Overrated and overhyped

Load of rubbish!!

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

The 1970s is a decade chock-full of interesting and long-forgotten American and Canadian movies, many of them made for television, some not. THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE is such a film, an astonishing tour-de-force for a youthful Jodie Foster, cementing her shocking role in TAXI DRIVER. She plays a weird and friendless 13-year-old who lives alone in a house; there's some mystery surrounding the fate of her parents which comes to light as the story goes on. This is set in a single room for the most part and feels like it was adapted from a play, although it's actually taken from a novel. It's a psychological thriller which remains thoroughly interesting thanks to strong writing and interesting, unique characters. Martin Sheen plays a completely sleazy character and there are a few shocking moments here and there, but for the most part this is slow-paced and almost surreal at times. It's certainly a film that leaves an impression and is ripe for re-discovery by modern viewers.

(Credit to acidxian)Rynn Jacobs is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives in a secluded house that she and her father have rented in a quiet seaside community. But whenever anybody from the town tries to satisfy their curiosity, Rynn's father is never around, and it seems as if the girl is all alone. Rynn's resourcefulness is put to the test as several people try to find out what she might be hiding, including the snobby landlady and her sleazy son. This was a very intriguing film. It slowly creeps up on you and manages to get under your skin. It's a great psychological thriller with many great surprises. You know something isn't right with Rynn, but Jodie Foster manages to make you care about her plight anyways. Despite that she had obvious problems, I still empathized with her. That's talent! Martin Sheen is excellent as the scumbag. I hated him for who he was. He creeped me out on several occasions with his inappropriate behavior. Scott Jacoby is entertaining as the friend Mario. I wouldn't call this a "true" horror film. It's a great movie nonetheless. It's a true gem.8/10

Stilted, unnatural acting, something of an amateur community theatre calibre.A tedious and unbelievable tale, any hint of mystery and macabre is quickly squashed by boredom and ill-chosen "tell me" rather than "show me" elements in a script that moves along with all the grace and speed of a flat tire.Crap acting, lazy direction, obnoxious score, lacklustre lighting, poorly constructed story, badly written script ( with an unnecessarily disturbing implication of animal torture and murder, to which the characters don't have any emotional reaction whatsoever) round out this pitiful disappointment into one of the worst movies I've ever sat through. How this ever managed to have a 7-star rating on IMDb is beyond me.This horrendous flop of a film would better serve as kindling. Don't waste your time.(The only thing that kept me from shutting it off, 30 minutes in, is a personal goal to see all of Foster's films... no cheats. So far, this is the only one that has been painfully bad.)

Foster was just about the same age as the girl she plays in this film; that is why they used a body double for the nude scene. Supposedly, it was promoted as a horror film, but I see it more as a girl growing up and having to deal with thins on her own.It's not Psycho, even though the story is similar, as director Nicolas Gessner is no Hitchcock. It's still worthwhile, mainly because of Foster. You really see a foretelling of her abilities as she grows into one of the greatest actresses of all times. Maybe Foster doesn't like this particular film, but she is definitely an actress on the rise here.Martin Sheen plays a really creepy, sadistic pedophile, but he'll get hid just desserts, now, won't he. If it weren't for the pedophilia, maybe this film would have gotten more recognition. After all, it did star the girl who had just been nominated for an Oscar for Taxi Driver.Mort Shuman and Scott Jacoby provided excellent support.