Matilda (1996 movie) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Matilda |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Danny DeVito |
| Produced by |
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| Screenplay by |
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| Narrated by | Danny DeVito (final cut version) Mara Wilson (director's cut version) |
| Starring |
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| Music by | David Newman |
| Cinematography | Stefan Czapsky |
| Editing by |
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| Studio |
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| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| Release date(s) | August 2, 1996 (United States) |
| Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $36 million |
| Money made | $47 million |
Matilda is a fun fantasy comedy film from 1996. It was co-produced and directed by Danny DeVito. The movie is based on the popular 1988 book of the same name by Roald Dahl.
The film stars Mara Wilson as Matilda Wormwood, a very smart young girl. Danny DeVito also narrates the story and acts in the film. Other main actors include Rhea Perlman, Embeth Davidtz, and Pam Ferris.
The story is about Matilda, a child prodigy who discovers she has special powers. She can move things with her mind, which is called telekinesis. She uses these powers to deal with her unfair family and the scary principal at her school.
Matilda came out in the United States on August 2, 1996. Critics really liked the movie, praising how well it followed the book. Even though it didn't make a lot of money in theaters, it became very popular later on home video.
Contents
Story of Matilda
Matilda Wormwood is a six-year-old genius. Her parents, Harry and Zinnia, and her older brother Michael, often ignore her. Harry sells used cars and is not very honest. Zinnia loves playing bingo all the time.
Matilda loves to read and finds comfort in books from the public library. Her parents don't want her to go to school or use her brain. Because of this, Matilda plays tricks on them. She puts bleach in her dad's hair product and glues his hat to his head.
One day, Harry catches Matilda reading Moby-Dick from the library. He rips up the book and makes her watch a silly game show. Matilda gets so angry that the television explodes! This is the first hint of her special powers.
Harry sells a car to Miss Agatha Trunchbull. She is the very strict principal of Crunchem Hall Elementary School. In return, Matilda gets to go to school there. On her first day, other students warn Matilda about Miss Trunchbull's harsh punishments. These include throwing students and locking them in a tiny, scary closet called the "chokey."
Matilda's kind teacher, Miss Jennifer Honey, quickly sees how smart Matilda is. Matilda can easily solve middle school math problems. Miss Honey asks for Matilda to be moved to a higher class, but Miss Trunchbull says no. Matilda's parents also don't care about her intelligence when Miss Honey visits them.
Miss Trunchbull makes a student named Bruce Bogtrotter eat a huge chocolate cake. He was being punished for stealing a small piece. Matilda and the other students cheer Bruce on until he finishes the whole cake. Miss Trunchbull then gives everyone five hours of detention.
Matilda finds out that her father is being watched by the FBI. This is because of his dishonest car business. She tries to warn her parents, but they don't believe her.
After finding out the car Harry sold her was broken, Miss Trunchbull locks Matilda in the chokey. Miss Honey helps Matilda get out. Later, Matilda's friend Lavender puts a newt in Miss Trunchbull's water glass. Miss Trunchbull blames Matilda. Matilda gets so mad that she uses her mind to tip the glass over, splashing the newt onto Miss Trunchbull!
Miss Honey feels sorry for Matilda and invites her for tea. Miss Honey shares her sad past: her mother died when she was two. Her father, Magnus, invited his stepsister, Miss Trunchbull, to live with them. But Miss Trunchbull was very mean to Miss Honey. Magnus died three years later, and his will supposedly left everything to Miss Trunchbull.
Matilda and Miss Honey sneak into Miss Trunchbull's house to get some of Miss Honey's old things. They barely escape when Miss Trunchbull comes home early.
Matilda practices her telekinetic powers. She uses them to trick the FBI agents, giving her dad time to think. She goes back to Miss Trunchbull's house to get a doll from Miss Honey's childhood. While there, she pretends to be the ghost of Magnus to scare Miss Trunchbull away. But Matilda accidentally leaves her hair ribbon behind.
The next day, Matilda gives the doll back to Miss Honey and shows her special powers. Miss Trunchbull visits the class to make students confess about the house incident. Miss Honey stands up for herself and reveals her secret. Matilda then uses her powers to write a message on the blackboard. She pretends to be Magnus's spirit again. The message demands that Miss Trunchbull give Miss Honey her house and money back. It also tells her to leave town, accusing her of causing Magnus's death.
Miss Trunchbull gets very angry and attacks the class. But Matilda protects everyone with her powers. All the students at Crunchem Hall see what happens. They start a food fight to force Miss Trunchbull out of the school for good.
After Miss Honey moves back into her house, Harry, Zinnia, and Michael come to get Matilda. They plan to run away to Guam to avoid the FBI. Matilda refuses to go. She says she wants Miss Honey to adopt her. Her parents are surprised but her mother says sorry for not understanding her. Desperate to leave, her parents sign the adoption papers. Matilda lives happily with Miss Honey, who becomes the new principal of Crunchem Hall. They become a loving family.
