History YMMV / Matilda

* SacredCow: Fans of this movie ''really'' don't like people speaking ill of it. Creator/DougWalker [[HePannedItNowHeSucks learned this the hard way]] when he was bombarded with messages from fans begging or even demanding that he not do a [[WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic Nostalgic Critic review]] (this, for the record, is why he stopped posting upcoming reviews).

** Matilda walking by herself to the library, crossing a busy road, when she's ''four''. None of the adults blink an eye as they walk with her in groups. Miss Phelps expresses some concern but has a reasonable compromise: give Matilda a library card so she doesn't have to walk every day and can get as many books as she likes. These days, in such an affluent area, Matilda's parents would get a visit from CPS.
** Matilda's father is introduced grumbling over the $5,000 hospital bill for her delivery and care, with particular annoyance that a bar of soap costed $9.25. Whilst it's used to establish him as a uncaring man with skewed priorities, viewers from countries with a single-payer health system like Britain would sympathize a little with his disgust.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: Several fans have noted similarities between the tune for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDRzD2Xpaqg Telly]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zaQgbACc1E the theme song]] for LiveActionTV/TheMuppetShow.

!!Book/General

!!Movie
* AdaptationDisplacement: American audiences in particular are much more familiar with the movie as opposed to the book. It helps that the evil characters are memorably hammy with Danny [=DeVito=] as Matilda's father and Pam Ferris playing Trunchbull.

!!Musical

* AwardSnub: When the 2013 Tony Awards came around the four little girls playing Matilda (Oona, Bailey, Milly, and Sophia) were snubbed from the Best Actress in a Musical award unlike their West End counterparts, who were nominated for the equivalent Olivier Award and won. The excuse was that the judges might not have had a chance to see all four girls, which is fine until you discover the three boys who played ''Theatre/BillyElliot'' were eligible ''and won''. Instead they get [[ConsolationAward Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre]].

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[[folder:Book (plus all adaptations in general)]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Movie]]

** Michael Wormwood in the film. He's meant to be seen as an unsympathetic {{Jerkass}} since he's downright nasty to his sister and participates in his parents' dirty dealings. But Harry and Zinnia have likely ''conditioned'' their son to be this way, meaning there's FridgeBrilliance: Michael has figured out that by conforming to his parents' lifestyle rather than rejecting it like Matilda does, he won't be picked on. Matilda is exceptionally brave and intelligent; she can stand on her own and doesn't need her parents' approval to be fulfilled. Michael is neither brave nor intelligent enough to resist the pressure to become a mean, lazy, TV-watching Wormwood.
** There's a small group of people who believe Zinnia, while a neglectful parent, actually ''does'' care for Matilda, especially in the end when she lets her be adopted by Miss Honey. There's a possibility that, like Michael, she is just forced into the negative lifestyle of Mr. Wormwood! and considering how she signs the papers to let her daughter live a happy life, this could help her image.

* CompleteMonster: [[EvilPrincipal Agatha Trunchbull]] has [[WouldHurtAChild all of her book crimes]], plus some ones unique to the movie. When Mr. Wormwood sells her a dodgy car, the Trunchbull blames Matilda for it and throws her into the [[IronMaiden Chokey]]. When Matilda and Ms. Honey sneak into her house, the Trunchbull grabs her hammer-throwing equipment and hunts them down with the intent to kill them--albeit she didn't know it was them. When Matilda humiliates her for the final time, the Trunchbull throws a boy out a window and charges at Lavender a few minutes later, intending to injure or even kill her. When Ms. Honey stands up to her, she threatens that she [[EvilAunt broke her arm once]] and can do it again.

* CultClassic: Was not a huge hit in the theaters, but has since found many appreciative fans among those who grew up in the nineties and is now considered a classic children's film.

* EnsembleDarkHorse: Despite being a minor character, Bruce is decently popular with the fanbase due to many feeling sorry for him having to eat a gigantic chocolate cake that is subtly implied to be filled with the cook's sweat, blood and tears.

--> "This is Dahl, not [[Creator/VladimirNabokov Nabokov]]!"

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[[folder:Musical]]

[[/folder]]

** Matilda is TheUnfavourite, stuck in a grade beneath her intellect, and faced with a cruel headmistress. In spite of this, she's a cheerful kid who is genuinely nice to everyone. One of the subtext points of the book: Matilda was in a crappy situation, more than one actually, but remained a good person throughout. She's more than a survivor, she's come through her ordeals wiser and still human. Even when she discovers her telekinetic powers, they're used only to punish the BigBad for good and not mistreat others as a bully. Matilda could have caused a nightmare like {{Literature/Carrie}}, [[Film/RevengeOfTheSith Anakin]], [[Film/{{Chronicle}} Andrew]], [[Film/FantasticBeastsAndWhereToFindThem Credence]], or Lucy ([[Manga/ElfenLied either]] [[Film/{{Lucy}} one]]) with those powers, and yet luckily she didn't harm anyone.

