An awkward seventh-grader struggles to cope with inattentive parents, snobbish class-mates, a smart older brother, an attractive younger sister and her own insecurities in suburban New Jerse... Read allAn awkward seventh-grader struggles to cope with inattentive parents, snobbish class-mates, a smart older brother, an attractive younger sister and her own insecurities in suburban New Jersey.An awkward seventh-grader struggles to cope with inattentive parents, snobbish class-mates, a smart older brother, an attractive younger sister and her own insecurities in suburban New Jersey.
- Awards
- 4 wins & 17 nominations
Brendan Sexton III
- Brandon McCarthy
- (as Brendan Sexton Jr.)
Dimitri DeFresco
- Ralphy
- (as Dimitri Iervolino)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaHeather Matarazzo later said that this movie, and especially the scene where her classmates call her character a "lesbo", made her aware of her own homosexuality. She stated that at the time, she didn't even know what lesbo meant, but after doing some research, she realized: "Oh my God! That's what I am, a lesbian!" However, due to her Catholic upbringing, she later felt "apologetic, ashamed, secretive", and it took her nine more years before she was comfortable enough to officially come out.
- GoofsWhen Steve is Singing "Welcome to the Dollhouse", his lip movements do not match up with the words when the scene is up close of him about to finish the song. this is due to another actor dubbing his singing voice.
- Quotes
Mark Weiner: All of junior high school sucks. High school's better; it's closer to college. They'll call you names, but not as much to your face.
Featured review
Disturbing awkward cringe-worthy masterpiece
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.
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.
helpful•131
- SnoopyStyle
- Jul 16, 2014
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $800,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $4,569,019
- Gross worldwide
- $4,569,882
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