Matilda (film)
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Matilda is a 1996 film directed by Danny DeVito. It is based on Roald Dahl's children's novel. The film was released by TriStar Pictures.
Plot
See Matilda (novel) for the plot.One major difference between the novel and the film is the setting. In the novel, Matilda lives in England where Roald Dahl grew up (although a native of Wales). In the movie, Matilda lives in the USA and most of the film was shot in the East Whittier district of Los Angeles,California. The only character to remain British in the film is Agatha Trunchbull played by Pam Ferris (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)
Considering the original work was a short, fairly thin story, much was added to bring it up to feature length, including a scene where Matilda retrieves Miss Honey's old doll from the Trunchbull's mansion. In the original book, Matilda's mother is not given a first name, but she is in the film, and the physical builds of Matilda's parents are inverted in the film. Also, in the book Miss Honey lives in a miserable bare cottage without electricity or running water, but in the film her cottage is much nicer and cosier. She is also given the nickname "Bumblebee" which is not mentioned in the novel.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Mara Wilson | Matilda Wormwood |
| Danny DeVito | Harry Wormwood |
| Rhea Perlman | Zinnia Wormwood |
| Embeth Davidtz | Jennifer Honey |
| Pam Ferris | Agatha Trunchbull |
| Paul Reubens | FBI Agent Bob |
| Tracey Walter | FBI Agent Bill |
| Brian Levinson | Michael Wormwood |
DVD re-release
The special edition DVD was released on July 7, 2005. It comes with a full two hours of bonus features, including games and featurettes.Trivia
- A cameo appearance in Matilda, Jon Lovitz is shown as the host of the imaginary game show, Million Dollar Sticky. He is shown as Matilda's parents are forcing Matilda to watch TV, but through pure agitation, she blows up the TV with her newly found psychological powers.
- The fact that Matilda tells Ms. Honey at the end of the movie, about how a mouse's heart beats so fast that it sounds like it's humming is a reference to another of Roald Dahl's books, The Witches.
- This film was spoofed in I Am Weasel, episode Leave it to Weasel.
External links
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