Matilda Wormwood taught herself to read at three, finished the children’s section of the library at four, and has parents who think books are for losers. Her father sells cars with sawdust in the gearboxes. At six she is sent to Crunchem Hall, where the headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, once threw the hammer for England and now throws girls by their pigtails. Matilda is Roald Dahl done properly: the adults are monsters, the child wins, and nobody softens it.
What Happens At Crunchem Hall
Miss Honey, the kind teacher, sees what Matilda is and tries to get her moved up. Trunchbull refuses. Bruce Bogtrotter is made to eat an entire chocolate cake in front of the school and does. The Chokey, a cupboard lined with nails, is real. Matilda discovers she can tip a glass of water with her mind, then a newt, then chalk writing on a board on its own, and uses it to give Trunchbull the fright of her life. Miss Honey’s own story turns out to be tied to the Trunchbull.
Why Danny DeVito Was The Right Director
He and Rhea Perlman play the parents, and he narrates. Pam Ferris as Trunchbull is one of the great villains, and Mara Wilson, who had just done Mrs. Doubtfire and Miracle on 34th Street, carries it at nine years old. The pancake-flipping dance to Little Bitty Pretty One is still the scene.
Watch Matilda On GoMovies
98 minutes in HD above. Free, no account.
