Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)

Director:

Todd Solondz

Writer:

Todd Solondz (written by)

Release Date:

24 May 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Not all girls want to play with dolls.

Plot:

Insightful look at an unattractive 7th grader as she struggles to cope with un-attentive parents, snobbish classmates, a smart older brother, an attractive younger sister, and her own insecurities.

Plot Keywords:

Crush | Nerd | Toilet | Coming Of Age | Gay Slur

Awards:

4 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Heather Matarazzo	...	Dawn Wiener
Victoria Davis	...	Lolita
Christina Brucato	...	Cookie
Christina Vidal	...	Cynthia
Siri Howard	...	Chrissy
Brendan Sexton III	...	Brandon McCarthy (as Brendan Sexton, Jr.)
Telly Pontidis	...	Jed
Herbie Duarte	...	Lance
Scott Coogan	...	Troy
Daria Kalinina	...	Missy Wiener
Matthew Faber	...	Mark Wiener
Josiah Trager	...	Kenny
Ken Leung	...	Barry
Dimitri DeFresco	...	Ralphy (as Dimitri Iervolino)
Rica Martens	...	Mrs. Grissom

Also Known As:

Faggots and Retards (USA) (working title)
Middle Child
Bem-Vindo à Casa de Bonecas (Brazil) [pt]
Bienvenido a la casa de muñecas (Spain) [es]
Bienvenue dans l'âge ingrat (France) [fr]
Fuga dalla scuola media (Italy) [it]
Isten hozott a babaházban (Hungary) [hu]
Mi vida es mi vida (Argentina) [es]
Tervetuloa nukketaloon (Finland) [fi]
Willkommen im Tollhaus (Germany) [de]

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Finland:K-12 | Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Germany:12 (w) | Norway:11 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

West Caldwell, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Suburban Pictures

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the scene where Mrs Grissom accuses Dawn and Brandon of cheating, she says "Brendan" instead of Brandon.

Quotes:

Mary Ellen Moriarty: [applause] Thank you. I am here to talk to you today... about the dangers of talking to strangers. For I, Mary Ellen Moriarty once talked to strangers. And that is how I became the innocent victim of a brutal kidnapping. Almost one year ago, I was a carefree teenager, memorizing my lines for Hello Dolly...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Best! Movies! Ever!: Nerds (#1.20)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Solveig's Song

A painful, yet honest look at adolescence

Do not go into Welcome to the Dollhouse expecting a charming coming-of-age story. Don't expect to have a lot of laughs either. I'd seen this film several times before this viewing, including its original theatrical run, and it was just as cringe-worthy as the first time, if not more so because you know what to expect and find that you are bracing yourself.

Solondz gives us the story of Dawn Weiner, a painfully awkward 13 year old girl who not only has to contend with being ostracized and friendless at school, but is essentially ignored and treated with disdain at home as well. Being the middle child is obviously not the easiest thing to deal with within the family dynamic, but when your older brother is a geeky over achiever and your little sister is a gorgeous ballet-dancing cherub who commands total devotion from her mother, life is generally difficult for Dawn.

Solondz throws in some intriguing plot points that punch up the story and encourage introspection, but while the story and presentation are excellent, the real breakout element of the film is the performance of Heather Matarazzo. It is amazing that she was the same age as her character during filming because the performance, while the right age, exhibits a talent beyond her years. You would be hard pressed to find someone who actually found the torment against her as humorous. Rather, Solondz is so relentless with the abuse that it's almost like picking at a scab. However, in the character of Dawn Weiner, we also see strength and conviction to go along with her vulnerability. It's as if she finally realized and perfected these defense mechanisms simply so she can `survive' junior high school.

Welcome to the Dollhouse is not a feel-good movie by any means. It is a stark and realistic look at adolescence in a way that we don't normally see it – it is not a sunny and idyllic junior high/high school experience, and not every `nerd' is stereotypical, a fact soundly proven by the complexity of the heroine of this great movie.

--Shelly