MovieChat Forums > The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1977) Discussion > The ending (spoilers, obviously)

The ending (spoilers, obviously)

posted 11 years ago by carriearoberson
31 replies | jump to latest

I just watched this on Netflix, I've never read the book since I've never heard of it before.

Anyway, at the end of the movie when Rynn poisons the tea, do you think she really intended to kill herself or was she planning to kill Frank Hallet all along? She places the clean cup of tea in front of him, but hesitates when it comes to taking a drink from her own cup and just stares at it, though I can't decide if this is Rynn contemplating a minute plan, mentally preparing herself for her death or waiting for Mr. Hallet to drink from her cup.

Earlier in the kitchen when he says "you know how to survive, don't you?" And she replies "I thought I did", this made me think that maybe she really has given up. Her three-year plan has been completely changed and she's gotten in over her head with seemingly no way out.

What do you think?

[–] bingoboss 8 years ago

I've only watched the movie, never read the book. (When I saw this film on TV as a kid, I was totally riveted.)

Rynn was smart, and a survivor. Fear had sharpened her senses & intelligence even more in the face of her hunter. She read him, and knew beforehand that he would switch the cups.

That's my interpretation, and I'm sticking to it ... even though I appreciate that people have good arguments to the contrary.

[–] daverindone 8 years ago

Yours was really the only answer I took to wrap up the story (that she had simply outplayed the sleazy Hallet). The other option would be death in order to escape a sentence of oncoming years of sexual abuse.

[–] nothatinterested (1) 4 years ago

I think maybe she thought that, whoever drank the poisoned tea, either way would be a way out - a way to escape from a dire situation. I don't think she wanted to drink it herself, but she may have done so, as a last resort.
I am now thinking back through the film and seeing every time she offered somebody tea (and she was persistent!) in a totally different, slightly murderous light... Yikes.

[–] nmitrione (293) 3 years ago

I took it that she felt trapped and was planning to take her own life. While Frank was a creep, Rynn was not a murderer. She did not know it would kill her Mom and Frank's mother was an accident.

[–] TroyB (164) 3 years ago

She wanted Frank dead. She counted on him taking a chance on drinking his own cup, switching cups, or drinking hers after finishing his own. No way she was gonna take a sip. Too many people over thinking this scene.