Matilda (1996)

MIMDB score: 7.2
Current IMDB score: 6.8
Director: Daney DeVito
Main Actors you care about: Danny DeVito, Mara Wilson, Rhea Perlman

Why I liked it: For some reason most people believe kids have nothing of value when it comes to thinking.   I kind of understand it but movies like this should open the mind to thinking that all people (including children) have valid idea/thoughts that should be thought about just like if the thought/idea is coming from a more experienced adult.

Thing(s) I would change: There's a few slow motion scenes that don't need to be slow motion.  I don't get why they are there?  Maybe it's just the TV version I keep watching that has it in there.

The movie puts books on a pedestal.  Yea books can be helpful but book reading is outdated I think.  I understand that's were knowledge used to come from and imagination use to excel with the weapon of books but I think we moved past them.  They are currently a slow way of learning things and things can be learned faster I think now with the internet.  Also some people are visual learners and not textbook learners.  Just because they are visual learners doesn't mean they are any less intelligent I would think.  I understand it's not a popular statement about books not being great but I'm making it.

Favorite Line(s)/Scene: The Trunchbull actress was spot on to her character. She did quite well.  Matilda (Mara Wilson) did well enough but I don't know if she did outstanding by any means.  I think Danny Devito did as well as Trunchbull as well.  He probably really enjoyed the book considering he directed the movie as well as acted in it.

Harry Wormwood/Trunchbull: "I'm smart, you're dumb; I'm big, you're little; I'm right, you're wrong, and there's nothing you can do about it."  This is the stuff I'm talking about.  Too many people believe they are better than children.

Trunchbull: "I cannot for the life of me understand why small children take so long to grow up. I think they do it deliberately, just to annoy me."  Piggybacking on the last quote this is how people think and I don't get it.  Kids get a bad wrap.  People really don't understand that they were just as annoying or time consuming when they were kids and yet they can not get past that kids have a less time to experience the world and will be slightly slower for a little bit.  They can't get over that time that they will need help learning and thinking.  It's just an inconvenience for them to deal with the younger person.  I wonder if they that kind of person would be friends with themselves in five years.  Five years ago they were probably in a different thought place and probably couldn't deal with how slow at thought they used to be.  It just doesn't make sense to treat people worse or complain about someone who is at the same place in their own thoughts.

Agatha Trunchbull: "They're all mistakes, children! Filthy, nasty things. Glad I never was one."  Like that.

Harry Wormwood: "To read? Why would you want to read when you got the television set sitting right in front of you? There's nothing you can get from a book that you can't get from a television faster."  I understand this sort of contradicts my statements but there is good TV out there that will challenge you just as much as books.   There are some books that will be a harmful to your mind just like some TV.  TV doesn't rot your mind.  You rot your mind.

This scene always makes me smile:
Harry Wormwood: SHUT UP AND LEAVE US ALONE!
Matilda: Yell at me again!
Harry Wormwood: [in a rage] Yell at ya?
[storming towards her]
Harry Wormwood: I'll come in there and pound your miserable hide! What do I have to do to gain respect around here? I'm gonna give you a tanning like you never had in your life! My word is my law!

The cake eating scene always makes me smile as well.

Similar Movies/TV Shows: All the Roald Dahl movies: Witches, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory, James and the Giant Peach, the BFG.

"Side" note: Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman are actually married in real life.  At least they were married in real life at one time.  They are divorced now unfortunately.

Eating that much cake like that boy did is so impossible.  I tried eating a whole batch of brownies one time and got sick 3/4's of the way through and that was equivalent to 3-4 slices of that cake probably.

I feel like this plot was the precursor for Harry Potter.  I'm just guessing though.