Parent reviews for Welcome to the Dollhouse

I found this movie to be a little strange at first because I was expecting something more tame - targeted towards young teens, but it kept my attention and eventually decided it was pretty good (It is not for kids though!). I like how it's much different than most coming of age movies I've seen, dealing with dysfunctional families. It's definitely quirky which keeps it interesting. It's basically about a girl named Dawn who is disguised as a nerd because of her unique looks. She is bullied through most of the film which I found to be sad because her nature is very simple and caring. She is highly jealous of her little sister because she is beautiful and talented. Dawn has no friends and only wants to be accepted - until she meets an older boy from her brothers' band who draws an interest in Dawn (friend wise), then Dawn thinks she's in love. The only violence I remember is the bullying and verbal abuse (a school boy threatens to rape Dawn and tells her to meet him after school. He also verbally abuses her by calling her crude names.) Dawn and her sister also fight. Some strong language even by tweens. There is a bit of sexual innuendo throughout, some kissing and talking about intercourse. Overall, nice little movie for mature teens 15 and up.