Daddy’s Girl

Jody, an eleven-year-old girl, is adopted by Don and Barbara Mitchell and quickly forms a strong attachment to Don. Her affection for him becomes possessive, and she grows wary of anyone else who spends time with him. Barbara notices the rising strain in the family as Jody's behavior becomes more demanding.

Jody's fixation on Don intensifies and she becomes suspicious of others who try to be near him. Her paranoia feeds jealousy and she begins to see others as rivals for her father's attention. The household starts to feel the pressure of her escalating behavior.

Mrs. Hemp suggests Jody may need boarding school placement. Jody tricks her into standing on a chair to reach a high shelf, then pushes the chair away as the bookcase topples. The principal is crushed to death, and Jody later seizes her student file.

After the murder, Jody steals the student file and rips it to shreds in a local park. The act serves to erase evidence of the school's attempt to place her away from Don. It marks a escalation in her crime spree.

Don spoils Jody while Barbara struggles as the breadwinner because Don's toy designs aren't selling. The couple's marriage strains under the weight of Jody's controlling behavior and Don's lack of discipline. Friends advise Barbara to consider divorce to protect herself and Jody.

Jacqueline, Jody's maternal grandmother, visits the house for brunch. Jody poisons her juice with drain cleaner and attempts to coax Jacqueline into drinking by toasting to Don's achievements. Don nearly drinks the tainted juice, but Jody intervenes at the last moment.

Later, Jody invites Jacqueline to play a game of hide-and-seek at Jody's house. She lures Jacqueline upstairs with a pretend cry for help, then shoves her down the stairs, causing a severe fall.

Jacqueline survives the fall but falls into a coma. In a further act of escalation, Jody sabotages Jacqueline's ventilator, leading to Jacqueline's death while she is unconscious.

Jody murders Rachel, Barbara's friend, by beating her to death with a fireplace poker. The killing is motivated by Jody overhearing Rachel advising Barbara to divorce Don.

Jody's adoptive cousin Karen, staying with the family, grows suspicious and starts investigating Jody's past. She uncovers that Jody witnessed the murder of her biological father and was removed from a previous foster home after disturbing signs of neglect and possible abuse.

Karen informs social services about her concerns after piecing together Jody's dangerous history. Authorities begin to take action to protect potential victims and assess the family situation.

In a climactic moment, Jody pushes Barbara over the balcony as Barbara closes in on the truth. Mark Springer, the social worker, arrives at the house, and Jody bludgeons him to death with a meat tenderizing mallet, attempting to frame Karen for the crime.

Don returns from a toy convention with news of a lucrative sale, only to find the aftermath: Springer dead and Barbara injured. The shocking discovery forces him to confront the reality of Jody's actions and the danger she poses.

Barbara finally tells Don everything about Jody's crimes, breaking his faith in his adopted daughter. Jody cries, pleading for love, but Don refuses to comfort her as law and justice seem imminent. Police sirens begin to rise in the background, hinting at her potential arrest or institutionalization.