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The Girl Next Door (2007 film)
Encyclopedia
The Girl Next Door is a 2007 horror film adaptation of the 1989 novel of the same name
by Jack Ketchum
. The film is loosely based on true events surrounding the torture and murder of Sylvia Likens
by Gertrude Baniszewski
during the summer of 1965.
David, a young boy living in 1950's Indiana, is neighbor to the Chandlers. When Meg arrives, he is instantly infatuated, attracted by her innocence. Aunt Ruth allows the children of the neighborhood to travel freely in and out of her house, offering them beer and cigarettes. Meg quickly becomes a target to Ruth, who belittles her, making suggestions that she is a whore, and starves her. One day David arrives at the house to find Meg's cousins tickling her. She knocks Ralphie to the floor, wanting him to back off, and runs from the room. Ruth punishes Susan for Meg's actions, as Meg's cousins hold her back. Ruth then takes the ring that Meg wears around her neck, which belonged to her mother.
A few days later, Meg stops a policeman and tells him what happened. As punishment, Ruth, her children and their friends tie Meg in the cellar with her hands over her head. They play a bizarre game of "confession," and when Meg has nothing to confess, she is stripped naked. They gag her and leave her there. That night, the boys sneak back downstairs, giving her water. They agree to loosen her bindings, but only if she lets them touch her. She refuses, but David loosens them anyway.
A while later, Meg is untied but refuses to eat, claiming that her mouth is too dry from dehydration
. Ruth again punishes Susan for Meg's disobedience. The kids of the town treat her like a play thing, beating, cutting and burning her. David tries to tell his parents, but can't.
Police Officer Jennings (Kevin Chamberlin) eventually arrive at the house, having had their suspicions raised after a local boy talked to them. However, they leave finding nothing. David decides that it is time for Meg to escape, and unties her, promising her he will leave her money in the forest for her to run away with.
The next day, David descends into the cellar to find Meg tied to the bed, being raped by Willie. David tries to leave but Donny stops him. Donny steps forward, wanting to rape Meg as well, but Ruth does not want him to, considering it to be incest
to have sex with her so soon after his brother. Ruth instead offers Eddie or David to take a turn with her. When David declines, Ruth heats a needle and carves a message on Meg's stomach, telling her that now she will never be able to be with a man. Ruth then decides that they should make Meg 'perfect' by giving her a clitorectomy, thus "destroying her desire for men forever." At this, David runs for the door, planning to escape and tell somebody. Several of the boys chase him, stopping him on the stairs. As one holds a knife to his neck, Ruth tells the boys to tie him up and say they'll "do something about him later" and one of the boys kicks him in the groin before turning their attention back to Meg. Bound on the floor, he can only watch helplessly as Meg is mutilated with a blowtorch.
The next morning David awakes still on the cellar floor. He frees himself from his bindings, and finds Susan sitting with an unconscious Meg. Susan tells David that Meg did not escape the night that he untied her because she was caught trying to take Susan with her. Although David's plan was to come back for Susan later, Susan had told Meg that Ruth has been touching her even to the extent of making her bleed, so Meg didn't want to leave her behind. Susan then insists that Meg should have just gone without her but David tells Susan everything was going to be alright.
David is afraid that Meg won't survive much longer without help, so he lights a fire in the cellar. As the smoke rises, Ruth enters the room and is beaten to death by David with Susan's crutch. Jennings arrives, taking Susan from the room and going for help. David retrieves Meg's mother's ring from Ruth, and gives it to her before she finally dies her body finally succumbing to its wounds.
As an adult, David reflects on how his past still haunts him to his present day, though as Meg taught him, "It's what you do last that really counts."
, it currently holds a 67% "Fresh" rating. In contrast, Metacritic
assigns it a 29.
Stephen King
said about the movie, "The first authentically shocking American film I've seen since Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
over 20 years ago. If you are easily disturbed, you should not watch this movie. If, on the other hand, you are prepared for a long look into hell, suburban style, The Girl Next Door will not disappoint. This is the dark-side-of-the-moon version of Stand By Me
."
, which leans more in the direction of a documentary telling of the Likens story was scheduled for release at roughly the same time, but not released until a Showtime premiere in mid-2008.
The Girl Next Door (novel)
The Girl Next Door was written by author Jack Ketchum in 1989. It is loosely based on the true story of the murder of Sylvia Likens in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1965.-Synopsis:...
by Jack Ketchum
Jack Ketchum
Jack Ketchum is the pseudonym for American author Dallas Mayr . He is the recipient of four Bram Stoker Awards and three further nominations. Many of his novels have been adapted to film, including The Girl Next Door and Red...
