Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Todd Solondz

Writer:

Todd Solondz (written by)

Release Date:

24 May 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Not all girls want to play with dolls.

Plot:

Insightful look at an unattractive 7th grader as she struggles to cope with un-attentive parents, snobbish classmates, a smart older brother, an attractive younger sister, and her own insecurities.

Plot Keywords:

Crush | Nerd | Clubhouse | Irreverence | Kidnapping

Awards:

4 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Heather Matarazzo	...	Dawn Wiener
Victoria Davis	...	Lolita
Christina Brucato	...	Cookie
Christina Vidal	...	Cynthia
Siri Howard	...	Chrissy
Brendan Sexton III	...	Brandon McCarthy (as Brendan Sexton, Jr.)
Telly Pontidis	...	Jed
Herbie Duarte	...	Lance
Scott Coogan	...	Troy
Daria Kalinina	...	Missy Wiener
Matthew Faber	...	Mark Wiener
Josiah Trager	...	Kenny
Ken Leung	...	Barry
Dimitri DeFresco	...	Ralphy (as Dimitri Iervolino)
Rica Martens	...	Mrs. Grissom
Angela Pietropinto	...	Mrs. Wiener
Bill Buell	...	Mr. Wiener
Eric Mabius	...	Steve Rodgers
Stacey Moseley	...	Mary Ellen Moriarty
Will Lyman	...	Mr. Edwards
Elizabeth Martin	...	Mrs. Iannone
Zsanne Pitta	...	Ginger Friedman (as Zsanné Pitta)
Richard Gould	...	Mr. Kasdan
Beverly Hecht	...	Steve's Girlfriend
Teddy Coluca	...	Police Sergeant
Tommy Fager	...	Tommy McCarthy
James O'Donoghue	...	Mr. McCarthy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Amanda Posner	...	Felicity (uncredited)

Directed by
Todd Solondz

Writing credits
Todd Solondz		(written by)

Produced by
Donna L. Bascom	....	executive producer (as Donna Bascom)
Priscilla Guastavino	....	line producer
Jason Kliot	....	associate producer
Dan Partland	....	co-producer
Ted Skillman	....	co-producer
Todd Solondz	....	producer
Susan A. Stover	....	co-associate producer (as Susan Stover)
Joana Vicente	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jill Wisoff

Cinematography by
Randy Drummond

Film Editing by
Alan Oxman

Casting by
Ann Goulder

Production Design by
Susan Block

Art Direction by
Lori Solondz

Costume Design by
Melissa Toth

Makeup Department
Anne Forbes	....	assistant hair stylist
Anne Forbes	....	assistant makeup artist
Heidi Kulow	....	key hair stylist
Heidi Kulow	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Christopher Roberts	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chad Braden	....	first assistant director
Morgan J. Freeman	....	second assistant director
Susanna Graves	....	second assistant director
Kelly McKaig	....	second second assistant director (as Kelly Mckaig)

Art Department
Avery S. Brandon	....	set dresser
Thomas B. Grimes	....	property master (as Tommy Grimes)
Lucio Seixas	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Nancy Cabrera	....	foley artist
Evan T. Chen	....	assistant sound editor (as Evan Chen)
Margaret Crimmins	....	supervising sound editor
Michael DiCosimo	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby (as Michael Dicosimo)
Paul Hsu	....	assistant sound editor
Mikael Ifversen	....	assistant sound editor
Paul Mezey	....	additional boom operator
Paul Mezey	....	additional sound
Irin Strauss	....	additional boom operator
Irin Strauss	....	additional sound
Tony Volante	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alex Wolfe	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Jennifer Carchman	....	still photographer
Meredith Collins	....	first assistant camera
Jon Delgado	....	electrician
Robert Dembicki	....	first assistant camera
T. Colin Dodd	....	key grip (as Colin Dodd)
Jeffrey A. Eplett	....	gaffer (as Jeff Eplett)
Ellie Fitzgerald	....	electrician
Ray Flynn	....	best boy electric
Jeremy Graham	....	electrician
Learan Kahanov	....	grip
Jennifer Schoenewald	....	grip (as Jennifer Shoenwald)
Andrew Sweeney	....	key grip
Gabor Szitanyi	....	additional photographer
Joel Tishcoff	....	electrician
Amy Veltman	....	second assistant camera
Derek Walker	....	second assistant camera
Russell Wasdeck	....	key grip (as Russell Wasoleck)
Elizabeth Wick	....	electrician
Charles Winters	....	electrician
Roberto Lopez	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Ilena Elevitch	....	extras casting
Aaron Leventman	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Natalya V. Aikens	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Natalya Khorover)
Kristen Weir	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Affonso Gonçalves	....	assistant editor
Eytan Mirsky	....	post-production consultant
Noëlle Penraat	....	negative cutter
David Pultz	....	color timer
Christopher Roberts	....	post-production associate
Doug Stone	....	second assistant editor
Aljernon Tunsil	....	second assistant editor (as Algernon Tunsil)

