Folks in North Am of a certain age have every right to be terribly confused by this film's appearance, disappearance and embracing in the UK.

At the time of its release, this film with an entirely American cast, American theme and even American songwriter was not perceived as British in the US. But it didn't do well there theatrically and was largely forgotten.

There was one VHS release a few decades later, and NO DVD release whatsoever.

Meanwhile most Americans who accidentally stumble across this later see it in the light of a later cultural lens, and as a "cult" film rather than as a classic children's movie; hence the online descriptions of it as "positively pedophiliac." ( Not that I have anything against describing the pedophiliac as "positive." )

In the UK its never dropped out of sight. Nary a week goes by without a broadcast on the telly. And its a staple of school stage productions. Go figure for something largely unknown on Jodie Foster's CV in the country of her birth?

Dante