Synopsis
Not all girls want to play with dolls.
An unattractive 7th grader struggles to cope with suburban life as the middle child with inattentive parents and bullies at school.
Welcome to the Dollhouse
1995 Directed by Todd Solondz
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There are two things this film (and other works in this vein, i.e. Solondz' filmography) do best are capturing the feel of awkwardness and insert the bleak side of the American dream into the everyday. It does it here with some very bright colors.
There is very little in this that isn't offensive. Rape, pedophilia, abuse, and more are turned into unpleasant punchlines, but unlike many edgy comedies, this film has the decency to make sure you know none of this is okay. It still crosses the line. It's aware it's crossing the line. It's emphasizing the line as it runs it over. It employs hyperbole. It employs an awkward directness that seems inhuman, unreal, but rings true.
What makes…
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Recently, a friend of mine and I were talking about Todd Solondz and how divisive his work is for most people. He's not a fan, so I asked if he liked John Waters' films and he said yes, and continued that Waters loves his characters whereas Solondz seemingly hates his own. I can definitely see his point, but I don't necessarily agree. I'm not sure if a man who hated the characters in his films would flesh them out to the point where they seem as though they're people we know. There is something so accessible about them, watching Welcome to the Dollhouse for the first time in many years was like being reunited with perfectly preserved people from my…
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Few movies correctly portray the sadness and loneliness of childhood, this one does and does it well.
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when she was sawing the barbie doll's head off it reminded me of that time i made a voodoo doll of one of my teachers in year 4 out of one of my barbie dolls and broke the dolls leg and then a week later, my teacher actually broke the same leg as the doll's leg sooooooooo
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Most coming-of-age films remind its audience of their so-called golden years in life. From John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club to Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird, this film genre reminisces the good, the bad, and the ugly of the adolescent years in a much better light; that while growing up is difficult, everything will be okay… eventually. But honestly, who are these films fooling? Most, if not all, people would agree that their high school years are the worst moment in their life so far. The social cliques based on looks and popularity, the god-awful teachers, the incessant bullying, the lack of expressive freedom, and the disgusting-looking cafeteria food are few of the reasons that barely touch the problematic period of our…
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A lot like 'Eighth Grade' but long before social media, and even more awkward at times ... but not as awkward as Todd Solondz's follow up film 'Happiness'.
A few Quick Hits of what you can expect from this strange little movie:
- Wow it would suck to have a name like Wiener, especially in the cruel world of Middle School
- Wow, not even the main character Dawn's parents like her
- "Yo, Weiner, you better get ready, 'cause at three o'clock today, I'm gonna RAPE you!"
- "I don't mean to be a cunt."
- "Do you know what "special people means? ... What? ... Special people equals retarded. Your club is for retards."
Welcome to the Dollhouse is the kind of dark comedy where you hold your breath hoping it will not go there, but are also strangely curious if it will at the same time.
Thanks for reading.
Happy movie watching ... Skål! -
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Sinegang 2nd Weekly Pick Cycle: Pick #4
By XenaThis melancholy black comedy follows a socially awkward main character, Dawn Wiener, played by a young Heather Matarazzo, who finds herself being bullied and unwelcome in a society that deems her to be the opposite of a “pretty” doll. I am usually in love with dark comedies, yet I found little funny in this film, and more of an aching tragedy as Dawn navigates the minefields of middle school. Todd Solondz creates a character that everyone can sympathize with and relate to in one way or another, resulting in a tenderly written movie that is both authentic and intimate. Welcome to the Dollhouse never mocks its characters and lends a voice…
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1. not a fucking chance dawn wiener grows up to be gretta gerwig
2. jonbenet ramsey "happened" a year after this came out
3. the delivery of brandon saying what he's gonna do "at three o'clock today!" is one of the funniest things i've heard in a while
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Painful look at adolescence. Beautiful and cringe inducing, while also leaving a pit in your stomach.
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At first it seemed like a movie that I would relate to because of themes such as bullying and loneliness two things that I struggle with in 7th Grade much like the protagonist, but as the story went on the life of the protagonist went in some really unexpected directions that I wasn’t ready too, sure there plenty of relatable issues and struggles of coming of age in this film but there’s also some things that I am glad I never went tough in 7th grade.
There are scenes that gave me chills and goosebumps and reminded me of the pain I felt when I was in 7th grade, there is one scene in particular where she imagines that people start to call her names while she publicly speaks that hits really close to home because it used to happened to me all the time whenever I had to speak in front of the class -
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jesus. this was fucking brutal.
9/10. way closer to a ten tbh. and it might be a 10 in the future who knows.
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the film never tries to force it’s audience to pity the poor girl - her trauma is received naturally through her raw and frustratingly ignored experiences
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solondz is so good at pulling off dark comedy & satire by inserting his specific brand of compassion in the way he shapes his characters & their lives. he’s genius at handling the really messed up bits, turning the offensive into the important and forcing his audience to face reality through hyperbole—through an understanding that it’s as funny & entertaining as it is morbid, disturbing & honest
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