The story follows (played by Jess Weixler), a chaste high school student and prominent spokesperson for a Christian abstinence group called "The Promise". Raised in a town near a nuclear power facility—a possible cause for her mutation—Dawn remains sexually naive until she is assaulted by a suitor in a cave.
| Publication | Quote | |-------------|-------| | The New York Times | "A gleefully transgressive feminist fable." | | Variety | "Weixler is a revelation—innocent and fierce." | | Roger Ebert | "A movie that has something serious to say about sexual politics, wrapped in a premise that could easily have been trash." | | The Guardian | "Utterly bizarre, surprisingly smart, and genuinely funny." | teeth 2007 movie
Upon release, the film faced an uphill battle. The MPAA gave it an "NC-17" rating initially (for "some strange sexuality and disturbing images"), effectively killing a wide theatrical release. After an appeal, it was downgraded to an "R," but the damage was done. Major theater chains refused to play it. Posters were banned from bus stops. Critics, however, were surprisingly kind. Roger Ebert gave it three out of four stars, calling it "a smart, well-acted, and oddly sweet movie." The story follows (played by Jess Weixler), a
Lichtenstein, the son of pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, uses the premise as an allegory for several issues: The MPAA gave it an "NC-17" rating initially
: Some reviewers found the pacing uneven and the third act rushed. Others felt the satire was too on-the-nose.