My Review of Matilda (1996)

 

Written by Nicholas Kazan And Robin Swicord

Directed by Danny DeVito

Narrator: "No kid likes being yelled at, but it was precisely Harry's ranting and raving that gave Matilda the key to her power. To unlock that power, all she had to do was practice."

I'll admit seeing scenes from this movie being used as a meme on social media yesterday reminded me of this film. Oh and the fact that it's 30th anniversary will be coming up in the next few months.

I'm not usually a fan of Americanised adaptations of classic British set books but this without a doubt was my introduction to Roald Dahl's story of a precocious girl with some pretty cool powers and the adults impacted by those powers.

Matilda Wormwood (Mara Wilson) was one of those kids born into the wrong family. She's smart, kind and honest. Her family are the opposite of that. Her father Harry (Danny DeVito) knew how to con people while her mother Zinnia (Rhea Perlman) prioritised looks over books. Matilda's brother, Michael (Brian Levinson) was just a dumb bully.

As bad and as anti intellectual as the Wormwoods were, Matilda had a far bigger threat to face when she was eventually allowed to attend school. I'm talking about Miss Agatha Trunchbull (Pam Ferris). She might be one of the most brutal characters ever created. A truly terrifying presence.

Miss Trunchbull had her ways of terrifying the students and took an immediate dislike to Matilda. By contrast, Miss Honey (Embeth Davidtz) was impressed by Matilda's potential and even believed Matilda when she revealed her powers. Matilda also had a friend in classmate Lavender (Kiami Davael), who delighted in playing her own prank on Trunchbull.

For me, Trunchbull was the highlight because she's genuinely terrifying as a baddie. She made poor Bruce Bogtrotter (Jimmy Karz) eat an entire cake and that's not getting to what she did to Amanda Thripp (Jacqueline Steiger) for wearing pigtails. On the other hand, she's also terribly superstitious and a murderer.

For me, I did find the connection between Miss Trunchbull and Miss Honey a little convenient but it did work dramatically. Trunchbull got a glorious comeuppance, the Wormwoods were on the run and both Matilda and Miss Honey ended up with the family they needed.

- There's funny supporting roles Paul Reubens and Tracey Walter as Bob and Bill. Matilda quickly clocked them as FBI agents.

- The picture of Miss Honey's father, Magnus was actually Roald Dahl himself.

- Standout music: Rusted Root's Send Me On My Way.

- Chronology: 1990s America. The Wormwoods decided to flee to Guam to escape the feds.

Matilda (1996) might have changed the setting but it's an excellent adaptation of a beloved book. The performances from everyone are brilliant, there's some genuinely hilarious lines (most from Trunchbull herself) and it ended on a lovely note. 

Rating: 8 out of 10