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Movie Analysis: Matilda
Alyson Greig
School of Education, Liberty University
VIDEO OBSERVATION ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
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In the opening scene of the movie Matilda; you hear the voice of the narrator who says,
"everyone is born, but not everyone is born to be the same… every human being is unique, for
better or worse.” This quote embodies the theme of celebrating individualism and uniqueness in
all. The movie Matilda (1996) is based on the Roald Dahl book with the same title. This movie
follows the life of Matilda Wormwood and her less-than-supportive family as she navigates
childhood and enters formalized education for the first time.
Matilda learns to be independent at a young age. At age six, Matilda attends Crunchem
Hall, a school run by the tyrannical Miss. Trunchbull. The headmistress, Miss. Trunchbull seems
to delight more in torturing students than providing quality education. Trunchbull’s best efforts,
Matilda succeeds in her new school due mainly to her kind teacher, Miss. Honey. Matilda uses
her intelligence and telekinetic powers to prank those mistreating her, including her family and
Miss. Trunchbull. She becomes the champion of the abused at her new school and uses her
abilities for the betterment of those she loves.
Ultimately, the FBI investigates Matilda’s father for illegal business practices, resulting
in the family fleeing to Guam. Matilda saw the writing on the walls weeks ago and had already
drafted adoption papers to allow Miss. Honey to take over as her guardian. Miss. Honey accepts,
and they go on to lead a happy, supportive, and learning-based life. The movie Matilda
celebrates intelligence, kindness, and perseverance when overcoming adversity and advocates for
the importance of family, friends, and standing up for what is right, regardless of personal risks
or costs.
One of Matilda’s most prominent gifted characteristics is her exceptional intelligence.
Rimm, Siegle, and Davis (2018) stated that “ intellectually gifted students [are] developmentally
advanced in language and thought,” characteristics that Matilda embodies. Matilda has an
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insatiable drive for knowledge, precocious reading, and advanced comprehension abilities, and
she can quickly grasp and solve complex concepts and problems. The movie portrays Matilda as
able to write as a baby, take care of herself by age two, cook independently, and be a voracious
reader by age four. Matilda also demonstrated advanced language skills and was confident
enough to ask for help when needed using the same tone and confidence as someone much older.
Matilda exhibits a strong “questioning ability, a good understanding of cause and effect
relationships, convergent problem-solving, persistence, and insight” (Rimm et al., 2018), all
identified as giftedness characteristics. She also has exceptional observation skills, allowing her
to perceive details others may have missed. “Reasoning, working memory, metacognitive
abilities, and functions share some inter-related process” (Efklides, 2008; Engle, 2018;
Fernandez-Duque et al., 2000); these processes are “an important step in attention, which is
strongly related to intelligence” (Burns et al., 2009; Cowan et al., 2006; Schweizer &
Moosebrugger, 2004; Schweizer et al., 2005; Tillman et al., 2009; Tourva et al., 2015). Gifted
students have higher levels of “executive control [which is] considered to be important in the
functioning of working memory, namely the capacity to process, manipulate, and briefly store
information during a cognitive activity” (Engle et al., 1999; Kane et al., 2001). Matilda uses her
exception executive control to independently learn and explore her curiosities, thus increasing
her giftedness.
Matilda’s analytical abilities are highlighted in the scenes with the FBI officers
investigating her father for his shady business dealings at his car dealership. She could ascertain
the car parked outside was FBI and not a “used boat salesman,” as stated by her mother. Through
her observations, she is able to devise a plan to help keep her family safe while keeping the
incriminating evidence out of the hands of the FBI agents. Eventually, after multiple attempts to
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catch her criminal family, Matilda realizes that she is fighting a losing battle with the FBI and
chooses to switch tactics toward self-preservation. She drafts her adoption papers, ensuring her
safety and a better home life with Miss. Honey, if law enforcement further pursues criminal
charges. Matilda showed “high motivat[ion] with persistence” (Rimm et al., 2018) and, when
combined with her strong analytical skills, made her a force to be reckoned with to all she met.
