Matilda Movie Review 1996

Intelligent child Matilda Wormwood (Wilson) is oppressed by both her monstrous parents (DeVito and Perlman) and awful school principal, Trunchbull (Ferris). However, her first grade teacher, appropriately named Miss Honey (Davidtz), believes in her, which is enough to make Matilda plot an appropriate fate for the miserable people in her life. Excellent adaptation of a typically subversive book by Roald Dahl. Director DeVito, who wanted to create the illusion of a live-action cartoon, built among other things a "Carrot-cam" to capture the flying food of a food fight.

Distribution

Sony Pictures Home Video, Sony Pictures Plz., 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232, Phone: (310)244-7306, Fax: (310)280-2485, URL: http://www.spe.sony.com, Remarks: Formerly Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 93 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Dedicated Teachers, Childhood Visions, Supernatural Comedies, Gifted Children, School Daze, Parenthood, Books to Film: Roald Dahl, Elementary School/Junior High

Screenplay

Robin Swicord, Nicholas Kazan

Cast

Mara Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, Embeth Davidtz, Pam Ferris, Paul (Pee-wee Herman) Reubens, Tracey Walter

Cinematography

Stefan Czapsky

Director

Danny DeVito

Music

David Newman

Producer

Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, Michael Peyser, Martin Bregman, Tri-Star Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics