Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)

Middle school was a torment for me, and don’t try to tell me that middle school wasn’t a torment for you because I know you’re lying. For all, to a greater or lesser extent, middle school was a time of physical and emotional transformation.

“Welcome to the Dollhouse”, directed by Todd Solondz, is the story of Dawn Weiner (Heather Matarazzo), a pre-teen who lacks perfect characteristics and a good physical complexion- Dawn is not a popular girl.

When Dawn asks a classmate “Why do you hate me?”, The answer is simple and direct: “Because you are ugly”. Middle school teachers seem to do everything they can to humiliate Dawn, forcing her to write essays on the meaning of dignity. 

At home, she is frequently neglected. Her older brother (Matthew Faber)  is a “computer genius” and her younger sister (Daria Kanilina) is the favorite of his parents. The only times Dawn’s parents realize her existence is when she does something wrong.

You might wonder how a man, Solondz, could write, produce and direct such a captivating  examination of pre-adolescent female pain. However, at Dawn’s age, there is not much difference between the indignities and the humiliation suffered by boys who are not members of “popular groups”. 

Although Dawn’s greatest desire is to be popular, she constantly resigns herself to her reality. Solondz has injected a good amount of natural humor into his script, some of the laughter occurs in response to uncomfortable situations, and others occur in genuinely fun situations.

As the film progresses, the plot moves away more and more from the conventions until it becomes quite ambitious and complex. Instead of focusing on all the simple and everyday indignities of Dawn’s life, the film tries something more ambitious. When the film is reaching its climax; kidnapping, child abuse and drug trafficking have been added as elements of the plot. Dawn is still the central character, but it is less easy to identify with her since her circumstances are beyond the scope of the mundane.

As usual in his films, Solondz has created a brilliant and dark satire of suburban life, and  “Welcome to the Dollhouse” holds a very special place in his filmography, he has portrayed brilliantly how people do really feel in this raw stage of life.

by Octavio Carbajal González