Another strength Matilda possess is creativity and imagination. Based on her neglectful
and unsupportive home life, Matilda had to get creative to meet her basic needs and desires. She
was able to figure out a way to support herself and grow her knowledge, all without parental or
outside assistance. By thinking outside the box, Matilda could creatively problem-solve her
issues, such as resourcefully bringing a wagon to hold all her heavy books on her early trips to
the public library. Creativity is desirable in gifted education as “giftedness without creativity
may imply raising information consumers rather than information producers, innovators,
groundbreakers, and change-makers " (Wiley & Voss, 1996).
Additionally, Matilda was able to use her unique problem-solving abilities to imagine
new and inventive ways to thwart the actions of the unsupportive adults in her life. She quickly
created intricate plans to ensure her and others' safety. One way her creativity and imagination
were shown was when Matilda and Miss. Honey broke into Miss. Trunchbull’s home to steal
back Miss. Honey’s beloved doll. Matilda is chased into the kitchen, but unable to find a hiding
spot, she dives until a table cloth-covered bench to avoid detection. Miss. Trunchbull approaches
and looks under the tablecloth and finds no one is there, creating confusion for the audience, as
we just witnessed Matilda dive underneath. As the camera pans up, we find Matilda using all
four limbs to hold herself against the upper frame of the table, making herself invisible from any
other angle.
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Matilda also possesses advanced emotional intelligence and empathetic nature. Despite
her neglectful upbringing, she can understand the complex emotions and motivations of the
characters she encounters in her new school. According to Bouchet and Faulk (2001), Lind
(2001), and Robinson (2002), “gifted children are extremely sensitive to their surroundings.
They quickly understand social situations, even unspoken cues; this may be presented in high
empathy.” Matilda empathizes with those around her, particularly her new friends and Miss.
Honey. She appoints herself as the champion of the underdogs and puts herself at risk to protect
those she loves. We first see this in her defense of Bruce and the chocolate cake, and later on in
her plan to get Miss. Honey’s inheritance and home back from the evil clutches of her aunt,
Miss. Trunchbull. Matilda's attention to detail and emotional intelligence allows her to better
connect with others and show resiliency in facing challenges or adversity.
Recommendations
Matilda would benefit from participating in enrichment or gifted programs at her school,
given her advanced intelligence compared to her peers. “Enrichment pedagogy refers to
enriched, strength-based instructional approaches teachers use to engage learners” (Reis et al.,
2021). Without tailored instruction, Matilda may struggle to reach her full potential in a general
education setting. If her school does not offer these programs, an individualized education plan
(IEP) could be created to meet her unique needs. This plan could include opportunities for
differentiated learning or an accelerated curriculum. An IEP would ensure Matilda receives the
necessary support to succeed and prevent her from being overlooked in future academic
environments.
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Independent studies based on her interests could be a good alternative if these options are
unavailable. Matilda has shown exceptional abilities from a young age. With the guidance of a
trained professional, such as a teacher, she can further develop and use her skills to her
advantage. Due to Matilda’s strength in creative problem solving, I would recommend a special
project that will allow her “to work with ill-defined problems to find and discover novel
problems… [as she has] a higher capability to evaluate the creativity of their ideas” (Davis,
2003).
Next, I would recommend Matilda work with a strong mentor. Matilda’s life to date has
not been conducive to her exceptional abilities. Her role models in young childhood were
unmotivated, neglectful, and unsupportive of her desire to learn. By connecting Matilda with a
successful, open-minded, and positive role model, she will be exposed to better practices for her
future. A mentor could further support Matilda in her chosen career or profession. This mentor
could support her loftier aspirations and would be able to put her in contact with other working
professionals and potentially enjoy additional learning opportunities outside of the classroom.
Grybek (1997, p. 116) states that “mentoring can play a catalytic role in helping students
negotiate all the major transitions in academic life, from high school to college, college to
graduate school, and from school to the world of work.”
