Happy 25th to "Matilda"
Monday, August 2, 2021 at 7:10PM by Camile Henriques
It's common on the internet to revisit films from childhood and realize that all many of them have going for them is nostalgia. With Matilda turning 25 today, I revisited the film. I'm happy to share that the Danny DeVito-directed adaptation of Roald Dahl's Matilda is as charming, for me, now as it was back then as a child in the 1990's, if not more, since the themes it touches on are given a whole new meaning now.
The film follows a little girl with telekinetic powers big enough to lead her through a new life whilst teaching her negligent parents a few lessons. She's portrayed by Mara Wilson, who, at that time, was one of the most prominent child stars post-Macaulay Culkin. Before Matilda, Wilson had a breakout role in Mrs. Doubtfire, a guest spot in the first season of Melrose Place, and a starring role in 1994's remake of Miracle on 34th Street, in the part that was originally Natalie Wood's...
As Wilson says in her autobiography, "Where Am I Now? True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame", the role of Matilda was a dream come true, because the book had two big fans in her and her mother, Susie (who passed away during production of the film).
They both had a deep connection to the story:
"Your book was my favorite. There weren't many other girl characters I could look up to. You used your wit and brains to outsmart your cruel, superficial parents and the monsters at your schools. You were smart, thoughtful and rebellious in all the right ways. You were what my mother wanted me to be.
I had been acting for a year and a half when I encountered you again... 'You'll never guess what I have', (my mother) told me after school and handed me the script...
My mother told me she could hear me laughing through my sister's baby monitor as I read (it). When I was done, I hugged the script to my chest. I have never wanted to play a character so badly"
-an excerpt of chapter 9 of 'Where Am I Now?', by Mara Wilson
Mara's perception of the character even then is surely the reason Matilda became such an icon for girls of my generation. Danny DeVito's film captures all the layers to the story, while not forgetting to bring out the fun. The cartoonish aspect of the picture was so smart, as it not only was the perfect frame for the lead character's thoughts and dreams, but also, had a tongue-in-cheek aspect to it, thanks to the voiceover provided by DeVito himself, with a tender quality that rivaled the villain he played in the story.
As the story progresses and Matilda discovers that a) she's a powerful kid and b) adults can be punished for bad deeds, the audience is met with a mix of tension and comedy. The tone never falters thanks to DeVito's offscreen choices. It also helps that Agatha Trunchbull, the antagonist played by Pam Ferris, is as scary to kids as she is to adults like Miss Honey, played by Embetz David with the sweetness you would expect from a character with that name. Trunchbull leads by fear and, while she does have a backstory relevant to the film's development, it doesn't feel as forced as today's villain origin stories have become. It's never not cartoonish, and another way to show us Honey and Matilda's sense of empathy.
And then there's Mara Wilson. All the elements that work in DeVito's film wouldn't be worthy if the girl who played Matilda didn't have the charisma and screen presence that Wilson had. She was already a proven scene-stealer but in Matilda, she sells us the fears and shattered dreams of a little girl living in a family that doesn't even know her age.
The television scene is a favorite of mine: Mara doesn't say much. She's basically sitting on the couch, minding her business, reading Moby Dick, while her parents and brother are glued to the television screen. As she punishes them by breaking the TV, we, as an audience, cannot help but cheer, but the best part is yet to come: the funny "I didn't do it" response, to DeVito's quick comeback. Of course she didn't do it. Like, how would she? She's just a kid.
As Mara writes in "Where Am I Now?", Matilda was a hero who used her smarts to help others. She found solace in books and many people, like me, found solace by watching her power through injustice.
10|25|50|75|100, Danny DeVito, Mara Wilson, Matilda, childhood
Reader Comments (4)
I still love this movie. Pam Ferris as Trunchball is truly one of the great barnstorming film turns of the '90s.
Watched this with my 7-year-old during quarantine. I've never seen her so delighted by a film.
One of the best top 10 films ever made. And I said what I said.
Still the greatest use of Rusted Root’s “Send Me On My Way”, period.
I love it to the moon and back.
And so quotable! Kids today fall in love with it as much as kids my day did. That’s a classic, through and through.