Main Characters
- Mara Wilson as Matilda Wormwood: A very smart, polite, and clever 6½-year-old girl. She has special powers that can make anything possible. She becomes Miss Honey's adopted daughter.
- Katelyn and Zoey Rosen played Baby Matilda.
- Kayla and Kelsey Fredericks played 9-month-old Matilda.
- Amanda and Caitlin Fein played 2-year-old Matilda.
- Sara Michelle Magdalin played 4-year-old Matilda.
- Embeth Davidtz as Miss Jennifer Honey: The kind and caring teacher at Crunchem Hall. She helps Matilda believe in herself and becomes Matilda's adopted mother.
- Amanda and Kristyn Summers played 2-year-old Jennifer Honey.
- Phoebe Garcia-Pearl played 5-year-old Jennifer Honey.
- Pam Ferris as Agatha Trunchbull: Jennifer Honey's mean aunt and the cruel principal of Crunchem Hall. She used to be an Olympian athlete and uses her strength to hurt the children. She also likes putting them in the Chokey, a small closet with nails and broken glass.
- Danny DeVito as Harry Wormwood: Matilda and Michael's father. He is a grumpy, dishonest car salesman.
- Danny DeVito also tells the story as the narrator.
- Rhea Perlman as Zinnia Wormwood: Matilda and Michael's mother. She is often busy with bingo and doesn't pay much attention to her children.
- Paul Reubens and Tracey Walter as Bob and Bill: Two FBI agents who pretend to be speedboat salesmen. They are investigating Harry's dishonest car business.
- Kiami Davael as Lavender: Matilda's best friend and classmate.
- Jacqueline Steiger as Amanda Thripp: Matilda's shy classmate with pigtails that Miss Trunchbull hates.
- Jimmy Karz as Bruce Bogtrotter: Matilda's older classmate who loves food. Miss Trunchbull punishes him for eating her chocolate cake.
- Kira Spencer Hesser as Hortensia: An older student who tells Matilda about Miss Trunchbull.
- Jean Speegle Howard as Mrs. Phelps: The kind librarian who gives Matilda books and encourages her love of reading.
- Marion Dugan as Cookie: The school cook who makes the chocolate cake. She is loyal to Miss Trunchbull.
- Jon Lovitz as Mickey: The host of a silly game show called The Million Dollar Sticky.
Making the Movie
In 1993, Universal Pictures first won the rights to make a movie from Roald Dahl's book Matilda. Writers Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord wrote the script. After some disagreements about money, TriStar Pictures (part of Columbia Pictures) took over the project.
Miriam Margolyes tried out for the role of Agatha Trunchbull. She later played Aunt Sponge in another Roald Dahl movie, James and the Giant Peach, which also came out in 1996.
Pam Ferris, who played Miss Trunchbull, got a few injuries while filming. In the scene where she gets hit by erasers, she had to keep her eyes open. This caused chalk dust to get in her eyes, and she had to go to the hospital several times.
In the scene where Miss Trunchbull swings Amanda Thripp by her pigtails, a special harness was used. The wires were hidden in Amanda's pigtails and looped around Pam Ferris's fingers. As she swung Amanda, the force was so strong that it hurt Pam Ferris's finger, needing several stitches.
The house used for Miss Trunchbull's home is called the Crank House in Altadena. Matilda's house was filmed in Whittier. The library she visits is the Pasadena Public Library in Pasadena.
Mara Wilson's mother, Suzie Wilson, was diagnosed with cancer during filming in 1995. She sadly passed away in April 1996, a few months before the movie was released. The film was dedicated to her memory. Danny DeVito made sure to show Mara's mother the finished movie before she died.
Music in the Film
Two songs are featured in the movie. "Send Me on My Way" by Rusted Root plays twice. You hear it when young Matilda is making pancakes by herself and again at the end of the film. The other song is "Little Bitty Pretty One" by Thurston Harris. This song plays when Matilda is learning to control her telekinetic powers. The film's original music was created by David Newman.
Release and Success
In Theaters
Matilda was released in movie theaters on August 2, 1996. It earned $8.5 million in its first weekend in the US. Overall, the film made $47 million worldwide. This was a bit more than its $36 million budget.
At Home
The movie was released on VHS and LaserDisc in December 1996. A DVD version came out in 1997, and another one with more special features was released in 2005. In 2013, the cast of Matilda had a reunion to celebrate the movie's 17th anniversary and its release on Blu-ray. A new 4K Blu-Ray version was released in September 2023.
What's Next for Matilda?
In 2019, Danny DeVito said he would love to make a sequel to Matilda. He thought it could be about Matilda's own child, since Mara Wilson is now grown up.
In 2022, the story was made into a new movie called Matilda the Musical. This was the second film based on the original book. It also received good reviews.