Matilda can also improve her abilities by joining academic clubs or participating in
competitions with other talented students. These extracurricular activities will enable her to delve
into her interests and collaborate with like-minded peers who share her intellectual level and
passions. Matilda has been eager to find such opportunities but has not encountered them. “As
achievement depends on abilities being nurtured, activities to develop giftedness should be
offered to all children as early as possible, particularly those who demonstrate interest and
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effort” (Renzulli, 2008). Allowing Matilda to work with like-minded peers will increase her and
others' giftedness through the power of collaboration.
Matilda is an exceptionally gifted young girl who has overcome all barriers placed in her
way. Her giftedness, creativity, and strong moral character have allowed her to succeed in an
environment where she was set up to fail. Matilda can be further supported by “adher[ing] to the
principles that God is the giver of gifts, we are made in His image, we desperately need
restoration, and we are gifted for his purposes” and “with this in mind, Christian educators
recognize these unique talents and provide contexts to nurture these abilities used for God’s
glory, established for his workmanship, and developed in humility and diligence (Mofield &
Mofield, 2022, p. 89). By encouraging Matilda to use her “strengths, talents, and applied
knowledge to impact the world around [her] through reflection, interaction with Christian
mentors, and visibly displaying the fruits of the Spirit as [she] confidently trusts in God,”
Matilda will be better able to “understand who [she is], who divinely [made her], and how God
desires to use [her] gifts and talents [for] His redemptive purposes” (Mofield & Mofield, 2022, p.
90).
References
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Bouchet, N. and Falk, R. F. 2001. The relationship among giftedness, gender and
overexcitability. Gifted Child Quarterly, 45: 260–267.
Burns, N. R., Nettelbeck, T., & McPherson, J. (2009). Attention and intelligence: A factor
analytic study. Journal of Individual Differences, 30(1), 44–57. 10.1027/1614-
0001.30.1.44
Cowan, N., Fristoe, N. M., Elliott, E. M., Brunner, R. P., & Saults, J. S. (2006). Scope of
attention, control of attention, and intelligence in children and adults. Memory &
Cognition, 34, 1754–1768. 10.3758/BF03195936
Davis G. A. (2003). Identifying creative students, teaching for creative growth. In Colangelo N.,
Davis G. A. (Eds.), Handbook of gifted education (3rd ed., pp. 311–324). Pearson
Education.
Efklides, A. (2008). Metacognition. European Psychologist, 13(4), 277–287. 10.1027/1016-
9040.13.4.277
Engle, R. W. (2018). Working memory and executive attention: A revisit. Perspectives on
Psychological Science, 13, 190–193. 10.1177/1745691617720478
Engle, R. W., Tuholski, S. W., Laughlin, J. E., & Conway, A. R. A. (1999). Working memory,
short‐term memory, and general fluid intelligence: A latent‐variable approach. Journal of
Experimental Psychology: General, 128, 309–331. 10.1037/0096-3445.128.3.309
Fernandez‐Duque, D., Baird, J. A., & Posner, M. I. (2000). Executive attention and
metacognitive regulation. Consciousness and Cognition, 9, 288–307.
10.1006/ccog.2000.0447
Grybek, D.D. (1997) Mentoring the Gifted and Talented, Preventing School Failure: Alternative
Education for Children and Youth, 41:3, 115-118, DOI: 10.1080/10459889709603278
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Kane, M. J., Bleckley, M. K., Conway, A. R. A., & Engle, R. W. (2001). A controlled‐attention
view of working‐memory capacity. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 130,
169–183. 10.1037//0096-3445.130.2.169
Lind, S. (2001). Overexcitability and the gifted. The SENG Newsletter, 1, 3–6.
http://www.sengifted.org/articles_social/Lind_OverexcitabilityAndTheGifted.pdf
(http://www.sengifted.org/articles_social/Lind_OverexcitabilityAndTheGifted.pdf)
Mofield, E. L., & Mofield, W. E. (2022). Applying a Christian perspective to educating gifted
students through the talent development framework. International Journal of Christianity
& Education, 26(1), 79–91. https://doi.org/10.1177/20569971211062565
Rimm, S. B., Siegle, D., & Davis, G. A., (2017). Education of the gifted and talented (Seventh
ed.). Pearson.
