Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Peculiar, intriguing deadpan comedy has some dark material.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Wiener-Dog
What's the Story?
The parents (Julie Delpy and Tracy Letts) of a young cancer survivor surprise him with a pet Dachshund; the boy names her "WIENER-DOG." After an unfortunate incident involving doggie diarrhea, Wiener-Dog ends up rescued by Dawn Wiener (the main character from Welcome to the Dollhouse, now played by Greta Gerwig) and taken on the road with her old acquaintance (Kieran Culkin). The dog is then passed to a developmentally disabled couple, a depressed screenwriter-turned-teacher (Danny DeVito), and a money-grubbing twenty-something who tries to get money from her grandmother (Ellen Burstyn) to finance her boyfriend's newest animal-related art project.
Is It Any Good?
Indie filmmaker Todd Solondz, best known for his morose 1990s films Welcome to the Dollhouse and Happiness, returns with this peculiar deadpan road movie, which is as aimless as it is fascinating. It vaguely recalls the great French film Au hasard Balthazar (1966), in which a donkey goes through several owners and affects their lives in interesting, spiritual ways. But the Wiener-Dog of this movie, on the other hand, seems to become less and less important, inspiring no spiritual awakening and very little hope.
Still, Solondz somehow injects these miserable characters with a weirdly appealing humanity, even if they rarely make us laugh out loud or evoke any sympathy. They're like skilled stick figure drawings, an offbeat representation of humanity. The almost random appearance of Dawn Wiener, the main character from Welcome to the Dollhouse -- now 21 years older and played by Gerwig -- adds to the overall atmosphere of puzzlement. It's as if something just outside the margins is intriguingly missing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the brief, strong violence in Wiener-Dog. How did it affect you? Is it scary? Shocking? Thrilling? How does the filmmaker choose to show it? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
How important is the dog to the story? How does she affect those around her? How do they affect her?
Which of these characters, if any, could be considered admirable? Do any of them have a positive outlook? How would you describe the movie's general attitude toward its characters?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 24, 2016
- On DVD or streaming : August 23, 2016
- Cast : Greta Gerwig , Danny DeVito , Julie Delpy
- Director : Todd Solondz
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : Amazon Studios , IFC Films
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Animals
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language and some disturbing content
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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