Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)

	Directed by: Todd Solodnz	COUNTRY USA GENRE Drama/Comedy NORWEGIAN TITLE Welcome to the Dollhouse RUNNING TIME 87 minutes
	Produced by: Todd Solodnz
	Written by: Todd Solodnz

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Dawn Wiener	Heather Matarazzo	½
Mark Wiener	Matthew Faber	-
Missy Wiener	Daria Kalinina	-
Marj Wiener	Angela Pietropinto	-
Harv Wiener	Bill Buell	-
Brandon McCarthy	Brendan Sexton III	-
Steve	Eric Mabius	-
Ralphy	Dimitri DeFresco	-
Lolita	Victoria Davis	-
Cookie	Christina Brucato	-
Barry	Ken Leung	-

Review

Todd Solondz hit his full stride and welcomed us into his peculiar outlook on (pre-)teen angst in the suburbs with this wonderfully offbeat and constantly entertaining black comedy. First-time actor Heather Matarazzo is perfectly cast as the awkward 12-year-old Dawn Wiener, who is ignored at home, bullied at school, and infatuated with her older brother’s handsome bandmate. One of the reasons Dawn becomes such as fully drawn-out character is the complexity and realism with which Solondz portrays bullying. Because Dawn isn’t the simple movie version of a sweet, innocent bully victim – she’s an abrasive personality who pushes people away and ultimately passes the bullying on to whomever she deems to be below her in the rank. As with Happiness a few years later, Solondz dared to explore what other filmmakers often avoids, and his reward is a film that has gained a well-deserved reputation as a cult classic.