Welcome to the Dollhouse – Movie Recommendation
by Izzy Kalman (June 2004)
I love movies, though I don’t watch them as often as I would like. I just saw one again that I had seen several years ago, when it first came out: “Welcome to the Dollhouse.” It is a low-budget flick that won the Grand Jury Prize at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival. I know of no movie that more realistically portrays both the misery of victims of bullying and the dynamics of common sibling rivalry. Unlike other movies dealing with bullying, there is no glorification of victims or demonization of bullies. Everyone is portrayed mercilessly with all their human flaws. This gem of a movie is both touching and hilarious. When I watch it, I feel as though the writer went to my seminars and set out to put my teachings into film. I cannot recommend this movie highly enough. Just beware – if you only like movies with happy endings, this one is not for you.
Another movie I would like to recommend is “Monster”. Charlize Theron does a phenomenal job of portraying serial killer Aileen Carol Wuornos. For people in the mental health fields, this movie is a “must-see.”