Special Features:
Theatrical Trailer  �  Talent & Filmographies  �  Production Notes

FILM
It had been a couple of years since I had seen this movie. In that time, the director Todd Solondz, had released his third film, Happiness. In my opinion Happiness was one of the most disturbing, but best films of 1998. Coming back to Welcome to the Dollhouse was a great pleasure. 

Welcome to the Dollhouse details the trials and tribulations of a junior high outcast named Dawn Wiener. She is one of those people everyone new in either junior high or high school that gets picked on by just about everyone. It is totally f--ked up what this girl gets put through, but Solondz ability to make you both laugh and cringe at the same time is a skill that very few directors have mastered.

One of the things that impressed me the most about this film was the quality of the acting. With this low of a budget and the unknowns in the cast you would expect to find a couple of weak spots. There isn't' one. From Dawn's parents and siblings to the teachers and principal, every character is dead on. I especially liked Dawn's brother, who's every decision it seems is calculated on the basis of how it will add to his college resume.

Some of the things Dawn must deal with in this film are being confronted by a group of girls and asked if she is a lesbian, being forced to take a crap, being told that she is going to get raped at the end of the day and the general favoritism of her parents towards her younger sister. It may not sound funny, but this film finds its niche and you laugh anyway. This is one of those films that really needs to be seen to fully understand. Anything I say here won't quite measure up to what really happens on the screen.

VIDEO
On the plus side the transfer is anamorphic, but other than that, the quality is very disappointing. It is not so much that it looks bad, but I have come to expect a lot more from Columbia. The grain is excessive at times and every now and then some digital artifacts show up. It looks like no tweaking was done to the bit rates after the computer went through its pass. I expect pictures like this from Anchor Bay and Fox Lorber, but Columbia should know better.

AUDIO
The sound quality is actually quite good. The surround mix is nice and wide and all dialog is clear. A perfect fit for this type of film.

EXTRAS
A commentary from the director would have been nice. Instead we get next to nothing. Very disappointing.

SUMMARY
This is not a film for everyone. Some people will come away with the feeling that Solondz is trying to be cruel, but with both this film and Happiness we see a willingness to show us a set of characters with all of their flaws and weaknesses. What is really great about Solondz is that he does not feel the need to pass judgment on the characters because of these weaknesses.