Movie Notes: Welcome To The Dollhouse

May 3rd, 2009

= 5 stars

Starring Heather Matarazzo, Matthew Faber
Directed by Todd Solondz

Synopsis

In this coming of age dark comedy, Dawn “Wienerdog” Wiener (Heather Matarazzo) is a gawky, out-of-it twelve year old, beat down by an entire world that seems to be moving on without her. Hilarity ensues.

The Good

• Grimly funny characters. First there’s Dawn, who is totally out of it with the most ridiculous concerns, mannerisms, and outfits. But the cast of wacky characters is the real hoot. There’s the younger, favorite sister, already better adjusted and prettier, who dances all over the yard in a ballerina outfit mocking Dawn without trying. Also hilarious is Dawn’s older brother, studying computer science on a Mac Plus, who plays clarinet. There’s an assortment of “cool” kids, who aren’t all that, either. Highly laughable is the scrawny “bully” Brandon with a flannel shirt and backwards baseball cap, completely non-threatening to anybody over 15. Also hilarious is the older high school Steve whose favorite phrase is “whatever,” sings goofy songs on a Rickenbacker. With organ and clarinet, the band (called the Quadratics) sounds like a demented They Might Be Giants bar mitzvah.
• The whole naive attitude toward sex is another running joke, as nobody knows what they’re doing but insist on acting as if they do. It’s pitiful and funny at the same to see virgins acting like they are totally sexually experience, which makes it all the more painfully obvious they have no clue what they’re doing. Man pre-pubescence sucks.
• The plot eventually escalates as rivalry between Dawn and her siblings takes some bizarre turns, and it’s a funny ride all the way.
• Points out how most high school movies focus on the popular, good looking folks, although this trend has been reversed slightly with Napoleon Dynamite and the Apatow movies. But since Dollhouse dates from 1995, it deserves another look as an early example and possible inspiration for the entire genre.

The Bad

• As with many black comedies, some of the subject matter nearly crosses the line, specifically the sexual situations. I mean, I found “Are you going to rape me now?” laugh-out loud funny. But then there’s the creepy dude with the basement room that thankfully isn’t dwelled on too long.

Conclusion

I’m sure every class had their unbelievably awkward and geeky members who bore the brunt of everyone’s pent up teenage frustrations in a hormonal pressure cooker. This flick celebrates those losers through a character that’s surprisingly relateable. But the film’s real snark is how even the “cool” characters aren’t that great either, and nobody has any clue how to get the love everyone desires. The dark twinge of sexual perversion at the film’s end is a reminder that one may be better off never getting possessing your lust object. And thank goodness high school is over.

IMDB: Welcome To The Dollhouse
Wikipedia: Welcome To The Dollhouse
Rotten Tomatoes: Welcome To The Dollhouse 93%