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Matilda(1996)
Directed by	Danny DeVito
Produced by	Danny DeVito Michael Shamberg Stacey Sher Liccy Dahl
Written by	Roald Dahl (novel) Nicholas Kazan Robin Swicord
Starring	Mara Wilson Pam Ferris Danny DeVito Rhea Perlman Embeth Davidtz
Distributed by	TriStar Pictures
Release date(s)	August 2, 1996
Running time	95 minutes
Language	English
Budget	$36,000,000
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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.

Matilda is a very intelligent little girl with idiotic parents. They pay little attention to her, and when they do, they yell at her for being a smart alec. Matilda gets back at her father by means of practical jokes, such as dying his hair blonde; and she punishes her father by super-gluing his hat to his head for selling faulty used cars. When Matilda starts school, she meets her teacher; the kind Miss Honey. She also has an encounter with the abusive principal, Miss Trunchbull. Matilda makes friends with a girl named Lavender, who is in her class, and some older children named Hortensia and Bruce. Over time, she discovers her power of telekinesis. Matilda then uses her powers to triumph over Miss Trunchbull. In the end, Matilda's family must run from the FBI, who has been stationed outside their home, to Guam for the father's business in stolen car parts. When Matilda's parents come to retrieve her from Miss Honey's home, they sign legal documents to make Miss Honey her legal guardian. Matilda never has to use her powers again, unless she wants to.

• Matilda doesn't go in the chokey in the book.
• Michael and Matilda get along far better in the book; in fact, Michael waves as they leave to Spain at the end of the book.
• They go to Spain, instead of Guam, in the book.
• Matilda doesn't start the cheering of Bruce Bogtrotter in the book and Miss Trunchbull doesn't give them a punishment afterwards.
• Miss Honey and Matilda don't sneak into Miss Trunchbull's house in the book.
• It was the writing on the wall that caused Miss Trunchbull to faint in the book.
• Matilda doesn't break the TV in the book and she doesn't learn about her powers until she goes to school.
• The girl who gets whirled round the air, Amanda, is not in their year in the book. She is about 10.
• In the book, Matilda doesn't know it was Lavender who put the newt in Miss Trunchbull's glass.

The movie opened moderately in North America, with US$8,208,609 at 1,975 theaters. The film finished its box office run with $33,459,416. Critics were mostly positive in their reviews.

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• A cameo appearance in Matilda, Jon Lovitz is shown as the host of the fictitious game show, Million Dollar Sticky.
• This film has no relation to the Matilda (1978 film) film of the same name.
• This film was spoofed in I Am Weasel, episode "Leave it to Weasel".
• The picture of Miss Honey's father, Magnus, is actually a portrait of Roald Dahl, the author of the book upon which the film is based.
• Miss Honey tells Matilda that as a child Miss Honey had a doll named Liccy Doll. One of the producers of the film is author Roald Dahl's widow, Liccy Dahl.
• One of the lunchboxes reads, "Greetings from Asbury Park, New Jersey", a reference to Danny DeVito's hometown. "Greetings from Asbury Park, New Jersey" is also the name of Bruce Springsteen's first album, and the name of the late professional wrestler Bam Bam Bigelow's finisher.
• In both the book and film Matilda reveals her fondness for Charles Dickens. However, in the film, when revealing this to Miss Honey, she accidentally refers to him as "Dahl's Chickens"- an obvious nod to the Big Friendly Giant's mispronunciation of the same author in The BFG.
• Rachel Snow appears as an extra in this film. She can be seen briefly in some scenes.
• At one point in the movie, Matilda's brother can be seen wearing a Napalm Death, then later a Judas Priest T-shirt.
• When Matilda is running through the closet a mop falls on her and on the bottom of the screen, you can see a camera shadow.
• The car Agatha Trunchbull bought from Harry Wormwood is a 1970 Buick Electra 225 hardtop sedan.
• The car that Harry Wormwood owns is a Ford LTD Crown Victoria station wagon, and Zinnia Wormwood owns a Chrysler LeBaron convertible.
• Pam Ferris would often stay in character when the director called cut in an attempt to actually scare the children on set so that their fear would be genuine when the camera was rolling.^{[citation needed]}
• When her father pulls Matilda up by the ear, it is shown from the back so as not to scare people.
• Harry (Danny DeVito) and Zinnia Wormwood (Rhea Perlman) are married in real life.
• When Matilda is using her powers to rid the police from searching her house, you can see the videotape recorder open before the scene showing her opening it with her powers

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Matilda (1996 film)

• Matilda at the Internet Movie Database
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