Matilda (1996)

Directed by Danny DeVito. Starring Mara Wilson, Embeth Davidtz, Pam Ferris, Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, Brian Levinson, Tracey Walter, Paul Reubens, Kiami Davael, Jimmy Karz, Jean Speegle Howard. [PG]

A curious thing occurs in this adaptation of Roald Dahl’s children’s book—the dark, punchy wit loses a lot of its snap by being inflated for the confines of outlandish slapstick, but the mean-spirited undercurrent becomes even crueler. Dahl’s fantasy gets by in part on cartoonish whimsy, but it doesn’t quite translate for the flesh-and-blood performers who inhabit a less elastic physical space, making the ghoulish glee of its more wicked moments either feel too real or too outrageous within the exaggerated structure. Which is to say that this story of an extremely bright little girl named Matilda (Wilson) who suffers the scornful stupidity of her parents (real-life spouses DeVito and Perlman) and befriends a gentle, kindly teacher (Davidtz) isn’t up to the author’s typically high standards, but even an awkward facsimile is charming and exuberant enough to get by. The cast occupy their roles pretty well—they mostly fill out spaces where nuance is disbarred, especially on the negative end—although the second half spends too much time in the company of grotesque headmistress Trunchbull (Ferris), who would have been more effective in smaller quantities. Jon Lovitz cameos as a game show host.

66/100