The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976)


Jodie Foster made a number of movies in 1975, from the family-friendly comedy Freaky Friday to the gangster film Bugsy Malone.  It meant that 1976, when all these movies hit the theaters one after another, Foster was everywhere and pretty much the next teen sensation.  She also did two of her most controversial films during that time, Taxi Driver and The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane. 

Rynn Jacobs (Foster) is a 13-year-old girl with a poet father who is frequently away from the home.  This situation unfortunately gets attention in the small Massachusetts village where her father has leased a house for the next three years from Cora Hallet (Alexis Smith).  The worst of that attention comes from Cora's son Frank (Martin Sheen), who on Rynn's birthday shows up and tries to get a bit too friendly with her.  She does, however, find a true person to watch over her in Officer Miglioriti (Mort Shuman), who knows all too well Frank's history. 

She is on no better terms with Cora, who is frustrated by Rynn's refusal to bow and scrape when commanded.  This eventually leads to a fatal accident for Cora and, in order to not draw more attention, Rynn tries to take care of the situation herself.  Her attempts are noticed by aspiring magician Mario Podesta (Scott Jacoby), who eventually agrees to help her.  The two soon start a relationship as Mario learns more about Rynn's situation.  However, Frank is still lurking in the background waiting to get his chance at her. 

This movie was controversial due to a sense that Jodie Foster was being exploited.  Where her role in Taxi Driver as an underage prostitute was more disturbing it seemed that certain things - including a brief nude scene - in this movie were purely for prurient interest rather than serving the plot or for artistic reasons.  The nude scene was performed by Foster's older sister Connie, who was of age, but Foster herself was uncomfortable on set as some of the producers were trying to force her to show more skin and seemed interested in attracting an audience of Franks.  

Despite this the movie ended up being an atmospheric slow burn of a film that maintained a disquieting feeling throughout.  Laird Koenig, who had written the novel, adapted it for the screenplay, making Rynn a bit more passive than she is in the book but still maintaining the feeling that something is dreadfully wrong.  This is enhanced by the fact that Martin Sheen plays Frank in a scuzzy way that toes the line of being over the top. 

Jodie Foster has always been a great actress and, even though she admits she was going through the motions, it's hard to tell.  Scott Jacoby also acquits himself well and manages to add quite a bit of depth to Mario, in particular when he has to defend Rynn from Frank despite being weaker.  Nicolas Gessner is also to be commended for making the most of his small budget, with the majority of the action taking place in the house and the twists in the story being revealed at a nice pace.

This is less a horror film, as it is for some reason categorized, and more a suspense thriller, although the thought of being a 13-year-old being terrorized by a pervert is frightening enough.  This could easily have been a way to exploit Foster the same way Brooke Shields was in Baby, but instead, despite the discomfiting elements, reveals more about what a great actor she is.  

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976)
Starring: Jodie Foster, Scott Jacoby, Martin Sheen, Alexis Smith, Mort Shuman
Director: Nicolas Gessner

 

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