Ein Mädchen namens Dinky

I had missed this movie years ago when it came out but now was able to view it on NBC's Peacock site, streaming. It is set and filmed mostly in the community of Clyde, Ohio, about 40 or so miles west of Cleveland and a few miles south of Sandusky Bay off Lake Erie.

The star is Winona Ryder, 17 during filming, as Dinky Bossetti. She is an outcast of sorts at school but in reality is one of the more normal, bright students. She knows she was adopted and doesn't seem to be totally accepted by her parents. They are considering sending her to a spacial school for difficult teenagers. When she learns more about the story of Roxy Carmichael who had a baby as a teenager then sent it to Cleveland for adoption right before she skipped town, Dinky begins to think Roxy is her real mother and intends to run off with her.

All this is sparked by news in town that after 15 years Roxy Carmichael is returning to Clyde and they plan to have a big celebration and dance in her honor. It doesn't really make sense for a community to be doing this for someone who ran away as a teenager but hey, it isn't my story.

Anyway I found this "coming of age" movie to be a bit better than its average rating would suggest. Ryder at her young age was already an accomplished and effective actress, playing Roxy as a suitably quirky character. Jeff Daniels is also very good.

This movie is much more about Dinky Bossetti (Winona Ryder) than Roxy Carmichael. It is about unjustified discrimination. It is generic discrimination; it is not a racial, sexual or any typical reason for discrimination. Dinky is different and for that reason alone she is discriminated against. In my opinion, the reason for that discrimination seems too vague. You will enjoy the story if you can identify with the discrimination. In my opinion however it does not explain well enough why she is different.

At the beginning of the movie, Roxy Carmichael is frustrated by her life and leaves her husband and child in the hopes of success. The movie builds up the Roxy Carmichael character so strong that we just have to see what she is really like when she returns.

Stunningly beautiful in places, surprisingly funny, often deeply touching. At just 19, Winona Ryder had already scored two massive hits with Beetlejuice and Heathers, but this performance eclipses them easily - and is possibly one of her best ever. She is hugely talented, and I can't get enough of her when she's on this kind of form - which sadly isn't often enough in recent years. Jeff Daniels' performance is spot-on, and together on screen these two stars shine brightly - not to take anything away from the superb supporting cast.

One of my all-time favourite movies, and one that still looks as fresh today as it did 16 years ago - testament to the people who made it. Quite under-stated, almost apologetic, but it will delight you. Someone else here described it as a 'hidden treasure' and I agree - it is hugely underrated and is a must-see for anyone who loves movies, Winona Ryder, Jeff Daniels, or has ever felt something was missing, confused or that they didn't belong. If I had to choose one movie to rescue from my burning house, this would certainly be the one.

Thomas Wilson Brown as Gerald Howells made this movie. This under used actor lent a sweet sentiment to a good movie that was having trouble finding it's way. Go ahead, watch it again. But, this time watch Thomas Wilson Brown. It becomes a whole different movie.

Roxy Carmicheal was quite a treat. It showcases a young Winona Ryder's very obvious talent for acting, especially outcast roles, continuing her alternative edged film performances beginning with Lucas and Beetle Juice, which would continue onward into the future. The film viewed as a character study is much more enjoyable than the film viewed as a story about the prodigal homecoming of the immortalized Roxy Carmicheal to which the title refers. The real beauty of the film is witnessing the trials, the pathos, the dilemmas, and the funny stunts of social misfit Dinky (Ryder's character). I fell in love with this character, seeing her as almost a female equivalent to myself (or as I once was anyway). If you are in any way a misfit or rebel, whether you are male or female, you will instantly relate and have empathy for the character of Dinky, who virtually carries the film on her back (due credit should be given to Jeff Daniels' performance though, as another testimonial to his fine dramatic acting abilities). Unfortunately it somehow does not really work as a unified whole, but I agree with those who say this is underrated. It succeeds in creating a memorable and poignant atmosphere that may linger in the viewers' hearts and minds for a time afterward.