Music Department
Gary Burke	....	studio musician: drums
Claire Daly	....	studio musician: clarinet
Joel Diamond	....	studio musician: keyboards
David Ellinwood	....	music editor (as Dave Ellinwood)
Graham Hawthorne	....	studio musician: drums
Joe Johnson	....	music recording engineer
Hugh McDonald	....	studio musician: electric bass (as Hugh Mcdonald)
Bob Muller	....	music recording engineer
George Naha	....	studio musician: guitar
Julio Peña	....	music recording engineer
Jill Wisoff	....	music supervisor
Joel Diamond	....	music producer (uncredited)
Jill Wisoff	....	musician: guitar/bass (uncredited)

Other crew
Donna L. Bascom	....	legal services (as Donna Bascom)
Kristine Bulakowski	....	production secretary
Eileen Cabiling	....	production office coordinator (as Eileen Caibling)
Stephen Collins	....	assistant location manager
Seth Copans	....	script supervisor
Sarah Costello	....	production office assistant
Anne Cotten	....	production assistant
Jonathan Fish	....	production auditor
Robert 'Fitz' Fitzsimmons	....	production assistant (as Robert Fitzsimmons)
Adam Goldenberg	....	production assistant
Jeff Hill	....	publicist
Amy Hussey	....	production assistant
Neil Koenigsberg	....	production assistant
Annette Kudrak	....	matchback
Miklos Legrady	....	production assistant
Christopher Marchitelli	....	production assistant
Jenny Martinez	....	production assistant
Chris McFadden	....	production assistant
Naomi Odes	....	craft service
Susan Ogu	....	production office assistant
Brian Raft	....	production assistant
Christopher Roberts	....	location manager
Morris Schwartz	....	financial consultant
Cara White	....	publicist

Production Companies

• Suburban Pictures

Distributors

• Alpha Filmes (Brazil) (video)
• Columbia TriStar (video)
• Kinowelt Filmverleih (Germany)
• Líder Films (Argentina)
• Scandinavian Entertainment Group
• Sony Pictures Classics (1996) (USA)

Other Companies

• Audio-Soundtrack  post-production
• Camera Service Center  camera equipment provided by
• Clein + White  publicity
• Cynosure Visuals  titles and opticals
• D.R. Reiff & Associates  insurance

Also Known As:

Faggots and Retards (USA) (working title)
Middle Child

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Finland:K-12 | Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Germany:12 (w) | Norway:11 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

West Caldwell, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Suburban Pictures

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Steve is Singing "Welcome to the Dollhouse", his lip movements do not match up with the words when the scene is up close of him about to finish the song. this is due to another actor dubbing his singing voice.

Quotes:

Mark Weiner: High school's better than junior high. They'll call you names, but not as much.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema (2006)

Soundtrack:

The Nutcracker Suite

Cruelty

"Welcome to the Dollhouse" was the introduction of an important voice in the American cinema. Todd Solondz's incisive study of a suburban family is one of the best indie films of the last decade. Having seen it in its theatrical release, we had the opportunity recently to take a new look at it. Mr. Solondz has created a picture of what cruelty does to a child, and how prevalent it is everywhere.

When we first meet the Wieners, living in suburban New Jersey, they appear to be the ideal family. Both parents, on the surface, look normal, but in watching them closely we come to the conclusion they are not. Some couples are not meant to be parents and the Wieners, obviously, while supportive of the older son, Mark, and the cute younger daughter, Missy, turn a blind eye toward Dawn, their middle daughter who is going through a hard time as she starts junior high school.

Not only is Dawn an unhappy girl, but she is the object of cruelty in the hands of the other students, both in her class, and in her school, in general. We watch as Brandon, the punkish boy, begins to taunt Dawn in his own sadistic way. Other girls come right out and ask Dawn whether she is a lesbian. There's also another girl that terrorizes her when both meet in the school bathroom. Every time Dawn tries to rebel, it turns out in disaster. Her school teacher doesn't even see anything wrong with Dawn, who is obviously affected by all she is experiencing at this crucial moment.

Dawn hits a nerve with Brandon when she calls him a retard. Little does she know his own brother is mentally challenged. Usually in the case of bullies like Brandon, they are acting up their frustrations by taking it on others they perceive as weaker, which is why he thinks he can do anything to Dawn because she will never do anything to him.

In a scene that gives cruelty a new name, we watch as the Wieners are having dinner one night. When Dawn contradicts something her mother has said, she is punished by not getting her dessert. We watch in total disbelief as the other Wieners begin to eat and Dawn's slice of chocolate cake remains near her mother until Missy asks to share that piece with Mark.

Dawn only has a friend. The young boy who shares her interests in hanging out in the dollhouse in the Wiener's backyard. When the hunky Steve Rogers joins Mark's band, Dawn discovers an irresistible attraction toward this loser. Dawn turns against her only friend and will call him names that we all realize is her own way to deal with emotions she has no control on. Instead of finding happiness among her peers, Dawn only encounters scorn and ridicule.

In Heather Matarazzo, the director found a young talent to give life to Dawn Wiener. Ms. Matarazzo has a peculiar kind of beauty, but she is made to wear horrible clothes to capture the essence of this sad young teen. Ms. Matarazzo under the guidance of Mr. Solondz makes an appealing Dawn. 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.

The rest of the cast is perfect. 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.

This was a film that put Todd Solondz on the map. As he has shown with later films, he is a voice to be reckoned with in the independent cinema.