Oh no, it’s the Trunchbull! : Matilda
Matilda tells the story of a little girl who was neglected and unappreciated by her parents, from the moment she was born. Being enrolled in a school, where the principal got disgusted by the sight of kids, made it even worse for her. However, we soon discover that she has developed a secret power due to her neglected childhood.
The movie begins showing the hospital Matilda was born in. Within the first few minutes, we are soon taught that she is going to have a rough childhood. Asides from Matilda herself, we are shown her parents, brother, her teacher Miss Honey and her principal aka ‘The Trunchbull’ predominantly. The story of her rough childhood then unfolds as we are shown all of her encounters.
Even though every single actor and actress did a great job, I personally feel the two that stood out were Mara Wilson (Matilda) and Pam Ferris (Principal Trunchbull). Mara did a great job in playing the role of the obedient little girl who listens to her parents and teachers, following all of the rules whether it was at her advantage or not. At times, it made me feel sad to watch her go through the series of her life’s ordeals. Pam’s performance really got me to grind my teeth throughout. She did such a good job of assuming the role of the biggest bully in the yard. I actually got furious when I saw her treating people with disrespect and disregard. You would not expect the principal to behave in such a manner, which was what made her performance even better.
This movie appealed to me because it shows how innocent children react when they are confronted by a bully. Even though they didn’t dare to retaliate, we are shown how the children give their principal, Miss Trunchbull, her just deserts towards the end of the movie. Once they notice the younger kids throwing food at their principal, the older kids decide to join in to get back at her for all the times she abused her authority.
The lessons to take away from this movie are truly heartwarming. You can’t keep getting away with treating people badly and physically abusing them. Be it sooner or later, they are going to come swinging back one fine day. People who watch this will learn that no matter how terrible your situation may be, you can be sure that it will not stay like that forever. There is a happy ending for everyone if they are kind and good hearted.
Even though this movie was targeted at children, I think parents and bullies will definitely benefit well from watching it. Parents can learn the negative effects their neglect and lack of awareness will have on their children. Bullies can finally realize why they should not be allowed to treat people with disrespect, as one day they will be getting it back in return, in the form of something much worse. Hence, I would conclude that this film is worth watching. The MPAA rating for this film is ‘G’
I would give this movie a total of 4 out of 5 Popcorn Buckets. It was short, straight to the point and illustrated the learning lessons well. I was entertained throughout, whether the scenes were sad or happy.
