Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)

An unattractive seventh grader struggles to cope with inattentive parents, snobbish classmates, a smart older brother, an attractive younger sister, and her own insecurities in suburban New Jersey.

Director:

Todd Solondz

Writer:

Todd Solondz

Stars:

Heather Matarazzo, Christina Brucato, Victoria Davis

4 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Seventh-grade is no fun. Especially for Dawn Weiner when everyone at school calls you 'Dog-Face' or 'Wiener-Dog.' Not to mention if your older brother is 'King of the Nerds' and your younger sister is a cutesy ballerina who gets you in trouble but is your parents' favorite. And that's just the beginning--her life seems to be falling apart when she faces rejection from the older guy in her brother's band that she has a crush on, her parents want to tear down her 'Special People's Club' clubhouse, and her sister is abducted....

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Plot Keywords:

school | social outcast | first crush | bullying | bully | 

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Taglines:

Not all girls want to play with dolls.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures Classics

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 May 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Faggots and Retards

Filming Locations:

The Playpen, 687 8th Ave, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$800,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,813,000, 19 July 1996

Gross USA:

$4,771,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Suburban Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Brendan Sexton III.

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Goofs

When Dawn is talking to Brandon in the clubhouse, she is leaning over so her bra (or perhaps a white undershirt) is showing through her sweater. In the exact same shot a few seconds later, it's covered up, even though she hasn't moved.

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Quotes

Steve Rodgers: Special people?
Dawn Weiner: Yeah.
Steve Rodgers: Do you know what "special people" means?
Dawn Weiner: What?
Steve Rodgers: Special people equals retarded. Your club is for retards.

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Connections

Referenced in The Larry Sanders Show: Everybody Loves Larry (1996)

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Soundtracks

Waltz in A flat, Opus 69, No. 1.
Written by Frédéric Chopin
Performed by Eugeniya Betman

User Reviews

Very under-appreciated

This movie was great. I was shocked to see no one had posted a comment on it. A fantastic performance by Heather Matazarro. The movie is all about growing up in a world that expects you to already be an adult. Because Dawn Weiner is "ugly" she is mistreated, harassed, and ignored by everyone she comes across. I don't think I've ever seen a movie that featured a character more emotional alone. There is a scene where Dawn's mother offers Dawn's dessert to her siblings to get back at her. They take it, eagerly. Most movies like this are either black comedies or feature a character who is stoicaly non-conformist or just stoic. Dawn is neither. She bleeds, right up until the movies end, which I won't spoil but I will say that it is all the more heartbreaking for its inertia as for its action. Go find this one. You'll either love it or hate it. It's not a movie that just lets you go.