Welcome to the Dollhouse
"Not all girls want to play with dolls."
An unattractive 7th grader struggles to cope with suburban life as the middle child with inattentive parents and bullies at school.
"Not all girls want to play with dolls."
An unattractive 7th grader struggles to cope with suburban life as the middle child with inattentive parents and bullies at school.
Heather Matarazzo
Dawn Wiener
Brendan Sexton III
Brandon McCarthy
Eric Mabius
Steve Rodgers
Matthew Faber
Mark Wiener
Daria Kalinina
Missy Wiener
Angela Pietropinto
Mrs. Weiner
Bill Buell
Mr. Wiener
Will Lyman
Mr. Edwards
Rica Martens
Mrs. Grissom
An unattractive 7th grader struggles to cope with suburban life as the middle child with inattentive parents and bullies at school.
Well if you were ever in doubt about the fallacies of the "American dream" then you need look no further than the life of the young and rather unfortunately named "Dawn Wiener" (Heather Matarazzo). Her life with her geeky brother "Mark" (Matthew Faber) is comfortable enough, but her parents aren't really that interested in her and she is bullied at school by "Brandon" (Brendan Sexton). Her brother has a garage band and it's fronted by the dashing "Steve" (Eric Mabius) in whom she has an almighty crush. Of course she is too young to realise that were he to reciprocate in any way he'd be sent to jail! As so often happens with those who are picked on, she starts to pick on someone else - her little sister "Missy" (Daria Kalinina) and this earns her the annoyance of her family. Feeling adrift and rather abandoned, she begins to seek a bit of solace with her tormentor whilst never quite giving up on her older, would-be, beau - but what can come of any of this? Matarazzo does well here, offering us a gently honest interpretation of a child who is not unloved, just unnoticed. She presents us with a vulnerable character whom you would expect to spend her entire life overlooked, living in the same town for a life unhappily married to a local plumber. Sexton is also quite engaging as the outwardly aggressive and brutish character whom, as we get to know him, is actually not in a wildly dissimilar boat to "Dawn". It's got some soul to it and that, and a certain simplicity, makes for a plausible observation of a life destined to remain, at best, in the slow lane.
The lives of several individuals intertwine as they go about their lives in their own unique ways, engaging in acts which society as a whole might find disturbing in a desperate search for human connection.
Two high school girls are best friends until one dates the other's older brother, who is totally his sister's nemesis.
College and high school serve as the backdrop for two stories about dysfunction and personal turmoil.
The story of Bea Johnson from birth to graduation as she navigates life with an intellectually disabled parent and an extended family who can't quite agree on the best way to help.
Margot Zeller is a short story writer with a sharp wit and an even sharper tongue. On the eve of her estranged sister Pauline's wedding to unemployed musician/artist/depressive Malcolm at the family seaside home, Margot shows up unexpectedly to rekindle the sisterly bond and offer her own brand of support. What ensues is a nakedly honest and subversively funny look at family dynamics.
Rebellious, quick-witted Erica Vandross is a 17-year-old firecracker living with her single mom, Laurie, and her mom's new boyfriend, Bob, in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley. When Bob's mentally unbalanced son, Luke, arrives from rehab to live with the family, Erica finds her domestic and personal life overwhelmed. With Luke and her sidekicks Kala and Claudine in tow, Erica acts out by exposing a high school teacher's dark secret.
A couple who can't stop fighting embark on a last-ditch effort to save their marriage: turning their fights into songs and starting a band.
A 16-year-old girl takes her parents hostage after they miss her big jump-roping competition.
A girl who halfheartedly tries to be part of the "in crowd" of her school meets a rebel who teaches her a more devious way to play social politics: by killing the popular kids.
Two disconnected sisters are summoned to clean out their childhood bedrooms before their parents sell their family home.