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Matilda
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Matilda (1996) -- Story of a wonderful little girl, who happens to be a genius, and her wonderful teacher vs. the worst parents ever and the worst school principal imaginable.

Overview

User Rating:
6.5/10   16,132 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 75% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Danny DeVito
Writers (WGA):
Roald Dahl (book)
Nicholas Kazan (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Matilda on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
2 August 1996 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Family | Fantasy more
Tagline:
A little magic goes a long way. more
Plot:
Story of a wonderful little girl, who happens to be a genius, and her wonderful teacher vs. the worst parents ever and the worst school principal imaginable. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
3 wins & 4 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
Discussion: 2009 Oscar Predictions
 (From newsinfilm. 21 February 2009, 2:32 PM, PST)

Danny DeVito to helm ‘Charlotte Doyle’
 (From screeninglog. 15 July 2008, 2:07 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
"A wonderful and partly scary adaption of Roald Dahl's classic novel" more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Mara Wilson ... Matilda Wormwood

Danny DeVito ... Harry Wormwood / Narrator
Rhea Perlman ... Zinnia Wormwood

Embeth Davidtz ... Miss Jennifer 'Jenny' Honey
Pam Ferris ... Agatha Trunchbull

Paul Reubens ... FBI Agent Bob

Tracey Walter ... FBI Agent Bill
Brian Levinson ... Michael 'Mikey' Wormwood
Jean Speegle Howard ... Miss Phelps
Sara Magdalin ... Matilda at 4 Years
R.D. Robb ... Roy
Gregory R. Goliath ... Luther (as Goliath Gregory)
Fred Parnes ... Waiter
Kiami Davael ... Lavender
Leor Livneh Hackel ... Julius Rottwinkle
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Roald Dahl's Matilda
more
MPAA:
Rated PG for elements of exaggerated meanness and ridicule, and for some mild language.
Runtime:
98 min | USA:102 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby | SDDS (8 channels)
Filming Locations:
Arcadia, California, USA more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
As a child, Miss Honey had a doll named Liccy Doll. One of the producers of the film is author Roald Dahl's widow, Liccy Dahl. more
Goofs:
Continuity: The Trunchbull's cake has two layers in some shots and three layers in others. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Narrator: Everyone is born, but not everyone is born the same. Some will grow to be butchers, or bakers, or candlestick makers. Some will only be really good at making Jell-O salad. One way or another, though, every human being is unique, for better or for worse.
[Harry takes his first look at Matilda, grunts, and leaves]
Narrator: Most parents believe their children are the most beautiful creatures ever to grace the planet. Others take a less emotional approach:
Harry Wormwood: What a waste of time!
Zinnia Wormwood: And painful!
Harry Wormwood: And expensive... $9.25 for a bar of soap?
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Magic Within (1996) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Little Bitty Pretty One more

FAQ

Unofficial DVD chapter headings:
more
16 out of 19 people found the following comment useful:-
"A wonderful and partly scary adaption of Roald Dahl's classic novel", 12 September 2004
Author: simon-trek from Sydney, Australia

I can't say 'Matilda' was one of my favorite Roald Dahl books as a child but the movie adaption isn't that bad.

Matilda is a very bright and intelligent for a girl of her age. She's quite different from her grouchy and ignorant parents. Danny DeVito was good as Matilda's

father, he often plays very grouchy characters. Mrs Trunchbull was scarier than I remember her from the book. She's worse than mean. She's a deranged,

aggressive freak! She's an absolute monster! She hates children and does

nothing except bully and intimidate them.

As for Mrs Jennifer Honey she's the exact opposite of Mrs Trunchbull. She's

kindest and sweetest teacher you could find. She's like a mother to her school children and tries to protect them, but unfortunately she to is intimidated by Mrs Trunchbull. So when Matilda develops these telekinetic powers, it is up to her to teach Mrs Trunchbull an ultimate lesson.

I really liked the relationship Matilda has with Mrs Honey. It reminds me of the relationships I had with certain teachers at school. So I would say this movie is both frightening and touching at the same time.

Was the above comment useful to you?
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Message Boards

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100 things I learned from Matilda alexweiss3
Favorite Part in the movie blinkang
This is a kid movie? decamefo
The principal ferrarigt
Song question red_apple
Not available in widescreen??? Scifiboy666
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