If the ‘80s were full of enduring teen movies that glorified suburban young people’s search for love and acceptance, the mid-‘90s saw an explosion of independent films that subverted the fantasy aspect. Cult classics such as Larry Clark’s Kids and Kevin Smith's Clerks downplay the hope of a brighter future in favor of a bleak, dead-end outlook for America’s youth. This tone was not limited to dramas alone, as Todd Solondz’s dark comedy Welcome to the Dollhouse flips the traditional coming-of-age narrative on its head.