. The film is loosely based on true events surrounding the torture and murder of Sylvia Likens
Sylvia Likens
Sylvia Marie Likens was an American murder victim from Indiana. She was tortured to death by Gertrude Baniszewski , Gertrude's children, and other young people from their neighborhood...
by Gertrude Baniszewski
Gertrude Baniszewski
Gertrude Nadine Baniszewski , also known as Gertrude Wright and Nadine van Fossan, was an Indiana divorcée who, with the aid of most of her own children and neighborhood children, such as Ricky Hobbs and Coy Hubbard, oversaw and facilitated the prolonged torture, mutilation, and eventual murder of...
during the summer of 1965.
Plot
The film is set in 1958 and follows the story of two adolescent girls, Meg (Blythe Auffarth) and Susan (Madeline Taylor) who, upon losing their parents in an accident, are sent to live with their Aunt Ruth (Blanche Baker), a sadistic psychopath, and their three cousins, Willie (Graham Patrick Martin), Ralphie (Austin Williams) and Donny (Benjamin Ross Kaplan).David, a young boy living in 1950's Indiana, is neighbor to the Chandlers. When Meg arrives, he is instantly infatuated, attracted by her innocence. Aunt Ruth allows the children of the neighborhood to travel freely in and out of her house, offering them beer and cigarettes. Meg quickly becomes a target to Ruth, who belittles her, making suggestions that she is a whore, and starves her. One day David arrives at the house to find Meg's cousins tickling her. She knocks Ralphie to the floor, wanting him to back off, and runs from the room. Ruth punishes Susan for Meg's actions, as Meg's cousins hold her back. Ruth then takes the ring that Meg wears around her neck, which belonged to her mother.
A few days later, Meg stops a policeman and tells him what happened. As punishment, Ruth, her children and their friends tie Meg in the cellar with her hands over her head. They play a bizarre game of "confession," and when Meg has nothing to confess, she is stripped naked. They gag her and leave her there. That night, the boys sneak back downstairs, giving her water. They agree to loosen her bindings, but only if she lets them touch her. She refuses, but David loosens them anyway.
A while later, Meg is untied but refuses to eat, claiming that her mouth is too dry from dehydration
Dehydration
In physiology and medicine, dehydration is defined as the excessive loss of body fluid. It is literally the removal of water from an object; however, in physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an organism...
. Ruth again punishes Susan for Meg's disobedience. The kids of the town treat her like a play thing, beating, cutting and burning her. David tries to tell his parents, but can't.
Police Officer Jennings (Kevin Chamberlin) eventually arrive at the house, having had their suspicions raised after a local boy talked to them. However, they leave finding nothing. David decides that it is time for Meg to escape, and unties her, promising her he will leave her money in the forest for her to run away with.
The next day, David descends into the cellar to find Meg tied to the bed, being raped by Willie. David tries to leave but Donny stops him. Donny steps forward, wanting to rape Meg as well, but Ruth does not want him to, considering it to be incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
to have sex with her so soon after his brother. Ruth instead offers Eddie or David to take a turn with her. When David declines, Ruth heats a needle and carves a message on Meg's stomach, telling her that now she will never be able to be with a man. Ruth then decides that they should make Meg 'perfect' by giving her a clitorectomy, thus "destroying her desire for men forever." At this, David runs for the door, planning to escape and tell somebody. Several of the boys chase him, stopping him on the stairs. As one holds a knife to his neck, Ruth tells the boys to tie him up and say they'll "do something about him later" and one of the boys kicks him in the groin before turning their attention back to Meg. Bound on the floor, he can only watch helplessly as Meg is mutilated with a blowtorch.
The next morning David awakes still on the cellar floor. He frees himself from his bindings, and finds Susan sitting with an unconscious Meg. Susan tells David that Meg did not escape the night that he untied her because she was caught trying to take Susan with her. Although David's plan was to come back for Susan later, Susan had told Meg that Ruth has been touching her even to the extent of making her bleed, so Meg didn't want to leave her behind. Susan then insists that Meg should have just gone without her but David tells Susan everything was going to be alright.
David is afraid that Meg won't survive much longer without help, so he lights a fire in the cellar. As the smoke rises, Ruth enters the room and is beaten to death by David with Susan's crutch. Jennings arrives, taking Susan from the room and going for help. David retrieves Meg's mother's ring from Ruth, and gives it to her before she finally dies her body finally succumbing to its wounds.
As an adult, David reflects on how his past still haunts him to his present day, though as Meg taught him, "It's what you do last that really counts."
