La muchacha del sendero

Unique suspense film made in Canada in the mid-1970s. It's a shame that no one has ever really noticed this little film. Well, TBS sure did and I first watched it on there in 1987 or 1988. Since, I have found it in a couple of video stores and eventually taped it off of TBS in 1990 or 1991. Nonetheless, it is a truly wonderful thriller featuring a spectacular performance from a young, gifted Foster. Sheen and Smith are quite nasty as her enemies, and Shuman and Jacoby are good as her friends. Altogether, a remarkable suspense film that has not received the praise it deserves.

Even though I have heard and read about this movie for over 20 years, I never actually saw it until the newly released widescreen DVD. THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE is one of the best written and well acted films I have ever seen!! Although you will most likely find this title in the "horror" section at your video store, it is a solid mystery / suspense story. I have to say I was so impressed with the intelligent screenplay that I never lost interest even for a minute. The fact that the film is rated PG should not let that sway you either. There are some dark, chilling moments and innuendo that would probably gain the film an R rating today. By the way this DVD is the European cut which has a few moments absent from most U.S. prints! Also the soundtrack contains some funky heavy bass driven music that totally reminded me of Goblin! One of my greatest pleasures in life is to discover or re-discover old movies through the magic of DVD. Thank you MGM for making this title available!

New to a seaside village, a young girl and her poet father seem to live an isolated existence, until curious neighbors get nosy and always seem to find the fiercely independent girl on her own... Unwisely advertised as a horror movie, "Little Girl" is instead an amazing psychological thriller, rich with atmosphere and featuring a lead performance by Jodie Foster that is deft and incredibly assured. The sequence where Foster, troubled by the sickness of a friend, eats alone at a hamburger counter (actually, she hasn't touched her food), then wanders down the street studded with marquee lights has to be one of the most beautiful Foster moments put on film. Well-directed and written, the movie is very cognizant of the way adults condescend to or ignore children, and allows leading character Rynn to use her intelligence as a tool--and maybe a weapon as well. Those looking for slasher-type jolts may be disappointed with the picture; it's more subtle than something like "Halloween", creating suspense out of tension and mood instead of outré violence. Foster was at a personal peak at this time in the movies, having just completed "Taxi Driver" and "Bugsy Malone". This isn't the harrowing character study of "Taxi Driver", but it is a remarkable portrait of a terribly uncommon child dealing with very grown-up issues. Due out on DVD in October 2005.

I could rate this movie a 9 or a 4, or something in between. It's very, very difficult to decide. What a strange movie! From the first to the last minute There is always a dark, bizarre, disturbing air. The plot is strange, but it grips you. The performances are spectacular. Jodie Foster and Martin Sheen are Amazing, really. But it's definitely not the kind of movie I would recommend to anyone, so I leave the warning that, in order to enjoy the movie, you have to be open-minded to something strange and disturbing. I repeat: it could be evaluated with a 4 or a 9, depending on the mood of the viewer.

Great Suspense and Atmosphere. This movie instantly became one of my all-time favorites and is difficult to describe without giving too much away. More than most movies I can remember, reading too many comments about it's content beforehand can detract from the viewing experience (and a great one at that!) and ruin the suspense. I will try not to give too much about the film away beforehand.

First of all, I loved the production quality, atmosphere and locale. It would be a great movie to see on Halloween night for example, at least in my opinion. It really can be watched anytime however and will be just as great. The acting was high quality, all the way around but especially with Jodie Foster and Martin Sheen and the direction and score are excellent as well.

I had a problem with the plausibility of Jodie Foster's character behaving essentially as an adult. It was a little tough for me to buy into a 13 (or newly turned 14 year old) cooking gourmet meals, serving fine wines, listening to Chopin and generally acting much older than her chronological age.

Even taking into consideration the events in her life which apparently had shaped her personality, she seemed too mature for her age. If you put that concern aside however and accept it as a given premise of the movie you can sit back and enjoy the fun of trying to figure out what's going on.

And trying to figure out what's going on really *is* fun in this movie. Figuring out what's going on with her mysterious father is enough to keep you occupied in itself (if you think you've figured out what's going on with him you will find later that you probably haven't) and that's only one aspect of this complex scenario.

I hate when movies this good are not in general circulation any longer. Brian de Palma's "Sisters" and many other excellent movies also fall into this category. I can't figure out why studios can't figure out ways to continue to make them available to the public, after all...they went to the trouble to make them in the first place.

If you do get a chance to see "Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane" however, jump at it. You aren't likely to be disappointed.