Matilda
When I was a little kid, I had always wanted to be able to move things with my mind. I had seen it happen on Mary Poppins and I even read the book by Roald Dahl. I pretended that I could clean my room by pointing at things. And that's what Matilda is about. It takes those dreams and makes them a reality... sort of. We enjoy watching the movie because it brings back those happy memories.
Matilda is played by the adorable Mara Wilson from Mrs. Doubtfire. What makes her fun to watch is that she never plays "too cute." That's when a kid thinks that he/she can get away with bad acting by being cute. Wilson doesn't do that. She makes the character come to life, and I don't think I would have wanted any other actress to play the part. Most of the child actors say their lines like they are reading from cue cards. Actually, most of them probably are. But that's why Wilson was so good. She put emotion into the lines and made it sound like it was an actual child. Maybe it was because the character's mind was older and smarter than the average four year old. Whatever the reason, Mara Wilson was perfect for the role.
The movie actually has a complex plot for this kind of movie. Matilda is born to Harry and Zinnia Wormwood (Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman) who care more about the TV than they do about Matilda. She has to learn to take care of herself and she does. In fact, by the age of 4 she is reading books by Dickens and Melville. I began reading these books in 8th grade. She wants to go to school, but her parents don't care, they don't even know her age. The last time they even checked her age was when she was 4. Now, she is 6 and a half and pleads with her parents to send her to school. But they want her to stay home to sign for the packages that come.
She finally gets to go to school, but its nothing like she expected. She goes to a school called Crunchem School--a private school with a principal so mean that she makes my Geometry teacher look nice. The principal is Agatha Trunchbull (Pam Ferris, in her American film debut), an Olympic fanatic who throws a girl, by her hair, over a fence because she was wearing pigtails (the Hammer throw). Sure, it's sadistic, but the way Danny DeVito directed it made it hilarious. But hey! It's a Dahl adaption--what did you expect? (Dahl also wrote "James and the Giant Peach" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," which was made into Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)
However, a sweet and kind teacher, Miss Honey (Embeth Davidtz) helps the kids out of the "choker" and other predicaments that Trunchbull puts them into. Her classroom is covered with art by the kids and other colorful things, but if Trunchbull ever comes to visit, they cover everything up and it becomes--what it appears to be--a jail. One day, while Trunchbull is visiting the class and almost drinks a newt, Matilda discovers something new about herself. She has telekinetic powers.
This is where the movie is at its best. She uses her powers to help out kids at school and even gets a doll back for Miss Honey. The funniest sequences in the movie is where Matilda goes into Trunchbull's house to look for the doll. I couldn't stop laughing. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. The way DeVito directed it was excellent. The scene has to be seen to be appreciated. And I'm not about to reveal what happens.
Not all of the credit can be given to the director and actors. The writers, Robin Swicord and Nicholas Kazan, kept the story close to the novel. They make everything dark, just like the novel, but they also give it a comical twist. This was also in the book, but what makes it so funny is the visual style of the humor. For instance, Trunchbull, who senses that someone is in her house, jumps from the second to the first floor of her house and when she hits the ground, the house shakes. I almost missed the next few minutes because I was laughing so hard.
What makes this movie so much better than any other "childrens" movie out is the acting. This is top-notch acting which you won't find in many movies like this. Mara Wilson is wonderful and I believe that she should be nominated for an Academy Award. Danny DeVito is good as the sly, con-artist who doesn't really care about his daughter. Rhea Perlman almost steals the movie in her portrayal of the dumb blonde who only likes bingo and TV. Who does steal the movie then? Actually, the three main characters do. Embeth Davidtz is terrific after her stunning role in Schindler's List. She is probably the only nice adult character in this movie. Pam Ferris, however, is the overall scene-stealer. She is absolutely hilarious as Miss Trunchbull. She also has to be seen to be appreciated--and believed. That is one buff woman!
Matilda is rated PG. The only reason that this movie didn't get a G rating was because of some of the language, and most of it comes from the two parents. But the movie is perfect for the entire family and even adults will find themselves enjoying the goofiness of the movie. Quoting what Siskel and Ebert said about Kingpin, which is not as near as funny or as good as this one, "I can't wait to see this one again, and take friends!"