This sort-of sequel
to Welcome to the Dollhouse follows the lives of some of the
family, friends, and acquaintances of that film’s protagonist, Dawn
Wiener. Palindromes centers on a teenage girl, Aviva Victor, who wants
to have a baby and sets out to do so. This of course is troublesome to
her parents who take steps to prevent this, causing Aviva to venture off
into the world on her own. Aviva is portrayed throughout the movie by
several actresses of varying age, race, and body type, and not only are
the changes surprisingly not distracting, but they provide Aviva with an
“everygirl” quality that universalizes her story.
As usual, Solondz
uses controversial issues like abortion as a jumping off point. Perhaps
there is no other issue that is so divisive and polarizing, and by
having Aviva experience both extremes of the issue we see the world,
through her eyes, from completely opposite directions. We also see how
sometimes the same qualities that can cause someone to do deeds of great
kindness and goodness can also be the root of acts of destruction and
malevolence. These contradictions are like a palindrome in that it
reads the same both forwards and backwards.
-- Dan Krovich
Presented By:
Stephen Adly Guirgis
Biography:
Stephen Adly Guirgis is a playwright whose work has been produced
internationally. The plays include Our Lady of 121st Street,
Jesus Hopped the A Train, In Arabia We'd All Be Kings and the
upcoming The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. All four plays were
directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman and originally produced by the
LAByrinth Theatre Company, of which Guirgis is a founding member.
Television writing credits include NYPD Blue, The Sopranos,
David Milch's Big Apple, and UC: Undercover. As an actor,
he most recently appeared in the Public Theatre's production of Brett C.
Leonard's Guinea Pig Solo, and stars in Mr. Leonard's debut
feature Jailbait.
