Review of Welcome to the Dollhouse (1996) by Laurence C — 17 Mar 2010

Welcome to the Dollhouse speaks volumes about how girls are harassed and pushed into obsessing about their images; it urges us to respect teenagers as sexual beings, and suggests that failing to do so will inevitably provoke consequences.

I still understand how some viewers could do little with a movie that is essentially an endless barrage of torment being unloaded on a clueless pre-pubescent girl, but everytime I watch it, I find myself completely absorbed by its absurdly surreal vibe.

Anchored by Heather Matarazzo's compellingly anguished (though never miserabilist) performance, this is the perfect way to discover one of modern day cinema's most peculiar and thought-provoking filmmakers.

It's also both a laugh riot and a wholly humane tragedy all at once. Thank you, Todd Solondz.