Best Todd Solondz Movie

[nihilance]

poll forthcoming

[Gregory]

Happiness for Jon Lovitz stealing the movie before the opening credits.

[majorjoe23]

Welcome to the Dollhouse is the one that made me cringe the least. I always go to his movies, and I always walk out saying "I feel disgusting, I'll never do that again."

And then I do.

[Fake Pat]

Happiness all the way.

Great movie.

[nihilance]

Happiness for Jon Lovitz stealing the movie before the opening credits.

I'm having a hard time with this myself. I love Happiness and Welcome to the Dollhouse both so much. WttD has much more focus since it centers on one character for the bulk of the film...but some of the stuff in Happiness is just brilliantly subversive pitch black comedy.

I still can't see a film with Dylan Baker in it and not think of his performance in Happiness. The fact that he could pull off a pedophile so sympathetically was sort of mind blowing. Whenever he shows up in a mainstream movie (like the Spider-man films) I wonder how many people watching it have no idea about the roll that really put him on the map.

[Fake Pat]

I'm having a hard time with this myself. I love Happiness and Welcome to the Dollhouse both so much. WttD has much more focus since it centers on one character for the bulk of the film...but some of the stuff in Happiness is just brilliantly subversive pitch black comedy.

I still can't see a film with Dylan Baker in it and not think of his performance in Happiness. The fact that he could pull off a pedophile so sympathetically was sort of mind blowing. Whenever he shows up in a mainstream movie (like the Spider-man films) I wonder how many people watching it have no idea about the roll that really put him on the map.

He is amazing in that movie.

[Garth]

Happiness. LOVE it. Although I am a fan of all Solondz stuff. Every flick of his has scenes which will stick with you for the rest of your life. I am almost too embarrassed to admit how hard I laughed when the main character in ...Dollhouse is told that at 3pm she will be raped.

[Fourthman]

Happiness. It defines Solondz.

[artimoff]

I havn't seen Fear, Anxiety & Depression but it's in my Netflix cue now.

[schizorabbit]

Happiness!!!!!!

Everyone in that movie was perfect!!! And I love the fact that the writer/director can go places where movies usually not go (and for good reason) and pull it off without just coming across as not just trying to make the audience disgusted/sick/repulsed. Not only was Dylan Baker's pedophile as sympathetic character pulled off, but Philip Seymour Hoffman's masturbating crank caller--e.g., gluing pictures onto walls with his, uh, baby batter--eventually came across as sympathetic as well. I haven't seen the movie in years--I may rent it again now thanks to this thread--but I remember watching some no dialogue scene in which the pervert caller and what's her name--Lara Flynn Boyle--are sitting on the couch, and the music is playing, and his hand is slowly crawling towards hers...wonderful!!!