Review of Welcome to the Dollhouse (1996) by Arin D — 17 Dec 2009

Todd Solondz gives us the story of Dawn Weiner, a painfully awkward 13 year old girl who not only has to deal 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 in the appropriately Gaudy set up of a New Jersey Sub urban neighbourhood.

The film avoids the general idea of making the lead an innocent victim. Dawn is, when the opportunity arises, just as cruel as anyone else in the film. The movie does not portrays Dawn as a child, but instead projects her as a confused human being full of conflicting emotions such as hatred, lust, anguish and guilt.

Solondz is so relentless with the abuse that it's almost like picking at a scab ,but part of the genius of this film is that, despite the extremely grim subject matter, it is also blisteringly funny.

You will laugh and you will wince and often at the same time.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 are the reflex like spot-on performances of the largely unknown but gifted cast, especially Heather Matarazzo ,this young actress gave her character a range of emotions that even older, and more accomplished, actress wouldn't have given to this lost soul, Brendan Sexton plays Brendan, the boy from a poor and broken home that has to deal with the blow life has given him.

Angela Pietropinto as Mrs. Wiener is seen as the mother from hell. Mattew Faber and Daria Kalinina play Dawn's siblings to every last bit of perfect annoying detail. Brilliant disturbing screenplay,bright contrast family sit com-ish film treatment and all the pain and anguish on screen is topped with a Solondz style(as we come to recognize later with 'Happiness'1998) conflicting peppy soundtrack which guarantees the disorienting off center effect.

In a nut shell Solondz's breakthrough in the movie scene is a mercilessly funny and dead on accurate mapping of human psyche.a Must watch!