Film Review: MATILDA (1996, dir. Danny DeVito)

The summer of 1996 was an exciting time. Despite being one of the most popular children's authors of the modern era, very few films adaptations had been made of Roald Dahl's work, and now all of a sudden, two were coming out in the same year. Of the two, I was much more excited for JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, a classic of my childhood. To my surprise, MATILDA ended up being the stronger film, and a movie that's endured with many children who grew up in the late '90's. I appreciated MATILDA when it came out, and over the years it's really grown on me. Even as an adult, it's a movie I love and remember very well.

What I love about this story, both in the book and in the movie, is that it empowers children to be independent and not rely on parents and educators, who are portrayed as far from perfect but very flawed. Matilda is a gifted, resourceful, and kindhearted little girl. Yet her parents are self-absorbed, ignorant buffoons who barely know how old she is, and her principal is an abusive tyrant. Only in her teacher does she finally find someone who supports her. I think this rings true to a lot of children. Miss Trunchbull, while obviously exaggerated for comedic effect, represents a problem that I think exists in many schools: educators are more concerned with discipline and authority than they are with actually helping students.

What makes this movie so great is how much heart it has. A lot of Dahl's writing is so wacky and grotesque that I don't think it works on film (THE WITCHES had that problem). MATILDA tells a very human story, even when it does get grotesque. Mara Wilson and Embeth Davidtz both do an excellent job and carry the weight of the film. Danny DeVito's direction also deserves credit. DeVito seems to really "get" Dahl's writing; I especially love the way he directs the "chocolate cake" scene. Another director would've had a difficult time making chocolate cake seem like a punishment, but DeVito sets up and shoots the scene in a way that gets under your skin. I love the way he manages to make the cake look disgusting and the Cook look a little creepy. It's little touches like that that make the film great. I also admire DeVito's decision to play dual roles: he plays Matilda's unpleasant father and he is also the story's narrator. This makes the story seem very personal and his narration truly captures the heart of the tale.

The movie is not 100% faithful to the book. Yes, the story is Americanized (though Miss Trunchbull remains British), and some new material is added probably to make the story more commercial (such as a subplot with two bumbling FBI agents, and a thrilling scene where Matilda returns to Miss Trunchbull's house at night). However, these additions do not hurt the story at all, but actually flesh it out. In my opinion, a lot of Dahl's books suffered from weak climaxes, but this film gets it right, while at the same time retaining everything that made Dahl's writing shine.

Dahl and DeVito clearly remember that being a child can be a very scary time. Adults tower over you and have the power to bully you. This film captures that, and its power continue to live on as children continue to embrace it.