ComedyDrama

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.

Release Date : 1996-03-22

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Suburban Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Dawn Wiener

Original Name : Heather Matarazzo

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mark Wiener

Original Name : Matthew Faber

Gender : Male

Character Name : Missy Wiener

Original Name : Daria Kalinina

Gender : Female

Character Name : Brandon McCarthy

Original Name : Brendan Sexton III

Gender : Male

Character Name : Steve Rodgers

Original Name : Eric Mabius

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Edwards

Original Name : Will Lyman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Grissom

Original Name : Rica Martens

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ralphy

Original Name : Dimitri Iervolino

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mary Ellen Moriarty

Original Name : Stacey Moseley

Gender : Female

Character Name : Lance

Original Name : Herbie Duarte

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jed

Original Name : Telly Pontidis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cookie

Original Name : Christina Brucato

Gender : Female

Character Name : Lolita

Original Name : Victoria Davis

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ginger Friedman

Original Name : Zsanné Pitta

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Weiner

Original Name : Angela Pietropinto

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mr. Wiener

Original Name : Bill Buell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cynthia

Original Name : Christina Vidal

Gender : Female

Character Name : Chrissy

Original Name : Siri Howard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Troy

Original Name : Scott Coogan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kenny

Original Name : Josiah Trager

Gender : Male

Character Name : Barry

Original Name : Ken Leung

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Iannone

Original Name : Elizabeth Martin

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mr. Kasdan

Original Name : Richard Gould

Gender : Male

Character Name : Steve’s Girlfriend

Original Name : Beverly Hecht

Gender : Male

Character Name : Police Sergeant

Original Name : Teddy Coluca

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tommy Fager

Original Name : Tommy McCarthy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. McCarthy

Original Name : James O'Donoghue

Gender : Male

Character Name : Student (uncredited)

Original Name : Deanna Barillari

Gender : Male

Character Name : Younger Samantha Brookestein (uncredited)

Original Name : Molly Howe

Gender : Female

Character Name : Heather (uncredited)

Original Name : Lorelei Mahoney

Gender : Female

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-07-25

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.