The biggest lie we are told is that childhood and adolescence are innocent. Whether through bullying or the inevitable exploration of our bodies on a more intimate level, the innocence of our childish ignorance quickly becomes lost once high school begins. Welcome To The Dollhouse is a dark comedy about a teenage girl discovering herself in a world that works to tear her down.
Welcome To The Dollhouse tells the story of Dawn Weiner (Heather Matarazzo), a young seventh grader who lives in suburban New Jersey. Struggling to cope with bullies and a family who seem unattentive to her own anxieties and feelings, Dawn’s frustrations slowly reach an unexpected boiling point.
Coming-of-age films are an extremely popular avenue to pull stories from but where Welcome To The Dollhouse differs is from the pitch-black tone it rides. From the outset, Todd Solondz writes and directs the film with a certain cruelty aimed at Dawn. Her bullies are unrelenting in their torment, her teachers make her the continued target of abuse and her family doesn’t share their equal love for each other with her. On the surface, Welcome To The Dollhouse is a comedy that finds humour in its cruelty but while that may be true, there’s an underlying sadness and hope that shines through for the character of Dawn Weiner.
For those willing to delve into Todd Solondz’s darker trappings, you’ll find a wickedly written piece of black comedy that’s as funny as it is incredibly uncomfortable to watch unfold.
Played by Heather Matarazzo, Dawn, despite the bullying she goes through, still maintains a certain resilience that keeps her sane. As she discovers romance and explores the concept of physical intimacy, Matarazzo creates a character in her performance that’s endlessly charming and hilarious to watch throughout. Even as Dawn goes down some darker paths in the film’s narrative, Matarazzo’s underlying charm keeps her engaging to watch through every single second.
The sheer unrestrained feel of Welcome to The Dollhouse will not work for everyone but where the film shines is its complete willingness to explore adolescence in ways people are sometimes unafraid to. At times, the film will delve into extremely uncomfortable directions that are hard to watch, yet you can’t help but wonder where it will go next. It’s not a film with a particularly complicated narrative but instead, one that has crafted a quirky and funny world you want to keep exploring.
The somewhat cruel nature of Welcome To The Dollhouse may turn off those looking for a charming coming-of-age tale. However, for those willing to delve into Todd Solondz’s darker trappings, you’ll find a wickedly written piece of black comedy that’s as funny as it is incredibly uncomfortable to watch unfold.
Welcome to the Dollhouse is out now on Radiance Films Blu-Ray
