May 25, 2012

This Day in Indie History: Palindromes

by MovieMaker Staff | Published April 12, 2007

It was on this day in 2005 that writer-director Todd Solondz’s Palindromes was released to New York audiences. The movie stars Ellen Barkin (in what critics predicted was her comeback role) and a revolving cast of eight young girls of varying age and physical features. Solondz’s tale follows 13-year-old Aviva (portrayed throughout the movie by various women) in her quest to have a baby. After becoming pregnant by a family friend and the subsequent abortion procedure that leaves her unable to bear children, Aviva runs away. The film was nominated for a Golden Lion at the 2004 Venice Film Festival and following its release, earned an Independent Spirit Producers Award nomination.

Factoid: Palindromes picks up where 2005’s Welcome to the Dollhouse (Solondz’s first big hit feature) left off. It is for Dollhouse’s Dawn Wiener character that Aviva attends a funeral in the movie’s first scene. Apparently Dawn has gained weight in the 10 years since we’ve seen her and committed suicide, leaving her brother Mark to comfort their cousin Aviva through this difficult time.