Touches You

Simply Perfect

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Let's see, this is my first review... This is the first true "Independent Film," I had ever seen (about 15 years ago), and I instantly fell for the humor and writing behind it.Dawn Wiener, your typical outcast tween, hated by her classmates and at times her family finds herself stuck at a crossroads, she has finally fallen in love; with an older man, who does not reciprocate her same feelings, and all of a sudden her younger sister Missy is kidnapped by the local pedophile. Wiener-Dog, Wiener-Dog, Wiener-Dog!! I don't mean to be such a c*nt, Drop dead lesbo. This movie is full of funny little phrases that to this day I still use with my friends. This is truly what it is like to grow up as an outcast, this movie gives the audience an in depth look at what it is like through the eyes of the actual outcast. In fact she is such an outcast, that when she tries to assist another outcast when he is being bullied by the school bully, he rebukes her and in turn calls her by her nickname "Wiener-Dog!!" It also can be seen as somewhat of a feminist film for younger women, there are numerous times throughout the film that Dawn tries to use sex to get ahead in her life, she never actually follows through with it, I mean come on she is 12 years old and if she did that would be absolutely wrong and disgusting, but it is able to demonstrate to young women that they do not need to use sex to do what they want in their own lives.This movie is absolutely hilarious, and it brought Heather Matarazzo to the forefront of the Indeoendent movie circuit, however I personally do not feel she ever received the recognition that she really deserved for this film. I think I have only given maybe a few other movies a 10 *** rating and I give this movie that because although it is flawed in numerous ways, all the ways that it is good completely make up for any flaws that lie with in its 90 minute run time. Thank you for bearing with me on my first review, I know that I seem to jump all over the board with review, o read other people's reviews and think to myself, "God I wish I could be so eloquent and detailed with my reviews!" Oh well I guess all in due time. Thanks! =]

Not a bad film - at all - but it came off a bit like a comic book somehow. 'Cartoonesque', would be the right word. I don't mind the mixing of that style with movies at all either, but here, it somehow got in the way of truly sympathizing with Dawn Wiener. I do believe it is part if Solondz' style, seeing as I've had the same 'issues' with his 'Happiness' and 'Dark horse' as well - just not as much.Within the cartoonesque feel, the teen issues come off especially awkward. The repeatedly added upbeat rock theme makes for even more of such an effect. Heather Matarazzo is perfect for her role, but just as the rest of the cast, (to me) she hardly ever surpasses the cartoonesque. So, the drama never really becomes tangible, or when it almost does, a comedic tone will diffuse it. Again, this seems to be simply Solondz' style, take it or leave it.A small 8 out of 10, nonetheless, because Solondz is good at what he does. P.s.: this looked almost to be the unofficial prequel to the HBO's series 'Girls'...

Dawn Wiener (Heather Matarazzo) is the awkward middle child and social outcast 7th grader. She's got the hated nickname Wienerdog. Girls call her lesbo. Not even the other outcasts like her. The teachers find her annoying. Her parents ignore her. Her mother favors the youngest adorable Missy. Her older brother Mark is a nerd but he's a driven nerd. He gets the popular hunk Steve Rodgers to join his band and she's completely infatuated. Everybody picks on her especially class bully Brandon. She has the Special People Club in the backyard with her only friend the younger Ralphy. Steve Rodgers is actually nice to her and she misunderstands. Brandon starts taking an even more intense interest in her.Heather Matarazzo is amazingly awkward. It is cringe-worthy. Writer/director Todd Solondz is the king of the disturbing underbelly of society. The bullying is hard to watch. Dawn is not a nice girl but she is the clueless girl trying to find her way. She often hurts people just as others have hurt her. The movie is so uncomfortable that the audience has no choice but to laugh. And then it gets darker. Sometimes it goes over the edge like what happens to Missy. There's no real need to go that far but it's not a problem. At its center, there is the compelling Matarazzo.

Welcome to the Dollhouse-***1/2 (out of 4): Junior high can be tough and it is especially tough for little Dawn, who suffers from her abusive classmates, less than satisfactory home life, and her own discomfort with the problems of adolescence. Perhaps one of the most raw and unsentimental coming of age pictures ever made, though the tone is purely original. We are in many ways touched and even heartbroken by the central character and her troubles, but often catch ourselves laughing at the sheer misery and misfortune encountered by her. Half black comic and half drama, but completely insightful: this film is definitely one for the books. It also is the first display of the humorous misery of writer-director's Todd Solondz's imagination.