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to Develop Talents, Gifts, and Creative Productivity. Education Sciences, 11(10), 615.
https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11100615
Renzulli, J. S. (2008). Gifted education and talent development for all. Revista De Psicología,
26(1), 23-42. https://doi.org/10.18800/psico.200801.002
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children: What do we know? Edited by: Neihart, M., Reis, S. M., Robinson, N. M. and
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intelligence. Intelligence, 32, 329–347. 10.1016/j.intell.2004.06.006
Schweizer, K., Moosbrugger, H., & Goldhammer, F. (2005). The structure of the relationship
between attention and intelligence. Intelligence, 33, 589–611.
10.1016/j.intell.2005.07.001
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Tillman, C. M., Bohlin, G., Sorensen, L., & Lundervold, A. J. (2009). Intelligence and specific
cognitive abilities in children. Journal of Individual Differences, 30, 209–219.
10.1027/1614-0001.30.4.209
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intelligence: The contribution of working memory, processing speed and attention.
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Notes
Opening lines: Identification of theme: “Everyone is born, but not everyone is born to be the
same… every human being is unique, for better or worse”.
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Unconcerned/uncaring parents: how Matilda was carried and placed in the trunk without safety
concerns and ultimately left when the family went inside.
Family wrapped us in their own lives and didn’t acknowledge how extraordinary Matilda was.
Taking care of herself by 2, writing her name as a baby, cooking independently at preschool age,
reading every magazine in the house by 4
Desire to read by 4
Matilda knew she was somewhat different from her family.
She used the white and yellow pages to locate the library address and took herself to the library
independently to get a book.
Advanced language “Where are the children’s books, please.”
Reading children's and chapter books (by 6)
Creativity: used wagon to take books home; adaptive behavior
Books gave a hopeful and comforting message, “You are not alone” – gifted child loneliness.
I want to go to school; parents disagree: “Who would be here to sign for the package? There is
something wrong with that girl.”
Emotional crying response due to loneliness and alienation from family
Matilda can be her friend, with inner strength.
Advanced mental math with multi-step addition at 6, before traditional schooling, then to be
accused of cheating only to form a logical response to her father
Children could punish their parents when they deserved it, of course, advanced logical and
critical thinking- replacing hair products with hydrogen peroxide.
Father mentors the older son, neglecting his fatherly duties toward Matilda. Training son to be
the “king of the empire.”
Father is a criminal, buys stolen car parts, and is being surveyed by the FBI for illegal activities.
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Matilda acknowledges Dad “cheating” and identifies the improper business practices. She is still
willing to stand up for what she believes in, even if she receives the ire from her father.
Ability to think quickly on her feet to right the perceived wrongs committed by her family
“From now on, this family does exactly as I saw when I say it, which is eating dinner and
watching tv.”
Dinner time is family time; “What is this trash you are reading? Moby Dick by Herman
Melville.”
Matilda, in her frustration, concentrates hard on the TV, causing it to explode. “Was it magic or
coincidence? She didn’t know.”
Mrs. Trunchbull- use the rod, beat the child.
Father identified Matilda as a “mistake.”
At first interaction, Matilda is seen wandering through the crowd of students who are playing and
socializing. She appears content to observe but not participate.
Heavy breathing, riding posture, concerned face, and avoidant/running away behavior during the
first encounter with Mrs. Trunchbull
Hortensia and Lavender interact and rely on peers to better understand the school's inner
workings.
Miss. Honey is a remarkable person with appreciates every single child for who he or she is
Miss. Honey asks students to connect to their feelings on their first day of school and use
empathy to help Matilda feel comfortable and accepted in her new classroom.
Shows above-average math computation abilities beyond the level of the other kids in the
classroom (13 x 379). Ms. Honey acknowledges Matilda’s giftedness and attempts to build a
relationship with Matilda through their shared intelligence
Ms. Honey advocates for Matilda’s intelligence to Mrs. Trunchbull, who interprets the
conversation as a desire to get away from her classroom based on the assertion that Matilda is
evil from her father.
