Thapson
“The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane” was made in 1976 – a decade that I personally consider dreary and depressing. Of course, I talk from my personal observation. And this movie matches the decade as it tells the strange story of a girl who lives with her father in a small town in Maine. It is late October/early November and the dreary weather adds to the suspense. The movie is based on a Laird Koenig novel of the same name. Laird was also involved in the screenplay for this movie.
Synopsis
We see young 13-year-old Rynn Jacobs going about her daily activities at home, and around town while sharing a home with her author father. However, we never get to see him. They have an arrogant, and somewhat nosy landlady, with whom Rynn does not get along. The landlady, Cora Hallet, is of the old stock English variety, while Rynn is a openly defiant and independent. Rynn rebuffs anyone’s attempts to meet her father insisting he’s busy and doesn’t like to be disturbed when working. Fran, Cora’s adult son, is a cad. He’s also interested in Rynn for perverted reasons. He tends to drop by Rynn’s home unannounced much to her chagrin and is also suspicious of her lifestyle and secretive father.
“Rynn rebuffs anyone’s attempts to meet her father insisting he’s busy and doesn’t like to be disturbed when working.”
Rynn
Rynn is a bit of an oddball and displays maturity beyond her years. She gives the impression of one who has stepped into the shoes of her absent mother. It seems she has everything under control, but things still feel off kilter. Her smart-ass attitude seems to suggest she’s hiding something. But, one cannot help feel supportive of her either. What, if indeed, her father is one who dislikes being disturbed, and is an oddball too? It’s interesting to see how Rynn apparently has things under control, while fending off overly curious visitors and maintaining her privacy.
Cora’s Discovery
It is when Cora Hallet literally stumbles across Rynn’s secret that everything is thrown off balance for the latter. She ends up with a crisis on her hands which she proceeds to tackle in her cool calculated manner that’s fascinating to watch. In the process, she gets help from an unexpected source. This would be Mario, the nephew of a local Police Officer, Ron Miglioriti. As Mario assists her, Rynn confides her family secrets with him. The two become friends and allies. Rynn realizes she would need Mario’s assistance to cope with the challenges in her life. As she tackles the crises in her life over the course of the movie, we’re left wondering how she’ll fare on the long run.
Why is her father so secretive? Where is, or what exactly happened to her mother? And how does she counter the nosy landlady and her stalker son? You would need to watch the movie for the surprising answers to those questions.
Primary Cast
Some interesting trivia regarding the cast and movie includes:
1. Mort Shuman was more of a writer than an actor, and his writing credits far outstrip his acting.
2. Scott Jacoby was primarily a TV actor and did not pursue an acting career beyond his thirties.
3. The brief nude shots of Rynn were played by her older sister, Connie, as Ms. Foster was underage at the time of the movie
4. Like many American movies, while it depicts a small town in Maine, it’s actually shot in Quebec, Canada.
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My Take
While the movie isn’t as scary or creepy as the name suggests, it is quite intriguing. It has its unsavory bits but that’s all hidden under a seemingly idyllic small-town existence. It’s this unassuming and mundane environment that I find mesmerizing. I was drawn into the main protagonist’s life and found myself as curious of her as anybody else who meets her. In fact, I found myself rooting for her and felt she needed to be left alone – until the truth is revealed.
Movie Ambience
The movie plays out in, what I feel is the gloomiest time of the year around Halloween as we head into another long dark winter. Moreover, the movie is shot in the 70s which I consider to be the lousiest decade (personally speaking). Most of the movies produced then were dark and foreboding (e.g. “The Exorcist”, “The Omen”, “Jaws”, “Being There”, all those disaster movies). But the acting by the cast, especially by Jodie Foster, was absolutely spot on. It’s one of the movies, I can’t help watching again if given the opportunity. I may not watch the entire movie, but at least catch bits of it – such is its ability to fascinate. Definitely a good watch if you’re looking for some low-key suspense and mystery. There’s a very brief bit of nudity too, as a warning.
I’ll be back with another fun movie next time. Feel free to give me your opinions regarding this movie or want to add anything to this review.
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