Trivia / The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane

• Executive Meddling: Jodie Foster went on record as saying one of the producers on this film was "nuts", explaining that he wanted her to show more skin and she refused. Foster had a terrible time with the sexual scene upstairs with Mario. Although her older sister did the shot, Foster was very upset that viewers would think this was her and fought and cried with the producers, to no avail.
• Informed Judaism: It's established in the novel that both Rynn and her father are Jewish, but the only reference in the film is a nasty, snide remark Cora makes about the wine that "you people" drink. Other than that, Rynn is not shown to be observant.
• No Animals Were Harmed: The hamster Frank Hallet throws into the fire was a real hamster...albeit a dead, frozen one acquired from a hospital. Nevertheless, Foster was extremely upset and cried during the scene where it was "killed". (In a happier note, the living Gordon the Hamster was adopted by the set designer after filming.)
• Old Shame: Jodie Foster isn't too fond of this film. She particularly disliked the scenes with the dead hamster and the scene in which she appears to be nude. (The nude scene was actually performed by her older sister, but Foster was mortified that people might think it was her.)
• Real-Life Relative: Because Jodie Foster was under legal age at the time, her older sister Connie stood in for her in the sex scene, which featured a bare butt, most of a side boob, and a bad wig.
• Reality Subtext: The film opens with Rynn celebrating her thirteenth birthday; Jodie Foster actually did celebrate her thirteenth birthday about five days into filming.

---