Fincher explains in the commentary for the film that Sarah is pushing at the boundaries of authority, which is pretty normal for a 12yr old.
People seemed to really react about Sarah’s behavior in the film. I think it is because of riding the razor scooter in the house and undermining her mother in front of strangers. For most of us, that is unthinkable, haha.
But I think the Jodie Foster character isn’t a disciplinarian. Indulges Sarah. And Sarah is a smart girl anyway. That all results in a bit of “freshness,” as people used to say.
I think what really “annoyed” people about Sarah was at the time audiences sometimes had trouble telling if the character was a boy or girl. A lot of people thought she was a boy (regardless of the name). I think that unconsciously put a lot of people off. I think it just made people uncomfortable not being sure who they were engaging with.
Maybe I’m wrong. Kristen Stewert also played Sarah with a near constant look of antagonism on her face, haha. I suspect that alone makes a lot of people want to smack her for being a brat.
Kristen Stewert did such a good job on that movie. People forget what a good actress she is.
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