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?

[–] sloopydrew 11 years ago

Good question!

I just thought it was a way-too-convenient plot device that she somehow figured out that the pervert guy would insist on drinking from her cup. But when you point out the "I thought I did" line, I am wondering if she was indeed getting ready to kill herself. Weird.

I hope someone else who may know her intent from the book, or whatever, answers your question.

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[–] WishfulDreamer 11 years ago

This is by far the most popular question asked about the movie. I have read the novel and seen the movie numerous times, and my interpretation is that she counts on Mr. Hallet switching cups. I believe that if he had not, she wouldn't have sipped the tea at all. I believe Rynn was far too resourceful and clever to just give up so easily.

The "I thought I did" line does support the suicide theory to a degree, but I think Rynn also could have just been responding to Hallet's question and fearful at the same time-- because if her plot to have him switch cups failed, the only options were to submit to his sexual demands or have him go to the police. In the book, I believe Rynn would have been more fearful about the police being summoned because she deliberately killed Mrs. Hallet rather than the death being accidental as in the movie. For all we see of Rynn and her determination, I just don't see her giving in and taking her own life. I think if all else failed, she may have resorted to other tactics to taking down Mr. Hallet before he could actually attack her. Finally, Rynn had Mario, who she loved, in the hospital on the mend. This is another thing that makes me believe she never would have resorted to drinking the poisoned tea.

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[–] novastar_6 11 years ago

It NEVER occurred to me that she would poison herself. What sense did that make? All she had to do was poison Hallet and then she'd be fine. He's her only problem now that his mother's out of the way, and HER mother, and Migloretti would no longer be returning though he had the potential to be as much help as hinder, and Mario was expected to recover, why would she kill herself and leave him? Now, she already went through that situation with Mario thinking she had poisoned his tea, so she could anticipate that Hallet would wonder the same thing, so it'd be easy for her to decide to poison one cup and count on a switch.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] aka-tus 11 years ago

i just re-watched this, and i think she had intended suicide. (i never read the book, so i'm basing this solely on the film, and this is just my opinion.)

she was very distraught after visiting mario in the hospital, going so far as to say that she couldn't keep up her charade without him. and then when pervy frank shows up and blackmails her, i think she just gave up. she hadn't murdered anyone (both her mother and mrs. hallet were unintentional and accidental), so i doubt if she would just plan to kill frank. when he decides to switch cups, i think she just rationalized it away as something that he did, not her. plus, i think it works better that way plotwise.

again, just my opinion. :)

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[–] megArnold 9 years ago

She says that the doctors told her that Mario would survive, so that's out of the equation.

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[–] Tekawitha 11 years ago

i think she read him as someone who would switch cups...he knew she had killed one person at least, and was on guard. molesters spend as much time plannig not getting caught as in planning who to catch....believe me, i was a victim for 8 years

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[–] novastar_6 11 years ago

I agree, I think she read him that way too, because we know and she knows he was NOT a very trusting person.

[–] dacaria-1 10 years ago

Frank was watching her and Rynn knew he would switch cups, b/c just like Rynn, Frank was suspicious of everyone. Frank probably thought she spit in it or something. He never suspected it was poisoned. All through the movie, it was pounded into the viewer's head that Rynn was brilliant, she never intended to kill herself, the poison was for Frank.

[–] transmentalist 9 years ago

Yeah it's an interesting take, but Foster's performance doesn't seem to support it.

Rynn didn't act different or out of character, e.g., showing signs of despair or helplessness while alone in the kitchen. She seemed as methodical and thoughtful as ever. The "I thought I did" line was more for Frank's benefit, to make him think he was in control.

Also, I don't think she absolutely counted on him switching cups; she just hoped he would. If he hadn't, she'd have likely spilled hers "by accident" and found some other way to get rid of him.

[–] bluemagicmist 7 years ago

Frank was watching her and Rynn knew he would switch cups, b/c just like Rynn, Frank was suspicious of everyone. Frank probably thought she spit in it or something. He never suspected it was poisoned. All through the movie, it was pounded into the viewer's head that Rynn was brilliant, she never intended to kill herself, the poison was for Frank.

I'm with you. Rynn was always 2 steps ahead,she's not only intelligent but streetwise too. She knew Frank's weaknesses, he's a coward and a predator, but she turned the tables on him which was quite satisfying to watch, not that I'm into murdering people.


