My Movie Faves: Welcome to the Dollhouse

I was hanging out with someone I had met recently and I proclaimed, "If you get Welcome to the Dollhouse, you get me." That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I do feel that the Todd Solondz film from 1995 perfectly captures a moment in time that most of us have to endure: the horrors of junior high. The awkward awakening of puberty, the unlimited cruelty of other kids, and the cold indifference of worn out teachers and principals. It's all presented in darkly comic, cringe-inducing detail in the film.



I'm often asked to name my favorite film. I hate that question, perhaps because of my difficulty with decision-making, but probably because there are so many great films I have loved over the years. I have a list, not a favorite. But I judge my favorites by identifying films I could watch repeatedly without getting sick of them. Dollhouse is in that category. One of the great things about it is its wealth of quotable (if offensive or raunchy) lines. The other great element is how much we can feel for Dawn Weiner, the awkward geeky protagonist who gets shit on repeatedly throughout the film by family, friends, teachers, and classmates. We feel her pain, but we laugh, knowing we've been there (but hopefully not to that extreme!).

True to real life, the ending is open and bleak, not offering a reprieve for Dawn, simply more of the same. When she asks her older brother if high school is any better, he answers, "Not really," and all we can do is nod our heads knowingly. It may sound like the film is one big downer, but it's not that simple. Like many things in life, it's funny because it's true.