There are two kinds of cult films. There are the films that are beloved by a growing yet limited group after critical and financial ruin, and there are the films that are actually praised on release and today by many with the small hamper of the initial box office run. "Matilda" falls into the second category. Rarely will you hear someone hate on the film, and even then, not with the strongest reasons. But, is the film really that flawless? Based on the Ronald Dahl novel, the story centres on the titular character. Matilda is no ordinary girl as she has a highly advanced brain that allows her at a young age to solve complicated problems and basically reach a sense of maturity in her family of dimwits and hustlers. As Matilda finally attends elementary school after turning six and a half years, she learns about the vile principal, Miss Trunchbull, a women who despises children and would find any moment to torment and torture them. While making friends with kids her name as well as the kind teacher, Miss Honey, Matilda starts to learn that she has psychokinetic abilities that can be useful to not only get back at her mean family, but also to stop Miss Trunchbull's reign of terror. The story is simple and sweet, though is hampered a bit from a short runtime. The story works fine the way it is for a hour and a half, but it could benefit with more scenes of Matilda either making friends with the kids at school or more scenes with Trunchbull harassing the kids. The tone is really the highlight of the film and why it's remembered by fans today. It's a family film that contains a mean-spirited atmosphere while being wholesome at the same time. It's not a dark or edgy movie, but it's probably not geared towards very young children since you have scenes of Matilda's spiteful family who will say some pretty nasty things and Trunchbull as the villain who can scare little kids and start making them paranoid about their own principal. Despite how mean-spirited it can get, there's still fun and charm stuffed within. Even Trunchbull's ways to harm or torture kids are over-the-top and exaggerated that it never comes too dark, but rather silly and something that only a young child can imagine. It keeps in perspective of the intellectual yet six-year old protagonist. As for the comedy, it's a nice balance of childish wonder and buffoonery as well as some adult edge with wordplay and mean-spirited humour that doesn't overwhelm the feature.
Mara Wilson as Matilda Wormwood offers a nice performance as the gifted girl. Although some of the line deliveries can feel a bit stiff at times, Wilson is just so loveable when she acts as a know-it-all with others trying to talk down upon her. Embeth Davidtz as Miss Honey is also a charming performance as the teacher that befriends Matilda due to her gifted mind and similarities. While the relationship between the two is for the most part wholesome, it gets a bit too uncomfortable at times. Not only does Matilda prefer to hang out with Miss Honey far more than the kids of her age, but there's a really odd exchange and direction when Matilda solves a complex math question where it feels a bit creepy when it comes with the two admiring each other. Pam Ferris as Miss Trunchbull is undoubtedly the best performance of the film. She's so hammy and entertaining as the villainous principal with absurd strength and temper. It also helps that she was extremely dedicated to the role, getting herself injured on a few occasions. The last major character to note is Danny DeVito's Harry Wormwood, the father of Matilda who runs a car dealership where he cons customers to buy used cars with fresh parts to make a high fortune. Despite being viewed as a complete jackass in the film, DeVito is just so hilarious that you can't help but love the guy, even if he's a terrible father and criminal. There are some other side characters such as Zinnia Wormwood, the ditzy mother of Matilda who is perhaps the only member of the family to care somewhat for her daughter, Micheal Wormwood, the older brother of Matilda who constantly bullies her, FBI agents Bob and Bill who are trying to get enough evidence on Harry to arrest him, and some of the kids that Matilda befriends such as Lavender, Hortensia, and Bruce. The side characters do give out a chuckle here and there, particularly the FBI agents and Zinnia, but they aren't particularly memorable. Some characters, particularly Micheal and the other kids aside of Lavender, may as well be removed as they don't really do much. Regardless, the acting and character are pretty solid with Wilson giving out her most recognizable performance as Matilda.
Danny DeVito might be famous for his countless acting roles and memes, but he also used to be a director as well during the height of his career. Although most of his films are mixed to say the least, "Matilda" proves to be one of the few highlights in his directing duties. The film has a range of mood and colour, which is reliant on Matilda's own mood. The wealthy suburban home the Wormwoods live in is either muted or taken over by an extreme colour such as yellow or orange when the family watches TV. Trunchbull's school and estate is gothic and rundown during his occupancy, but the latter is cleaned up once Miss Honey reclaims her long-lost home. Whenever Matilda is positive, there's a sense of colour and life that takes over, even in scenes located in her home and the school. The cinematography by Stefan Czapsky is obsessive with lots of facial close-ups and slanted angles, but it fits with the exaggerated tone of the film. Most shots feel tight or standard rather than a wide sense of cinematic scope, which keeps it rooted to the child-like perspective. The music by David Newman blends into the typical family film with an emphasis on soft, whimsical music. The licensed tracks though burns into your memory with the two songs being "Send Me on My Way" and "Little Bitty Pretty One". The special effects are quite modest and never come across as flashy. Majority of the effects are optical with wires, harnesses and occasional green-screen. It's very practical and keeps the film timeless in that sense rather than to overuse the growing craze of CGI. I do think that DeVito is a pretty good director, he just picks some odd projects to direct. "Matilda" is odd for sure, but both unique and standard to make it a memorable kids film.
"Matilda" earns its devoted praise and fans for plenty of good reasons. The story sticks close to Dahl's novel in its simple and engaging hook, the tone is perfectly innocent and mean-spirited, the humour is fun for both kids and older viewers, Wilson's performance as Matilda is overwhelmingly charming, Ferris's performance as Trunchbell makes for one of the most memorable family film villains of the 90's, the side characters has their moments and nice actors attached to them, Czapsky's cinematography is bizarre and filled with character, the two licensed songs are engraved into both the film and your mind, the effects stay practical and effective in its simplicity, and DeVito's direction allows a personality of mood and colours to match the titular character's perspective and remains as the best film in the directing chair. Despite all of these positives, I will admit that the film does have issues that are hard to overlook. The film could have been longer to maximize on the potential of the story, there can be some awkward line deliveries on occasion, the relationship between Miss Honey and Matilda can be a bit uncomfortable at times, some side characters don't need to be in the film at all, and the original music by Newman is pretty generic. With some tweaks, it can be one of the best family films around, but the people who love it for what is, perhaps it doesn't need any changes at all.
Verdict: 8/10. A great film all-around. Watch with any family member of any age and they will sure to enjoy this cult hit.
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