[–] wreckage3001 7 years ago

Sorry but she's never '2 steps ahead'. One at most. In fact they are both aware of each others quite clear intellect. And that was from the night they 1st met. For example watch again Hallet's visit when she and Mario had dinner. She points at the jelly jars, still there. Wow, clever girl cares about 'evidence' you might think. But not for second Hallet gets deflected or impressed, in the blink of an eye he replies "means nothing!" Maybe watch three or four times and you realize it feels almost as if he waited exactly for that fake proof, prepared. This happens more time in the film. It's a bit like a game of tennis. Well, in the end it's her match point though.

[–] hasheart 9 years ago

In my opinion, she was planning on killing Frank all along . She was a very smart and clever girl and she knew how to surive.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] tobias_kl 8 years ago

I just find it hard to believe that she would have known he would insist on changing cups.

She didn't know that he would switch the cups but she guessed and hoped that he would. I never thought of suicide.

[–] gregrchstr 8 years ago

She meant to kill him. I'm sure she would have come up with a reason for not drinking or would have "accidently" spilled her cup if the switch hadn't been made.

[–] wreckage3001 8 years ago

I think at least since the DVD came out there is a minor goof visible, but the Blu-ray has it even clearer. Watch the little brown bottle. Due to humidity pretty much all of the 'poison' sticks inside. And the milligram that make it into the cup are far from being a LD50 dose. Actually Hallet, when he stops coughing and groping, gets unconscious at worst. While a lethal dose in a cup of tea, even with lots of sugar and almond cookies, would always smell and taste metallic, unlikely anyone takes a 2nd sip...Yes that's a funny mix of film mistake and fiction. But isn't 'she meant to kill him' similar? We can't prove that, it's just we kind of autocomplete what we think must be her personality. From our reality, where a fictious person gives a certain impression, to a character we know nothing about except what's on the screen.

[–] joannabaroncelli 8 years ago

I always wondered that after Hallet has started gasping and coughing that he reaches up and touches Rynn's hair and notes how beautiful and shiny it is. He obviously was suspicious of her trying to tamper with the tea which was why he had insisted on switching cups. Once he started to react wouldn't he figure out that she must have poisoned it so why would he act so lovingly toward her?

[–] wreckage3001 8 years ago

The short version must be like this: It's not only the 'tea ceremony' which has a Sphinx like moment of Rynn, visually. From here leads a path to another mantic character of mythic fauna, the Siren. Hallet, that poor nutcase, in his world, he never really had an option to not follow Rynn's temptations. From the first meeting he likely had well thought about their yuck 'very good friends' relation. Later it becomes obvious he was even more attracted when he found out Rynn might be involved in his mother's disappearance.
And so you can try to sense that particular moment, where it seems Hallet doesn't care anymore what happens next, what that almond taste really means, if cups better not had been switched...Even when he realizes he's about to die, he still surrenders to her, happily. What a peaceful death for such an a*

[–] goldenagefilmstv (178) a year ago

@joannabaroncelli

Hallet was never "loving" toward her, only physically attracted. My impression was that he was beginning to lose consciousness at that point, so he had simply forgotten to act domineering. She takes no further action against him because none was needed. He was starting to slip away, and she could see that. Considering what a danger he was to her, she would have made *certain* to use a lethal dose of poison!

[–] patdwyer4 8 years ago

I've studied the book many times over forty years. I believe the phone call she gets from Officer Miglioriti is to tell her that Mario has died. She lies to Hallet, telling him it's about the turkey. She poisons her own tea; but he switches it. So she watches him die. What she does next, who knows?

That is the way I've always seen it.

[–] rndgurl-971-654277 8 years ago

That's an interesting way to look at it.. I have read the book and I have seen the movie and never thought of that angle.. could be true...

[–] Jackie68 8 years ago

Mario probably gave her the idea after the earlier scene when he was wary about drinking the tea after he knew she'd killed her mother that way. Most people would have been suspicious if they thought she was a killer.

[–] Toshi51 7 years ago

That is about how I see it. Shrewd reversal of the cups to outwit her opponent.

[–] cookieman108 8 years ago

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?

I see it this way...if she meant to kill herself then I think she would have just put the poison in the teapot rather than mess around with the cups. That way she could take care of herself and the pervy creep.

No, I think she meant to take care of Hallet and she was canny enough to know he'd be suspicious and switch the cups which is why she put the poisoned cup in front of herself.

[–] rickfoley247 8 years ago

You make an excellent point I can see at this point that she might consider suicide instead of having to live with constant abuse from Martin Sheen however I agree she would have just put the poison in the pot and killed them both.