In Real Life

Let's start of with some differences between book and movie:

1. The books does a lot more to show just how smart Matilda really is. It lists the books she reads, and the benefits of them. It also talks about how good of a cook she is. In the movie we see her walking to the library and making pancakes, yeah, excellent representation (with heavy sarcasm).

2. Another major difference from movie to book is the idea of Matilda's powers. In the movie, once realizing her powers she quickly is able to use them flawlessly, while in the book it takes much practice and energy before she is really able to control them. (In the book) it is thought that her powers come from all the extra energy she has in her head, which is why she loses them when she goes to college, because she has to think a lot more. In the movie, she just decides to stop using them, for the most part.

3. The movie also appears to take place in America, as opposed to Great Britain. A small difference, but curious in that it was really a necessary change in the first place. Oh well.

4. Another issue not discussed in the movie is the idea of Ms. Honey's poverty and her servitude under the Trunchbull. While it is implied that she suffers under the hand of the Trunchbull, no specific reference is made to show any kind of monetary exchange between them (mainly the giving up of all of Ms. Honey's salary).

5. My favorite difference is the monitoring of all the "violence" that takes place in the book. For example, the girl who is thrown by her pigtails by the Trunchbull does not land on her face, but is saved by Matilda and lands in a field of flowers. Ahhhhh. Or the boy who is thrown from the window for eating candy during class, which is mentioned, but otherwise ignored in the movie.


On a different note, I think the younger version of Matilda should have been the main character in the movie, the one they originally showed going to the library. She was so much cuter and while it was impressive to watch a plain seven year old take care of herself, it would have been better to watch the very cute five year old. But whatever.