s coming back later. After a day out in town and meeting Officer Miglioriti who gives her a ride back to her house, Rynn presents Cora with the jars which she’d gotten out from the basement. However, the lack of a device that goes with the jars prompts Cora to go into the cellar and get it herself, after some more resistance from Rynn, of course. Cora screams at something that she sees down there and rushes out of the basement, only to accidentally knock the door stand over, which sends the door crashing down on her head and knocks her down the stairs, killing her. Rynn now has to figure out a way to dispose of her car, as it’s been left sitting in plain sight on the driveway. As she tries to get the car started, a teenager named Mario stops on his bike ride and tries to help her out. He seems to already know what’s going on and offers to take the car back to Cora’s workplace. Rynn isn’t keen on this at first but relents after figuring that she doesn’t have many other options. Later on, Mario comes back to the house and the two seem to hit it off rather well. They both seem to be rather worldly and savvy for their ages, which seems to develop some affection between the two. This is interrupted, sadly, by two unwelcomed guests (well, the first more welcome than the second): Officer Miglioriti, who wants to see Rynn’s father, but the duo manage to convince him that the dad’s asleep, and Frank, who seems to be quite curious as to the whereabouts of his mother, and especially what this suspicion might mean for Rynn. Mario is able to chase him off, sadly only after Frank kills Rynn’s pet hamster, but like before, this isn’t the last we’ll see of Frank. So, where exactly are Rynn’s parents? Will Rynn and Mario’s affection become something more? What are they going to do about Frank? Well, I’ll let you figure those out for yourself, if you haven’t already. Now, on to my thoughts.

As I said before, Jodie Foster does a very good job in this film. She comes across believably as a kid who’s a bit more aware and knowledgeable than others her age while still acting like a kid. She’s able to carry on conversations in a rather adult manner, though with a healthy dose of negative implications towards her converser sometimes (mostly to Cora, who admittedly had instigated this), and is also able to cover her tracks fairly well. However, she isn’t infallible, as she would’ve been exposed with the whole car situation (especially if Mario hadn’t turned out to be helpful), and she obviously doesn’t have the higher ground society-wise, considering her age. In general, I think that’s very much a big part of what this film is talking about: if a person is knowledgeable enough, and has everything they need to live a comfortable life alone, should their age limit their ability to do so? Rynn fulfills these requirements easily and never has any intention of doing more than living her life peacefully, but society will never let her do so. Some want to control her life due to a perceived hierarchical status above her (like a parent or a landlady), some have to uphold the law (like a police officer), and others want to take advantage of her and use her for their disgusting desires (like a child molester). The film does get you to sympathize with Rynn to a degree, as her struggles with agency and self-determination are a common issue for many people. However, Rynn’s methods of dealing with those who wish to take away her solitary life might take away that sympathy for some folks. It’s probably not hard to figure out that there are “formerly living persons” in this story, though most of these kickings of buckets are portrayed as a form of self-defense, or coincidence in Cora’s case. Still, though, whether justified or not (and another of these instances is probably more justifiable to most people), it puts a sense of distrust in you towards Rynn and might make some concerned about what she could be capable of. Really, it makes you think about who you would side with more given this information. Ultimately, both sides are right and wrong (except Frank, he’s just wrong), and you’re left in a state uncertainty, as all good 70s movies should make you feel. Jokes aside, there is also the fact to consider that while Rynn might be capable of living life on her own, that isn’t going to be the case for every kid who’s worldly like her. Heck, even Mario, her friend/love/accomplice, is pretty aware himself, but is clearly much dorkier and less mature compared to her, and probably couldn’t live on his own if he tried. So, the film isn’t saying that this sort of “kids living by their own devices” thing is applicable to every situation, just more so asking the question of if it’s right or possible at all. In the end, it’s up to the viewer to decide for themselves, which I think is good to have in films sometimes. It challenges you to think about the world around you and how we do things, and whether or not you would agree with the ideas being put forward, even if only a little. I think these sorts of questions are still worth contemplating today. I said that the film might be dated for some because it does seem to be coming from a perspective that was relevant at the time. The mid-70s was several years removed from the “free era” of the late 60s, but there was definitely still an air of questioning how things have been and whether or not there needed to be changes. Plus, it was right in the midst of the “latchkey generation,” so lower parental presences were becoming more of a reality for kids back then. Still, though, while it is somewhat of its time, the ideas that it talks about are still worth thinking about, and the story is an interesting watch, if maybe a little outlandish for some. But before I end, I should note for the more concerned audiences that there is a scene with Rynn in the nude, though shown from the back. This might perturb some viewers given her age, but it is worth noting that it’s actually her twenty-something sister doubling for her in those shots, so make of that what you will. I just figured it would be worth bringing up for those that might take issue with it.

I’d say that The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane is a pretty good little movie. It’s another one that I wouldn’t necessarily call a favorite, but I did still find it interesting, and it was cool to see an early film from a great actress. What is cool to note is that this film actually came out the same year as Taxi Driver, which is what really put her on the map. I suppose if you’re going to get overshadowed, you might as well get overshadowed by one of your own films. Anyway, Taxi Driver or no, go and visit The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane. Just remember to respect her life choices because she might not like it if you don’t.