Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jennifer X

  
  Okay, now after watching this and Let the Right One In I look upon middle school life completely differently. I can't watch another kid's movie without thinking some terrible bullying involving knives or something is going to come soon. I have become desensitized to juvenile… More
  Okay, now after watching this and Let the Right One In I look upon middle school life completely differently. I can't watch another kid's movie without thinking some terrible bullying involving knives or something is going to come soon. I have become desensitized to juvenile violence, I think.<br/><br/>Heather Matarazzo is so impressive I don't even know what to say! I don't look upon her as a little kid but as a human with terrible conflicts going inside her. Solondz has really three-dimensionalized Dawn so that everybody can identify with her and pity her and also hate her at the same time. Everyone has a little bit of Dawn in themselves but she's so extreme you have to laugh. But you understand her too.<br/><br/>Made me understand what black comedy truly is. Just when you think the screenplay can't get more original Solondz throws another curveball at you. The scene that sticks out most is the cake one. WHOA what a bitch mother.

• Zach B

  
  Welcome To The Dollhouse has to be one of the most important films in history solely due to the fact that it shows what an unpopular, rather ugly school age girl goes threw. Complete with torment, dark sarcasm in the class room, and parents that do not really care. Now, what makes… More
  Welcome To The Dollhouse has to be one of the most important films in history solely due to the fact that it shows what an unpopular, rather ugly school age girl goes threw. Complete with torment, dark sarcasm in the class room, and parents that do not really care. Now, what makes this film unique is that it is the ultimate dark comedy and you can not but help to laugh at Dawn threw her misadventures. Recommend for anyone that enjoys dark comedy and wants to see a good independent film.

• Randy T

  
  Dawn (Heather Matarazzo) is a misfit middle-child stuck in jr. high hell. Bullied by her classmates, her teachers and her dysfunctional family she plods through her suburban existence, enduring an endless stream of humiliating and degrading events. To start with, expect a drama… More
  Dawn (Heather Matarazzo) is a misfit middle-child stuck in jr. high hell. Bullied by her classmates, her teachers and her dysfunctional family she plods through her suburban existence, enduring an endless stream of humiliating and degrading events. To start with, expect a drama with a few comedic elements and you won't be disappointed. Pop this one into the DVD player thinking it's going to be a 'feel-good comedy' and <i>Welcome to the Dollhouse</i> will suck you down a dark hole. Even though it's about 7th grade adolescent trauma, this is a film better suited for parents and young adults. A terrific picture with some disturbing moments.

• Tsubaki S

  
  What "Juno" wanted to be.

• Ken S

  
  Uncomfortably funny

• Curtis L

  
  Frighteningly close to what middle school was like.

• Robert C

  
  I Heart Dawn Wiener!

• Mike S

  
  A hauntingly true and authentic look at outsiderness and how bullying can affect a person in a day to day environment. This movie was a lot better than I expected and Heather Matarazzo gave a very touching and heartfelt performance. If I got my wish through, it's a movie that… More
  A hauntingly true and authentic look at outsiderness and how bullying can affect a person in a day to day environment. This movie was a lot better than I expected and Heather Matarazzo gave a very touching and heartfelt performance. If I got my wish through, it's a movie that should be shown in every classroom in every country of the world.

• Michael G

  
  So cracked out and surreal you can't help but love it.

• Leigh R

  
  Fabulous movie...