Cast
- Daniel MancheDaniel MancheDaniel Manche is a child actor from Alabama who moved to New York City, and currently lives in North Jersey. He portrayed the role of J.J...
as David Moran - Blythe AuffarthBlythe AuffarthBlythe Auffarth is an American actress, perhaps best known for starring in The Girl Next Door.-Filmography:-TV Filmography:-Video Game Filmography:-External links:...
as Meg Loughlin - Blanche BakerBlanche Baker-Personal life:Born Blanche Garfein in New York City, she is the daughter of actress Carroll Baker and director Jack Garfein. She attended Wellesley College from 1974 until 1976.-Career:...
as Ruth Chandler - Madeline TaylorMadeline TaylorMadeline Taylor, is an American actress. Her first appearance was in The Girl Next Door, based on the novel by Jack Ketchum and a story based on Sylvia Likens. She also appeared in a television miniseries called John Adams as Nabby Adams and appeared in a January 2008 episode of Law and Order:...
as Susan Loughlin - Benjamin Ross Kaplan as Donny Chandler
- Graham Patrick MartinGraham Patrick MartinGraham Patrick Martin is an American film and television actor. He played the older son of Bill Engvall in the comedy The Bill Engvall Show, which played from 2007-2009. He played Willie Chandler, Jr., in Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door and also appeared in an episode of Law and Order:...
as Willie Chandler, Jr. - Austin WilliamsAustin WilliamsAustin Williams is an American soap opera actor. In 2005, Austin was cast in the film The Good Shepherd, which starred Matt Damon, as the young version of Damon's character Edward Wilson...
as Ralphie "Woofer" Chandler - Kevin ChamberlinKevin Chamberlin- Life :Chamberlin was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and raised in Moorestown Township, New Jersey, moving there as a nine-year old. Chamberlin graduated from Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting.- Career :...
as Officer Jennings - Dean Faulkenberry as Kenny
- Gabrielle Howarth as Cheryl Robinson
- Spenser Leigh as Denise Crocker
- Grant ShowGrant ShowGrant Alan Show is an American actor best known for his role on Melrose Place as Jake Hanson, which he played from 1992 to 1997.-Early life:...
as Mr. Moran - Catherine Mary StewartCatherine Mary StewartCatherine Mary Stewart is a Canadian actress. Her first notable role was as Kayla Brady on the soap opera Days of our Lives from 1981 to 1983...
as Mrs. Moran - Peter SticklesPeter SticklesPeter Stickles is an American actor. He is best known for his role as the voyeuristic Caleb in the John Cameron Mitchell film Shortbus and as Damian, leader of a gay vampire cult, in the here! original series The Lair.-Career:...
as EMT - Michael ZegenMichael ZegenMichael Zegen is an American actor, best known for his role as probie firefighter "Damien Keefe" on the FX Network television drama Rescue Me, as well as his recurring role as "Dwight the Troubled Teen" on over 50 episodes of the Late Show with David Letterman...
as Eddie - William AthertonWilliam AthertonWilliam Atherton , born William Atherton Knight II, is an American film, stage and television actor.-Early life:Atherton was born in Orange, Connecticut, the son of Roby and Robert Atherton Knight...
as Adult David Moran - Jennifer AlexanderJennifer AlexanderJennifer Carrie Alexander was a Canadian ballet dancer....
as Girl at concession stand - Jack KetchumJack KetchumJack Ketchum is the pseudonym for American author Dallas Mayr . He is the recipient of four Bram Stoker Awards and three further nominations. Many of his novels have been adapted to film, including The Girl Next Door and Red...
as Carnival worker - Mark MargolisMark MargolisMark Margolis is an American actor who has been making films since 1976.Margolis went to Temple University briefly before moving to New York City, where he studied drama with Stella Adler and at the Actors Studio...
as Bum hit by car
Differences from the novel
- During the branding scene in the novel, the children take turns putting a letter on Meg's body.
- During the rape scene in the novel, it is Donny who is raping Meg, not Willie Jr.
- At the end of the novel when David makes his stand, he beats the children that enter the basement with Susan's crutch, and he pushes Ruth down the stairs killing her. In the movie, he beats Ruth over the head, killing her.
- At the end of the novel, David gives Meg's mother's ring to Susan.
- An intimate scene of forgiveness takes place at the end of the film between David and Meg that is present in the book. Meg tells him, "It's what you do last that really counts."
Reception
Reviews from critics were generally positive. On Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, it currently holds a 67% "Fresh" rating. In contrast, Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
assigns it a 29.
Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
said about the movie, "The first authentically shocking American film I've seen since Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a 1986 crime horror film directed and co-written by John McNaughton about the random crime spree of a serial killer who seemingly operates with impunity. It stars Michael Rooker as the nomadic killer Henry, Tom Towles as Otis, a prison buddy with whom Henry is...
over 20 years ago. If you are easily disturbed, you should not watch this movie. If, on the other hand, you are prepared for a long look into hell, suburban style, The Girl Next Door will not disappoint. This is the dark-side-of-the-moon version of Stand By Me
Stand by Me (film)
Stand by Me is a 1986 American drama film directed by Rob Reiner. Based on the novella The Body by Stephen King, the film takes its title from the Ben E. King song of the same name, which plays over the end credits.-Plot:...
."
See also
An American CrimeAn American Crime
An American Crime is a 2007 American crime-drama film starring Ellen Page and Catherine Keener. The film is based on the true story of the torture and murder of Sylvia Likens by Indianapolis housewife Gertrude Baniszewski...
, which leans more in the direction of a documentary telling of the Likens story was scheduled for release at roughly the same time, but not released until a Showtime premiere in mid-2008.