Welcome to the Dollhouse Movie Review

This hilarious view of junior high as seen by 11-year-old Dawn Wiener is Todd Solondz’ second film. (His first, 1989's Fear, Anxiety and Depression starring himself and Stanley Tucci, was generally panned for being unduly influenced by Woody Allen.) So we don't need to concern ourselves here with the Second Film Syndrome experienced by hot (overpraised) newcomers. Solondz’ identification with the plight of his young heroine is total and so is ours. Dawn wears glasses and hair balls and is outshone in every way by her nauseatingly precious little sister, who whirls around in a ballerina costume. When Dawn refuses to apologize to the sister for something or other, her parents order her to remain at the table until she does. The soundtrack goes into a rebellious riff; hours later, Dawn is still sitting there. Then Dawn gets a crush on one of her older brother's no-good study partners (we know he's no good, because we catch him stealing when he comes to the house), and her life is transformed. She grills a former girlfriend of this guy, and when she discovers that they only did things to each other with their fingers, Dawn stares at her own fingers in wonder. It's an 11-year-old moment, something an older, superficially stunning adolescent would never be able to carry off. Dawn's world is dark, miserable, and seemingly endless. We know it isn't, but she doesn't, and Todd Solondz keeps the focus on Dawn's perceptions of events, where it belongs. It is this innocence of the vast future beyond junior high school that distinguishes Welcome to the Dollhouse from other coming-of-age stories about children. What 11-year old girl is blessed with ironic detachment, anyway?

1995 (R) 87m/C Heather Matarazzo, Brendan Sexton III, Daria Kalinina, Matthew Faber, Angela Pietropinto, Eric Mabius; D: Todd Solondz; W: Todd Solondz; C: Randy Drummond; M: Jill Wisoff. Independent Spirit Awards ‘97: Debut Performance (Matarazzo); Sundance Film Festival ‘96: Grand Jury Prize; Nominations: Independent Spirit Awards ‘97: Best Director (Solondz), Best Film, Best Supporting Actor (Faber), Debut Performance (Sexton). VHS, LV, Closed Caption