Matilda (1996)

Gripping story with well-crafted characters

Absolutely amazing

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

This a all time classic movie which you can watch it so much times and enjoy it every time you watch it. This movie is for families,kids,teens and etc. this is a type of movie which you will enjoy every minute of it. This movie is about a clever girl brought up in a messed up family and has special powers.

Roald Dahl wrote books and stories that could inspire and embolden children (and for that matter, adults) to challenge a daunting world in which bullies, tyrants and other malefactors would seek to oppress and manipulate them. "Matilda" (the book) is a tour de force by the author, presenting his "child-empowering" politics in the most realistic, relatable setting of any of his most popular novels."Matilda" the movie grinds Dahl's crafty, subversive story and his ability to write such a story into "Nightmare on Elm Street" for the grammar school and pre-teen set. Dahl's novel, which with its scant, succinct, read-in-a-couple-of-hours subtlety, nuance and subversion matches the entire "Harry Potter" canon, is ironically the victim of the very authoritarianism it encorages subverting. "Matilda" the movie contains so many revisions and diminishments to and of Dahl's story as to be a completely different tale. The text "Based on..." in the credits of a movie has become so common that few people give any thought to the source material. In the case of "Matilda" the movie vs. "Matilda" the book this is not only unfortunate, it is a dis-service to their children and to any parents who value having their children learn, understand and engage in critical thinking. And the possible "Spoilers" begin:---1)"Matilda" the book: Matilda is the daughter/sister of shallow, materialistic, vacuous parents and brother; the worst possible common-denominator of the "Me Generation" of the 1980's. They are not the inevitable result of their era, the Wormwoods have made choices that result in both their vapidity and perhaps as counter-balance, Matilda. ---1A)"Matilda" the movie: Matilda is the daughter/sister of cartoons. One-dimensional, stupid to the point of begging the viewer to question how such adults could achieve adulthood much less be thriving, these caricatures raise the first of many questions: Where is the cleverness, the craftiness Dahl provides the Wormwoods? ---2)"Matilda" the book: Matilda's reading exposes her to thought processes, ideas, concepts, motives not generally available to elementary school age children. Her favorite author is Charles Dickens, and from him and other writers she develops an intuitive understanding that the world is not in balance. ---2A)"Matilda" the movie: Matilda reads voraciously, but what does she learn from that reading?---3) "Matilda" the book: Ah-Ha! A critical idea emerges; Matilda, through her reading has obtained crucial insight into adult motives, behavior, actions. She develops the understanding that size and age are not impervious barriers to ethical and moral actions. ---3B) "Matilda" the movie: Matilda is inspired by her amoral, criminal father to consider the possibility that she (a child) is as much a person (and therefore as powerful) as any adult.An aside: Which is more potent, more effective, more persistent, sustainable? Insight or information?---4) "Matilda" the book: Matilda makes scant use of her "powers." ---4A) "Matilda" the movie: Matilda dances about, moving furniture, controlling electrical switches, ad infinitum... and directly relevant to... ---4.b) "Matilda" the book: the first time Matilda seeks to demonstrate her powers to Miss Honey, she succeeds. Miss Honey is never, ever doubtful of Matilda's abilities. ---4.A.b) "Matilda" the movie: Matilda is unsuccessful in her early attempt to demonstrate her ability to Miss Honey. And the "Hollywood-ization" of "Matilda" takes it first big step.---5A) "Matilda" the movie: the entire, long, drawn out episode of Matilda psychically invading Trunchbull's (yes, I know) house is contrived. No version of it exists in Dahl's book. This sequence is the most shameless, pandering and demeaning scene in the film (although it has credible competition for this dishonor). ---5) "Matilda" the book: Nothing like this scene occurs in Dahl's novel, for good reason. Matilda's power, its existence and her use of it is, as will be evidenced at the story's end, purposeful, deliberate...righteous.An aside: In "Matilda" the movie Matilda has magic powers which she maintains after the story's climax. In "Matilda" the book, Matilda is never able to manifest her telekinetic ability after she rectifies the wrongs committed against Miss Honey. I suggest that the movie's ending is much less "spiritual" than Dahl intended.---6) "Matilda" the book: Having overcome Trunchbull and redressing the wrongs committed against Miss Honey, Matilda never again manifests her telekinesis, suggesting the ability was specific to a situation...that is, spiritual. ---6B) "Matilda" the movie: Matilda continues to demonstrates telekinetic ability, which would beg the questions "What will a human with such power do?," "How will Matilda affect and influence the world?," etc., etc., etc..And lastly, but not "leastly:"---7B) "Matilda" the movie: In Dahl's book Matilda is never mean or malicious. The treatment of Trunchbull at the film's climax depicts an act of vengeance severely out of character with Matilda's nature and her manifestation of her telekinetic ability. It is consistent with the "Hollywood-ization" of the story in that it provides a slapstick, child-pleasing and child-accessible conclusion. ---7A) "Matilda" the book: Matilda earns an understanding of empowerment, but also learns that the power she had and used was a metaphor for being responsible, intelligent, clever, wise, compassionate...all the traits she sought in the adults around her.Even granting that the movie versions of books are generally criticized for the liberties, variances and accommodations that are part of "getting the movie made," Matilda, the movie, is too much a violation of its source to be worthy of viewing.

Childhood memories aside, this movie barley holds up.Its antagonist is ridiculous, being able to get away with torturing children in a society where their parents can enjoy TV shows. Any child in their right mind would have told their parents or the police and that lady would have been fired.Furthermore, Matilda's parents are some of the worst characters ever spawned out of film. Were they supposed to relate to children with abusive parents? Its as if the main demographic is mentally abused children and yet that number of children pales in comparison to the number of children who love their parents and attend a good and caring school. This movie will end up labeling school principals as incarnates of hell and would make parents look like the biggest douches in the world. And people LOVE this movie! Are you kidding me?This film is laughable at best. Its 'redeeming' aspects stress strength in solidarity, and a love for learning. But in the context these things are being shown, they are nothing. Lessons that fail because they are overshadowed by the utterly stupid parents and a demonic principal that will never exist in the real world.I suppose people will blame me for failing to address other aspects of the film, like the good teacher, or Matilda's friends. Of course the teacher is also laughably perfect, as if to say that such a person also exists in the real world. Giving children the expectation that maybe they will meet a person that nice, further inspiring mixed feelings toward their own parents and their school. But neither do I address Matilda's powers, which she uses to solve problems, making everything look laughably easy to do in an abusive situation. Which would make children fail to realize that a lot of their comforts in life come from the hard work their parents put in.This movie is fine and fun to watch. But it is most certainly not a good movie, regardless of how much you loved it when you were 6 years old.

Danny DeVito directs, co-stars & narrates this 1996 fantasy with Mara Wilson, Rhea Perlman, Embeth Davidtz and Pam Ferris based on the book. Wilson (Mrs. Doubtfire) plays Matilda, a sweet, young girl who discovers she has telekinetic powers. DeVito (Taxi) and Perlman (Cheers) play her parents, Harry and Zinnia Wormwood who often yell and neglect her. Davidtz (Army of Darkness) plays Jennifer Honey, Matilda's nice teacher and Ferris plays Agatha Trunchbull, the mean headmistress of their school who is also Miss Honey's aunt. Soon, Matilda decides to help Miss Honey find peace in her life as well as her own. Paul Reubens (Pee-wee's Big Adventure) and Tracey Walter (Batman) also appear as FBI agents. This is a good children's fantasy with humorous, spooky and dramatic moments mixed in. The cast is great and there's neat effects. I recommend this.