Identifies the “undercover” FBI agents and observes them outside her house
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My teacher lets me do advanced work, 6th-grade work.
Miss. Honey shows up at Matilda’s house to discuss her giftedness with her family, providing
Matilda with an example of a stable and supportive adult.
Reading at a College Sophomore level
Mom “No one gets anywhere by being intelligent.”
Parents are against further education and do not see the value of attending or graduating college.
After a frustrating interaction with Matilda’s family, Miss. Honey leaves a special book behind
for Matilda to read and discuss tomorrow- provided differentiated work to allow Matilda to
further her cognitive abilities.
A strong sense of community and desire to stand up for others encourages Bruce to finish Miss.
Trunchbull punishment, which in turn encourages the other kids to join together in support,
negating the effects that Miss. Trunchbowl was trying to achieve
She warns her family that the FBI is watching the house and will discover his illegal practices;
however, her father doesn’t believe her.
Matilda interacts with Bruce, Hortensia, and Lavender, who all share a common interest in the
local creek.
Matilda is honored for her giftedness and accepted by her less high-ability friends. They do not
view her as odd or different, unlike her family.
Miss. Honey saves Matilda from the “Chokey” after she is punished for her father's poor
business practices.
Acts respectfully when correcting errors in students and adults, willing to stand up for herself in
the face of injustice (Miss. Trunchbull vs. the newt)
Matilda used her “mental” powers to knock over the glass and fling the newt onto Miss.
Trunchbull
“It’s wonderful you feel so powerful; many people don’t feel powerful at all,” Miss. Honey told
Matilda after the newt incident.
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“One of the odd things about life is sometimes you really want to show something, but you
can’t.” Supporting the SEL, showing empathy, and supporting students’ thoughts and ideas
“You were born into a family that doesn’t always appreciate you, but one day things are going to
be very different,” Miss. Honey.
Matilda can interpret Miss. Honey’s vague story and realize that Miss. Honey is Miss.
Trunchbull’s niece.
“You’re very brave, Miss. Honey.”
Miss. Honey and Matilda support each other when investigating Miss. Trunchbull’s home.
Matilda is willing to take a risk and help Miss. Honey regain her prized possessions, showing
that she can empathize and has formed a caring relationship with her teacher.
Matilda acts wise beyond her years by identifying that Miss. Honey needs support to return to
her childhood home and encourages her not to fear Miss. Trunchbull.
Matilda outsmarts and uses her creativity and quick thinking to hide from Miss. Truchbull.
Matilda experiments by asking her father to yell at her to test the theory that her “special
abilities” are tied to her anger/frustration; however, she can master her power through practice
allowing her to alleviate the anger/frustration.
Matilda uses her telekinetic powers to outsmart and throw the FBI agents off her father’s trail.
Matilda quotes law to the FBI agents to stop the illegal search of the garage and ultimately
protects her family in the process.
“Having power isn’t nearly as important as what you chose to do with it” – narrator.
Matilda uses her powers to rescue Miss. Honey’s beloved doll from Miss. Trunchbull’s house at
her own risk.
Matilda’s “powers” manifest her ability to acknowledge and celebrate her differences from her
peers. Matilda recognizes that her giftedness is a blessing and can be used for the benefit of all.
Or Matilda’s “powers” are intended to represent her giftedness, and the exaggeration of her
ability loosely represents her substantial academic achievement and abilities as a gifted
individual.
Quick thinking and analysis of the situation to create a solution that will benefit all
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Matilda’s behavior encourages Miss. Honey to be brave and stand up to her aunt.
Matilda’s actions help to unify the school and finally drive Miss. Trunchbull away.
Drew up her adoption papers to allow Miss. Honey to adopt her to get away from her criminal
family
Matilda found, to her great surprise that life could be fun, and she decided to have as much of it
as possible; after all, she was a very smart kid”. - narrator
