# Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael

Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael is a 1990 American comedy drama film that was directed by Jim Abrahams. It stars Winona Ryder and Jeff Daniels.

## Plot

Dinky Bossetti is a 15-year-old girl who was adopted as a baby and is constantly picked on at school. Dinky's antisocial attitude and behavior is caused by her intelligence, her adoptive parents not accepting her for who she is, and being bullied by her peers. Dinky's adoptive mother Rochelle is disappointed that her daughter has no interest in "feminine" things, such as makeup and nice clothing. Her adoptive father, Les, passively allows his wife to scold Dinky and send her to various "counselors" who are little more than temporary jailers. Her teachers give her no support when classmates ostracize, taunt, and throw things at her. Dinky enjoys thumbing her nose at her peers and embarrasses Gerald, a cute popular boy, by reading a condescending love poem to him in class.
Dinky is befriended by the new school guidance counselor Elizabeth Zaks, who recognizes her intelligence and spirit. Ms. Zaks tries to encourage Dinky to improve her appearance and get along better with others without compromising her true self. Gerald begins to show interest in Dinky and tries to get other students to stop harassing her, but Dinky takes no notice as she becomes convinced that she is the abandoned daughter of Roxy Carmichael, a former town resident who left for Hollywood and has been invited to return for the dedication of a new municipal building. Dinky becomes fixated on the many similarities she shares with Roxy and questions the townsfolk for memories of her. Dinky is then led to Denton Webb, Roxy's old boyfriend. He reveals that he and Roxy secretly had a child before she left town. Dinky's questions about Roxy prompt Denton to become obsessed with revisiting his romance, causing him to become more short-tempered and dismissive of his family. Fed up, his wife leaves him and tells him that Roxy never loved him.
Meanwhile, Dinky becomes convinced that when Roxy arrives for the ceremony, she will take Dinky away to a new life. On the day of Roxy's arrival, Dinky packs her suitcase and dresses up for the building dedication. At the ceremony, Rochelle reveals that she invited representatives from a boarding school to send Dinky away, but Les finally stands up to his wife and reminds her Dinky is their daughter no matter what. The townspeople eagerly await Roxy's arrival and expect her to emerge from a limousine that pulled up to the ceremony. Instead, the townspeople are left with a note explaining that Roxy is unable to attend. Distressed, Dinky runs after the car and Denton finally realizes the reason for Dinky's interest in Roxy. He tells her that his child with Roxy was born premature and did not survive, so Dinky is not Roxy's child.
Devastated, Dinky is comforted by Gerald and realizes she was chasing a fantasy. She decides to make peace with herself and her life as it is. Meanwhile, Rochelle tears up the boarding school brochures while Denton burns his Roxy memorabilia, hinting at a possible reconciliation with his wife. Dinky returns home where Gerald greets her, saying, "Welcome home, Dinky Bossetti."

## Cast

* Winona Ryder as Dinky Bossetti
* Jeff Daniels as Denton Webb
* Laila Robins as Elizabeth Zaks
* Thomas Wilson Brown as Gerald Howells
* Joan McMurtrey as Barbara Webb
* Graham Beckel as Les Bossetti
* Frances Fisher as Rochelle Bossetti
* Robby Kiger as Beannie Billings
* Dinah Manoff as Evelyn Whittacher
* Sachi Parker as Libby Ohlemachet
* Stephen Tobolowsky as Mayor Bill Klepler
* Micole Mercurio as Louise Garweski
* John Short as Ronald Reems
* Robin Thomas as Scotty Sandholtzer
* Valerie Landsberg as Miss Day Ashburn
* Rhonda Aldrich as Charmaine
* Ava Fabian as Roxy Carmichael
* Carla Gugino as Young Roxy Carmichael
* Rob King as Young Denton Webb
* Daniel Fekete as Denny Webb, Jr.
* Beth Grant as Lillian Logerfield
* Heidi Swedberg as Andrea Stein
* Angela Paton as Gloria Sikes

## Production notes

The setting of the film, Clyde, Ohio, is a real town. However the film features locations in Sandusky, Ohio as well. Located on the shore of Lake Erie.

## Reception

Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael received mixed reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 55% approval rating based on 11 reviews, with an average rating of 5.4/10. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 44 out of 100 based on 19 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.
One of the most outspoken detractors of the film was Variety, whose comments about it were that "fans of Winona Ryder will definitely want to catch her in an offbeat role as the town rebel in this teen-oriented small-town saga; unfortunately, the rest of the production doesn't quite match up."
Roger Ebert gave the film 2 stars in his original review, and said that "Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael" contains one small treasure: a perceptive and particular performance by Winona Ryder in the role of a high school outcast", and that "her work is surrounded by a screenplay so flat-footed that much of our time is spent waiting impatiently for foregone conclusions."

## Soundtrack

Thomas Newman composed the original score for the film, which was released on cassette and compact disc by Varèse Sarabande. Although Melissa Etheridge wrote and performed two original songs for the film - "Don't Look At Me" and "In Roxy's Eyes (I Will Never Be the Same)" - neither is included on the soundtrack album; while the former has never been released, the latter is included on her 1993 album Yes I Am as "I Will Never Be the Same".
* In the Closet (1:45)
* Little Black Bird (1:23)
* Hers Are Nicest (1:10)
* Refrigerator Shrine (2:36)
* Missing Bossetti Child (:56)
* Wake Up (1:26)
* Clyde (1:44)
* Her Limousine (1:57)
* Several Letters (1:12)
* Choke It (2:18)
* Arriving by Aeroplane (:56)
* Cleveland (1:12)
* Yours Are Nice (:41)
* Baby Soup (2:56)
* In a Beauty Parlor (:35)
* G. on a Bike (1:06)
* Her Majesty's Dress (1:22)
* This Was My Intention (2:29)
* In a Small Town (1:33)