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Teeth: a biting comedy
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A comedy about vagina dentata will probably not get the usual movie crowd to go and see Teeth but for those who do; a sharp horror-comedy awaits them. The movie takes on the subject of abstinence and instead of choosing a side and having scene after scene hammer their argument into audience’s heads they step back and tell the story of Dawn, played by Jess Weixler, a teenage girl who has just started to become aware of her sexuality. In the movie, Dawn starts out as a naïve yet sincere person who seems to be incapable of doing any harm to any individual. She belongs to an abstinence group at school, she helps her sick mom, and, unlike most teenagers, is incapable of the slightest bit of sarcasm.
Yet something from her childhood has deeply scarred her. As the story moves along you realize that for Dawn her strong belief in “saving yourself till marriage” is her way of trying to repress the physical and emotional things going on in her body. For Dawn, the always sweet and helpful girl, has to face the harsh reality of liars, abusers, and cheats.
The writer and director of the movie, Mitchell Lichtenstein, has been accused by many that the characters in the story are stereotypes, but I believe that works within the reality of the story. And although there is great acting from everybody in the cast, the best performance in the movie is by Jess Weixler. She takes a one-note joke and really makes you forget just how ridiculous the story could be. At the 2007 Sundance Film Festival Weixler even won a special jury prize for her performance in the movie.
Teeth had its theatrical premiere at the start of 2008 in a handful of theaters in New York City. It was released on DVD several months ago.
