Matilda Wormwood has always felt different from the people around her. She loves books, learns quickly and asks questions that her family would rather ignore. In the 1996 film Matilda, she discovers that her mind can do something even more unusual: move objects without touching them.
Mara Wilson plays Matilda, a gifted child whose parents barely notice her intelligence. Her father Harry, played by Danny DeVito, is a dishonest car salesman, while her mother Zinnia, played by Rhea Perlman, is more interested in television. Matilda spends much of her childhood reading and teaching herself because nobody at home takes her needs seriously.
School finally gives her a chance to meet someone who understands her. Her teacher, Miss Honey, played by Embeth Davidtz, quickly recognises that Matilda is far ahead of the other pupils. But the school is run by Miss Trunchbull, played by Pam Ferris, a cruel headmistress who uses fear to control children.
Matilda’s powers first appear during a moment of anger. When Trunchbull accuses her of putting a newt in a water jug, Matilda becomes so frustrated that the glass tips over through telekinesis. Later, she tells Miss Honey about the strange event, but cannot repeat it on demand.
Miss Honey does not dismiss her. She listens and helps Matilda understand that the ability may be connected to the concentration she has developed through reading and thinking. Matilda begins experimenting with small objects. With practice, she discovers that she can focus her attention and move things around the room.
The film shows her gradually becoming more confident, first by making objects move and then by using telekinesis for more difficult tasks. She becomes able to retrieve Miss Honey’s beloved doll from Trunchbull’s house and create the illusion that the headmistress is being haunted.
Matilda’s biggest demonstration comes in the classroom. Trunchbull returns and demands that Matilda confess to entering her house. Matilda uses her powers to move chalk across the blackboard and write a message as though it came from Miss Honey’s dead father. The message tells Trunchbull to return the house and money she took from Miss Honey and leave.
The scene gives Matilda control over a situation in which adults have repeatedly ignored her. She does not use her ability to hurt innocent people. She uses it to protect her teacher and the other pupils from someone who has abused her position.
Danny DeVito directed Matilda and also played Harry Wormwood. The film is based on Roald Dahl’s 1988 children’s novel. The production uses practical effects and visual effects to show Matilda’s telekinesis.
The ending brings the story back to family. Matilda’s parents plan to leave the country after Harry’s illegal business attracts attention from the FBI. Matilda asks to stay with Miss Honey, who has become the caring adult she needed. Her parents finally sign the adoption papers.
Matilda’s powers help her stand up to cruelty, but the most important change is that she finds a home where her intelligence and imagination are welcomed. Her magic gives her confidence. Miss Honey gives her a place to belong.
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