Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie Parent Guide

Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie is a big screen adaptation of the Netflix TV show by the same name. I haven’t ever seen the program, so I asked my seven-year-old granddaughter what I should expect from the movie. She said, “Millions and millions and millions of cats. Oh—and catchy music!” She was not wrong.

When we get to the theater, the fun begins with Gabby (Laila Lockhart Kraner) receiving a beautiful dollhouse from visiting grandmother (Gloria Estefan). Gabby loves the dollhouse and fills it with her favourite toy cats before loading it into a small trailer hooked to the back of Grandma’s car for an adventure-packed cross-country road trip to Grandma’s house in Cat Francisco. Just as they arrive, however, the dollhouse breaks out of the trailer, careening up and down the city’s hills before coming to a stop in front of a shop. Here, we are introduced to Kristen Wiig’s eccentric character, Vera - a kitty litter magnate and ultimate crazy cat lady. Vera falls madly in love with the dollhouse and plunks down some serious cash for it before driving off. She’s delighted to have the dollhouse because she feels it will complete her kitty collection.

The rest of the movie is all about finding and retrieving the dollhouse and its occupants. At times, it reminded me of the English Christmas pantomime tradition: Gabby breaks the fourth wall on a regular basis, encouraging viewers to sing and dance and pinch the ears of their (imaginary) headbands in order use magic to rescue her (now living) toy cats.

Wiig is, in my opinion, the best thing about Gabby’s Dollhouse, providing a panto-like misunderstood, deliciously camp villain who steals every scene she’s in. Her persona is reminiscent of Cruella de Vil in Disney’s 101 Dalmatians. Vera’s yoga scene and her angst-filled song had the adults in the theatre laughing out loud! It’s Vera’s character development that drives the plot as she goes from someone who wants toys solely as collectibles into someone who appreciates the joy of play.

I brought my seven- and ten-year-old granddaughters to see Gabby’s Dollhouse. They, along with what seemed like all of the other children in the theatre, sang and laughed and bounced around for the whole show. Several of the girls had dressed up in Gabby’s Dollhouse costumes and were thoroughly invested! I would warn anyone needing to operate heavy equipment against sitting too close to the screen as this movie is intensely colourful, glittery, and downright dizzying at times.

Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie promotes numerous positive messages, some a little more subtly than others. These include, but are not limited to the strength of friendship, courage, determination, cooperation, kindness, and the power of play, music, and family. If you don’t mind suspending disbelief and just letting this show wash over you, you and your favourite kids and pre-teens will have a “paw-some” time!

About author

Shannon Bugg

Shannon Bugg is the mother of four and grandmother of six outstanding human beings.  She has a B. Ed., volunteers in her community and at church and is a world-travelling bon-vivant and woman-about-town.