Matilda

At five years old, Matilda Wormwood is showing signs of being a child prodigy, much to the indifference of her slimy, stuck up, child favoring parents, who encourage the young girl to watch television instead of reading her beloved books. Left to fend for herself everyday as her parents leave for work (actually, her mom just goes to play bingo) and her rather stupid brother goes to school, she makes regular trips to the library where she practically devourers the books, learning a great deal. Starving for attention, although why she wants attention from people like the Wormwoods I will never know, she amuses herself with little jokes, like super gluing a hat to her father's head and then bleaching his normally black, and very greasy, hair, using her mother's peroxide.

Upon entering school, her vast knowledge is unearthed by her kind and caring teacher, Ms. Honey. Ms. Honey asks to have Matilda moved up, but the vile headmistress, Ms. Trunchbull, refuses, insisting that all children are stupid. Trying to go around the headmistress, Ms. Honey pays Matilda a visit at home, where she is surprised by how indifferent Matilda's parents are to there daughter's unique talents. Meanwhile, at school, the children suffer under the hand of "The Trunchbull," who pays frequent visits to each class to show the teacher a thing or two about how to properly discipline the students, which really is nothing short of child abuse. Her idea of proper discipline ranges from throwing children out of windows to swinging them around by their hair or locking them up in the "Chokey," a small, damp closet with nails sticking out of every side.

(Spoilers Ahead)

During a class inspection one day, Matilda's friend, Lavender, puts a newt in the Trunchbull's water glass. When Matilda is immediately blamed for it she becomes so enraged that the water glass suddenly tips over. This is when she discovers that she as psychokinetic powers (*cue: Twilight Zone theme song*). She confides her secret in Ms. Honey who, in return, invites her to come home for tea. When Matilda finds out that Ms. Honey is living in near poverty, she becomes curious, and Ms. Honey explains that when she was two years old her mother died. Her father, needing help looking after his child, called upon the Trunchbull (*sharp intake of breathe*), who happened to be his wife's sister. When she was five, her father "killed himself," and she was left under the care of the Trunchbull, who more or less employed her as her slave. When Ms. Honey was older, she found a job and moved out, but the Trunchbull insisted that she give her all of her paycheck except for one pound in return for taking care of her for all these years. Too afraid to protest, Ms. Honey agreed.

As revenge, during the next class inspection, Matilda uses her powers to pretend to be the spirit of Ms. Honey's deceased father. The Trunchbull is so scared that she faints and the teachers have to carry her from the class. She doesn't return to school the next day and is never seen again. Ms. Honey is able to move back into her father's house and later adopts Matilda (her father has been doing some shady trading of car parts and the family is now moving to Spain to escape the police). And they obviously live happily ever after.