• Ryan M

  
  9.0/10 Todd Solondz's "Welcome to the Dollhouse" recalls the sad, desolate, lonely days of adolescence; particularly within the Middle School days of our lives, also known as Junior High. I know that those days, as well as the High School days, seemed… More
  9.0/10 Todd Solondz's "Welcome to the Dollhouse" recalls the sad, desolate, lonely days of adolescence; particularly within the Middle School days of our lives, also known as Junior High. I know that those days, as well as the High School days, seemed painful and long. They must have been the same for Solondz, as he seems to have made the film out of personal disgust for the lowest members of youthful humanity; he appears to be gnashing his teeth, although through both humor and drama. You won't like the film unless you can relate to this feeling, and I feel that many cinephiles will. Cinema isn't well-appreciated at a young age, and only certain individuals take it up as an interest early in their lives. These people are insightful, intelligent; non-conformists to society. Neither is Solondz. He makes different, challenging, and sometimes brilliant features; each one inspired, each one deep in one way or another. I can't say that all of his films are straight-up masterpieces, but with this film, his debut picture, he's certainly made a name for himself. He tackles subjects worth tackling, but seldom tackled nonetheless. He creates characters almost unrealistically realistic. His movie is in itself a great euphemism for a sort of living hell. I have been there, and I remember every last bit of the experience. I can't say that the good outweighed the bad by any stretch of the imagination, when it comes to this, but when there was good to be found in my Junior High career, it was a nice feeling or relief. And then the bad came in through the cracks and proceeded to eat me from the inside out yet again; but I enjoyed the moments where I didn't feel this way. I like this film because the situations, such as one where the female protagonist of the story stands in the lunch room, tray in hand, looks for a place to sit down and devour her meal, are relatable and masterfully staged. Solondz isn't a man of style; clearly, he's a man of wit and substance. But that's exactly what I love about the guy. Dawn Wiener (Heather Matarazzo) is a Junior High student; Jewish, virtually friendless, and frequently bullied not only for her name (the kids call her "wiener dog") but also for her shy, quiet, nervous personality. She can't help it. But her peers don't care. They see her as vulnerable, which she most certainly is, and they will take advantage of her. One of her most infamous bullies is Brandon McCarthy (Brendan Sexton Jr.); a boy who sends spitballs towards our heroine, sexually harasses her in detention, and at one point; he even threatens after-school-rape. On second attempt, Dawn shows up for the occasion, which ultimately shows how desperate she is to make contact; a connection, perhaps. She is unassuming, and it's funny; but also painful. I believe a lot of the film's depth comes from the constant juggling of Dawn's life at home and her career as a student. School isn't particularly fun - whatsoever- for the poor girl, and neither is home. Her parents are unsupportive, her brother strikes her as uninteresting aside from a friend named Steve, whom Dawn falls smitten for. Then there's her sister, who at first seems like nothing more than a crucial source of annoyance for the central character, and in an instant, she becomes something much more important within the story. What had my eyes glued to the screen was Solondz and his sympathy. He understands people. Even the strangest among them. The kids in "Welcome to the Dollhouse" - and even a few of the adults - feel rejected, lonely, forever sad; as if they are going nowhere. Maybe that's how it is. Dawn doesn't seem to have much of a future ahead of her socially, but academically, she might make some progress. Solondz - also the writer of this film - writes her character as an intellectual teen who tries to fit in, but can't seem to make the cut. Some people just don't know how to be cool, to the point where they just stop trying and act like they're content being labeled as "weird". Nobody wants negativity thrown their way. Dawn doesn't invite the harsh criticism that eventually meets her and sticks with her; she lives with life, and that's what she gets. I haven't exactly gotten any more or any less when it comes to such a thing. Therefore, there was an emotional investment to be made here. I think that Todd Solondz's "Welcome to the Dollhouse" is captivating, well-performed, ridiculously well-written and often times quite funny. But then comes the insightful bits; and such inclusions make the film much more than I expected. It's a nice little 86-minute surprise. I hope that my readers will discover it and come up with their own theories on its philosophy, regarding life. Keep on livin'.

• Alec B

  
  The events that take place are not entirely realistic, but I don't think that was the point. Todd Solondz perfectly captures what it feels like to be an awkward kid in jr. high, and he correctly portrays it as one of the worst periods of time in anyone's life.

• Joey N

  
  Middle school truely is hell. I didn't really find this that funny, but I'll give credit where credit's due. It's a sharp and accurate reminder of how much adolesence sucks.

• Sylvester K

  
  It's probably one of the most amazingly written film ever. It's darkly humoured and sarcastic. Heather Matarazzo delivered a stunning performance at such a young age, she played the character Dawn extraordinarily well. The film looks simply but a lot of the songs and images… More
  It's probably one of the most amazingly written film ever. It's darkly humoured and sarcastic. Heather Matarazzo delivered a stunning performance at such a young age, she played the character Dawn extraordinarily well. The film looks simply but a lot of the songs and images implied symbolism and metaphors. It's hard to decide whether you loved anyone of the characters in the film.

• Marcus W

  
  Todd Solondz is truly the evil twin of John Hughes. Both are SO good at characterisation that plots become irrelvant. This film is an inky-black comedy that plays a lot like a darker Napoleon Dynamite. It's a stunning character-study - beautifully written, and absolutely… More
  Todd Solondz is truly the evil twin of John Hughes. Both are SO good at characterisation that plots become irrelvant. This film is an inky-black comedy that plays a lot like a darker Napoleon Dynamite. It's a stunning character-study - beautifully written, and absolutely recommended. To say more is to ruin it.

• Laurence C

  
  Welcome to the Dollhouse speaks volumes about how girls are harassed and pushed into obsessing about their images; it urges us to respect teenagers as sexual beings, and suggests that failing to do so will inevitably provoke consequences. I still understand how some viewers could do… More
  Welcome to the Dollhouse speaks volumes about how girls are harassed and pushed into obsessing about their images; it urges us to respect teenagers as sexual beings, and suggests that failing to do so will inevitably provoke consequences. I still understand how some viewers could do little with a movie that is essentially an endless barrage of torment being unloaded on a clueless pre-pubescent girl, but everytime I watch it, I find myself completely absorbed by its absurdly surreal vibe. Anchored by Heather Matarazzo's compellingly anguished (though never miserabilist) performance, this is the perfect way to discover one of modern day cinema's most peculiar and thought-provoking filmmakers. It's also both a laugh riot and a wholly humane tragedy all at once. Thank you, Todd Solondz.

• Sunil J

  
  Heather Matarazzo is so cute in her own pathetic loser way. Very funny movie.

• Linda K

  
  DOLLHOUSE is the very opposite of what the film wants to say! It is funny as it is dramatic. The film depicts a reality that cannot be rejected. Kids in high school are crazy out of their mind! Hence, it is not a film to watch with parents!!!!

• Wu C

  
  Strange suburban coming-of-age tale. Some themes and dialogue might offend some viewers, but it's a well made indie film.

• Leo L

  
  GREAT FILM! Hilarious!

Read all 20 featured audience ratings