* CrossesTheLineTwice: While Trunchbull's [[DisproportionateRetribution over-the-top reactions]] to minor things like sneaking M&Ms into class or ''having pig-tails'' are excessive and cruel, half the time they are ''so'' over-the-top that one can't help but laugh at them. The book has Matilda remark that this is exactly the point: [[RefugeInAudacity since she is so over the top, even if one of the children were to talk to their parents about what she does at school, it would sound so fanciful and unlikely that nobody would believe it.]]

** Mrs. Phelps letting Matilda read adult classics, telling her not to worry about the parts she doesn't understand, which is implied to be ''rape'' in ''Literature/TessOfTheDUrbervilles''. This feels more relevant with Banned Books Week.

* SignatureScene: Many people who grew up with this movie remembered the scene where Bruce is forced to consume a whole chocolate cake.

* VanillaProtagonist: The Matilda's [[ChildProdigy personality]] and [[{{Bookworm}} love for reading]] sets a contrast when she's surrounded by her [[BigScrewedUpFamily screwed up]] but colorful family. She's their Foil. There's also the [[LargeHam hammy]] Trunchbull.

* EnsembleDarkHorse: Subverted, whilst all Matildas are reasonably praised, [[UsefulNotes/BroadwayAndTheWestEnd West End]] Matildas Sophia and Eleanor are the most popular seemingly.

** Matilda's father is introduced grumbling over the $5,000 hospital bill for her delivery and care, with particular annoyance that a bar of soap costed $9.25. Whilst it's used to establish him as a uncaring man with skewed priorities, viewers from countries with a single-payer health system would sympathize a little with his disgust.

* {{SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzrMIwlqhE0 "To the Library and Beyond"]], the movie's main theme, is damned near burned into the memory of everyone who watched the movie as a child.

* AwesomeMusic: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzrMIwlqhE0 "To the Library and Beyond"]], the movie's main theme, is damned near burned into the memory of everyone who watched the movie as a child.

* CompleteMonster: [[TheDreaded Agatha Trunchbull]] is the [[EvilPrincipal headmistress]] of Crunchem Hall Primary School who rules the school with an iron fist. Shying away from illegal caning, the Trunchbull opts for more torturous methods easily dismissed by parents as wild stories. A ChildHater extraordinaire, the Trunchbull subjects the children to near-fatal punishments, her favorite being "the [[IronMaiden Chokey]]" a refurnished cupboard laced with broken glass and nails. Out of greed, the Trunchbull murdered her brother-in-law for his inheritance and abused her niece, Jennifer Honey. A psychotic disciplinarian who prides herself with never having a childhood, the Trunchbull set the standard for [[SadistTeacher sadist teachers]] everywhere.

* NoYay: Mara Wilson had this reaction to discovering that there is Matilda and Miss Honey slash fiction out there.

** Matilda walking by herself to the library, crossing a busy road, when she's ''four''. None of the adults blink an eye as they walk with her in groups. Miss Phelps expresses some concern but has a reasonable compromise: give Matilda a library card so she doesn't have to walk every day and can get as many books as she likes. These days, in such an affluent area, Matilda's parents would get a visit from CPS and the police over allowing this.

* MemeticMutation: Way too many of Trunchbull's lines to count. Pretty much ''everything'' she's said and done has become a meme at some point.
** "You couldn't spell difficult if your life depended on it!"
** "WHY ARE ALL THESE WOMEN MARRIED?!"
** "They're all mistakes, children! Filthy, nasty things. Glad I never was one".

** Matilda walking by herself to the library, crossing a busy road, when she's ''four''. None of the adults blink an eye as they walk with her in groups. Miss Phelps expresses some concern but has a reasonable compromise: give Matilda a library card so she doesn't have to walk every day and can get as many books as she likes. These days, in such an affluent area, there would at least be a crossing guard or some adult who noticed this situation wasn't normal.
** Matilda's father is introduced grumbling over the $5,000 hospital bill for her delivery and care, with particular annoyance that $9.25 was charged for a bar of soap. Whilst it's used to establish him as a uncaring man with skewed priorities, viewers from countries with a single-payer health system would sympathize a little with his disgust.

** The establishing scene for Matilda's father has him grumbling over the $5,000 hospital bill for her delivery and care, with particular annoyance that $9.25 was charged for a bar of soap. Whilst it's used to establish him as a petty-minded, uncaring man with skewed priorities, a British viewer (or by extension, a viewer from any other country with a single-payer health system) would sympathize a little with his disgust.