Todd Solondz
Todd Solondz
Todd Solondzis an American independent film screenwriter and director known for his style of dark, thought-provoking, socially conscious satire. Solondz has been critically acclaimed for his examination of the "dark underbelly of middle class American suburbia," a reflection of his own background in New Jersey. His work includes Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness, Storytelling, Palindromes, Life During Wartime, and Dark Horse...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth15 October 1959
CountryUnited States of America
There are a lot of ideas I have that I think would be very marketable and commercial, but they're not as compelling to me as the ones that are unmarketable, uncommercial, and unprofitable.
I think success is a lot more healthy than failure.
Every time you try to make another movie, you never know what will come of it. I can't say it ever gets easier, but it is in it's own way gratifying. I think that because no one movie that you make ever quite satisfies you, you're always feeling, "Next time I can get it right."
The ability to take pleasure in one's life is a skill and is a kind of intelligence. So intelligence is a hard thing to evaluate and it manifests itself in so many different ways. I do think the ability to know how to live a life and not be miserable is a sign of that.
People came up to me afterwards and, it didn't matter whether it was a beautiful model or a heavy-set construction worker, they'd all think the same thing: they'd say, 'That was me, I was Dawn Wiener',
To be honest, I am often unsettled by the responses some people have had to my movies, and that includes many people who like them.
Many people think my movies come out of the deepest feelings of bitterness and cynicism and hostility and not out of any positive feelings at all.
With Storytelling, at least, it's explicit: this is what the censors say American citizens, no matter what age, are not permitted to see, even though it can be seen by other people all over the world. I suppose you could call it a political statement.
We are so defined by our prejudices and our preconceptions, ... that it's sometimes shocking to realise to what extent we are so conditioned.
target anyone in particular. I only hope that some people will find the work entertaining and come to my films with an open mind.
When I was making Storytelling, I couldn't watch while the violent sex scene between the student and the professor was being shot. It was too intense.
Well, so far, at least, my own ideas always take priority over those of other writers. As long as the well doesn't run dry, I imagine this will be the case.
But you're right, I did think about acting more and then decided against it.
I don't like telling people where I stand on this, although I'm surprised anybody wonders. I suppose if I say I'm pro-choice, if I make that clear, it let's the audience off the hook, then they can sort of relax. Okay, it's alright he's pro-choice then I can enjoy this.