November 25, 2022
Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical, or simply Matilda the Musical, is a 2022 musical fantasy comedy drama film directed by Matthew Warchus from a screenplay by Dennis Kelly, based on the stage musical of the same name by Kelly and Tim Minchin, which in turn is based on the 1988 novel Matilda by Roald Dahl. The film, co-produced by TriStar Pictures, Working Title Films, and The Roald Dahl Story Company, is the second film adaptation of the novel, following the 1996 film (also produced by TriStar). The film stars Alisha Weir as the title character, alongside Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, Sindhu Vee, and Emma Thompson. In the film, Matilda Wormwood (Weir), who is neglected and mistreated by her parents (Graham and Riseborough), develops psychokinetic abilities to deal with Miss Trunchbull (Thompson), the ruthless and cruel headmistress of Crunchem Hall School.
A film adaptation of the stage musical was first announced in November 2013, with Warchus and Kelly reportedly attached to return as director and writer, respectively. In January 2020, the project was officially announced, and Warchus and Kelly's returns were confirmed, as well as Minchin, who revealed he was returning to write new songs for the film. Christopher Nightingale, who had written background music for the stage production, was also hired to return as composer of the film's incidental score. The cast was filled out between January and April 2021, including Weir, Lynch, Thompson, Vee, Graham and Riseborough. Filming took place beginning in May 2021.
Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical premiered at the BFI London Film Festival on 5 October 2022, and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on 25 November, by Sony Pictures Releasing International, while in the United States, it received a limited theatrical release on 9 December and was available on Netflix on 25 December. The film received positive reviews from critics and was nominated for Outstanding British Film and Best Makeup and Hair at the 76th British Academy Film Awards.
Storyline
The film opens While other parents adore their newborn children, Mrs Wormwood is distraught to learn she is pregnant and in labour. To Mr Wormwood's confusion, she has a girl, Matilda. Despite her parents' disdain, Matilda grows into a sweet child who loves reading books and visits Mrs Phelps the librarian every day. Upon discovering that Matilda has not been properly schooled, Miss Jennifer Honey and an inspector visit the house to suggest Matilda be sent to Crunchem Hall. Angry at the fine, Mr Wormwood warns the headmistress, Miss Agatha Trunchbull, about Matilda. In retaliation, Matilda tricks him into dying his hair green.
On her way to school, Matilda tells Mrs Phelps her story about an escapologist named Magnus who falls in love with and marries an acrobat. When the school bell rings, Matilda befriends a new girl named Lavender. They are taught to fear the school and Miss Trunchbull by the prefects. In Miss Honey's class, Matilda solves a complex maths equation on the board and confesses that she loves reading most of all. Miss Honey tries to convince Miss Trunchbull to move Matilda to a more advanced class. Miss Trunchbull refuses to let Matilda be an exception to the rules.
At home, Matilda criticises her father, who then furiously rips apart her library book and wrongly sends Matilda to her room. In the morning, she glues his hat to his head. At school, Matilda leads the students in protecting Nigel from being wrongfully punished. Miss Trunchbull throws Amanda Thripp by her pigtail over the fence instead. The next day, Miss Trunchbull falsely accuses Matilda of stealing a slice of her private chocolate cake, but Bruce Bogtrotter reveals he is the culprit by belching. Miss Trunchbull punishes Bruce by forcing him to eat the entire cake, promising he will be forgiven if he manages it. Furious that he succeeds, Miss Trunchbull condemns him to the Chokey regardless. Matilda attempts to defend him as he is led away. Matilda continues the story for Mrs Phelps: the now-pregnant acrobat was forced to perform a dangerous stunt by her stepsister; the acrobat is horribly injured, and she dies after giving birth to a daughter. The escapologist forgives the stepsister and asks her to help him raise his daughter, but the stepsister secretly bullies her.
At home, Mr Wormwood angrily locks Matilda in her room for criticising how he tricks people into buying his cars. Matilda ends her story: the escapologist learns his daughter is mistreated but never returns from confronting the stepsister. Miss Trunchbull forces the children through difficult exercises to crush their rebellious spirit. Lavender slips her pet newt Isaac into Miss Trunchbull's drinking water, and Matilda furiously uses her newly discovered telekinesis to make Isaac embarrass Miss Trunchbull. Miss Honey invites Matilda to tea at her cottage. There, Matilda learns that her story is real, the escapologist and the acrobat were Miss Honey's parents, and the evil stepsister is Miss Trunchbull. Matilda leaves the cottage and uses her powers to destroy the Chokey. At home, Matilda discovers that her father tricked the mafia and the family must flee to Spain. Matilda cries in her room about never seeing Miss Honey, Mrs Phelps and Lavender again.
When the children arrive at school, Miss Trunchbull forces them to spell words correctly or be locked in a new Chokey. She has Lavender spell a made-up word, tricking the other children into rebelliously spelling words incorrectly on purpose so that she can lock them all into Chokeys. However, Matilda uses her telekinesis to write on the blackboard, threatening Miss Trunchbull to give Miss Honey back her house and leave, before he'll kill her, but Miss Trunchbull angrily push the blackboard and thinking it was a trick, before charging toward Amanda, but Miss Honey stop her, Matilda then use telekinesis to made the chain into a figure, thinking is was the vengeful ghost of Magnus Honey, Miss Honey's father trying to scaring Miss Trunchbull, but She pulls the chains and tells him that she not going anywhere, Matilda then give Miss Trunchbull pigtails and throw to the roof, Miss Honey then takes back the keys to her father's house and tells Miss Trunchbull to run. Mr and Mrs Wormwood come to take Matilda to Spain, but Miss Honey begs them to let Matilda stay with her. They allow Matilda to be adopted by Miss Honey, and Matilda uses her powers to unglue her father's hat. With Miss Honey as the new headmistress, the children rename the school The Big Friendly School. Mrs Phelps is overjoyed that Matilda's true story has a very happy ending, and Matilda and Miss Honey live happily together.
Also See
Sound Effects Used
- Sound Ideas, HUMAN, BABY - EIGHT WEEK OLD BABY: CRYING (Heard once at the beginning of the film when Matilda is born.)