Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)
AKA: –
Directed by: Todd Solondz
Starring: Heather Matarazzo (Dawn), Daria Kalinina (Missy), Matthew Faber (Mark), Brendan Sexton III (Brandon), Eric Mabius (Steve)
Country: United States
Language: English
Runtime: 01:31:31
Genres: Teensploitation, Misery, Siblings-Family, Old-Young
Plot – Spoilers:
Dawn is a 12 year-old, desperate for acceptance. At school she’s regularly picked on, everyone thinks she’s fugly, her mother dotes on her pretty little sister Missy and her brother and Dad barely acknowledge her existence. Though everyone (apart from a boy whom other kids call a faggot) are uniformly uninterested in her, it’s Missy whom Dawn considers direct competition and loathes from the gut.
Dawn is pathetic and obedient at school, while a rebel at home. On the one hand, she stubbornly fights the urge to give in to her mother’s demands in exchange for a piece of dessert, and on the other, she meekly accepts lead bully Brandon’s orders to come on time for a rape session. It’s this dichotomy in Dawn, coupled with her resentment towards Missy that makes Welcome to the Dollhouse a tragicomic masterpiece.
Favorite Scene:
Dawn awkwardly enjoying her crush Steve performing the title track.
Shit movie. Waste my time
This is great, but kinda of dull.
Our main protagonist, Dawn, is kinda of a pituful/lamentable dork (but I still have sympathy for her). Everyone else is wretched : her family is aloof/distant at best, detestable at worst (talking about her mom and Missy), her friend is ,,,, meh, not memorable and her relation w/ Brandon is weird.
Also, the pace is slow at time.
Thought, I really like the”I/We love you, Dawn” scene near the end.
It’s not a movie I’ll recommend, but if you like “Happiness” (1998), give it a shot !!
>:^]
I have had a crush on the woman who played dawn since I was 12. I remember watching this on vhs and getting my first real boner haha
I prefer his later works.. (from Palindromes on)
Fun Fact: this film was originally slated to be called ‘Faggots & Retards’, but was ultimately scrapped due to lack of marketability!
why is this movie so addicting to watch… i mean its depressing af but its one of my favourites…
Dawn is brilliant and very relatebale. Such a wholesome movie at times but boy does it get dark too. Great pick, eum
Kind of an interesting change of pace. I appreciate EUM putting variety on this site. A little something for everyone.
when i grew up i was treated like Dawn. everyone shit on me and in me. i grew up to be a drug addicted whore. i roam around, town to town type stuff. i make good money and i buy good drugs. the world still shits on me and in me. at least now i get paid for it.
If she finally snapped and went on a killing spree I wouldn’t be mad at it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ SOMETHING’S gotta give.
I love this movie. It’s not necessarily disturbing, but some of it is really funny. Has been a favorite of mine for decades.
one of my favorite movies!
my first viewing of this movie, never saw childhood so honestly on screen before
‘A piece of dessert’
I think you meant…
Aussie Muriel (Toni Collette)
@Admin: ‘A piece of dessert’ Gary’s bitching and honestly, I don’t blame him. There are enough lowbrow uncultured boors, lamentably they don’t know any better so best not pioneer their insolency.
Arigatō, torafu de buta 😉
Admin, fix your fucking “dessert”.
Admin, does Dawn meekly accept Brandon’s orders to come “one” time or “on” time?
Fine, don’t change “desert” or “come ‘on’ time” 😉
You’re incumbent for your errata, even though the stolid tenebrous viewers can’t distinguish your perfunctory indiscretions anyway.
A piece of dessert.
Come one time.