Matilda (1996):The Roald Dahl Comedy Where the Worst Parents Ever Meet the World's Most Evil Headmistress and One Little Girl Takes on Both of Them

Matilda introduces students to a character who takes reading seriously in a world that doesn't, and who uses intelligence and imagination to push back against adults who abuse their power over children. That combination of wit, injustice, and wish-fulfillment is what makes the story connect with upper elementary students, many of whom know exactly what it feels like to be underestimated.

Matilda Wormwood is a five-year-old who teaches herself to read and works through the children's section of the local library before moving on to Dickens and Austen. Her father is a dishonest car dealer; her mother spends her days at bingo. Neither has any interest in her. When she is finally allowed to start school, Matilda discovers a kind teacher in Miss Honey and a terrifying headmistress in Miss Trunchbull, who punishes children with a spiked closet called the Chokey and genuinely seems to hate them. Matilda also discovers she can move objects with her mind, a power she eventually uses to set things right.

Based on Roald Dahl's novel, the movie explores themes of intelligence, reading, the relationship between children and authority, and what happens when the adults in a child's life fail them. Miss Honey's warmth and Miss Trunchbull's cruelty sit at opposite ends of what adults can be, and the contrast gives the movie genuine moral weight alongside all the dark comedy.

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📚 It makes a genuine case for reading. Matilda's love of books is treated as real and important, not as a quirk to be corrected. The contrast between Matilda, who reads everything she can find, and her family, who watch television instead, is one of the movie's central arguments. The book list activity connects directly to this.

⚡ Matilda uses her intelligence before she uses her powers. The magic is fun, but what makes Matilda interesting is that she is already finding ways to handle difficult adults before she discovers she can move things with her mind. She is a problem-solver first, and the magical element is an extension of that rather than a replacement for it.

😈 Miss Trunchbull is a villain students genuinely love to hate. The Chokey, the hammer-throw across the playground, the forced chocolate cake: Miss Trunchbull's punishments are so outrageous they tip into dark comedy. Students engage with her as a character precisely because she is so thoroughly, theatrically awful, and because the movie knows she deserves exactly what she gets.

👩‍🏫 Miss Honey shows what a good teacher looks like. Miss Honey is the first adult in the movie who sees Matilda clearly and takes her seriously. Her relationship with Matilda, and the revelation of her own history with Miss Trunchbull, gives the story emotional depth beyond the comedy and gives students something real to think about.

🌟 It is a Roald Dahl adaptation with a strong novel connection. The source novel is widely read in upper elementary classrooms, making the movie a natural companion for a Roald Dahl unit, a book-to-movie comparison, or a reward for finishing the book. Teachers showing the movie without the book context will find it stands alone equally well.

⚠️ Things to be aware of:

• Violence: Cartoonish but frequent, nearly all from Miss Trunchbull. Includes a girl swung by her pigtails over a fence, a boy thrown out of a window, children locked in the Chokey (a spiked closet), a boy forced to eat an enormous chocolate cake before having the plate smashed on his head. All played for dark comedy with no injuries shown.
• Themes: Child neglect and emotional abuse from Matilda's parents.
• Language: One use of 'hell.' Adults use exaggerated fake insults ('dog slime,' 'worm of vomit') in place of actual swearing.
• Alcohol: Adults drink beer occasionally.
• No sexual content.

📚 English Language Arts Teachers. Matilda is a strong ELA choice as a Roald Dahl adaptation, a book-to-movie companion, or a standalone story with clear themes around reading, identity, and standing up for what is right. The guide covers comprehension, narrative writing, creative writing, and a reading motivation task in which students list and reflect on books they want to read, with differentiated question sets for mixed-ability classes.

🗣️ ESL and ELL Teachers. The guide is tagged ESL, EFL, and ELL on TPT. The multiple choice comprehension set is noted as working well with ESL students and younger or more focused groups. The movie's expressive visual comedy and clear character dynamics make it accessible for language learners across a range of proficiency levels.

🎬 Substitute Teachers and Cover Lessons. The guide is print-ready and includes a content page and easy teacher directions. Students work through the comprehension questions while watching and move into the storyboard and creative writing activities once it ends. The TPT listing notes it works well as a sub plan.

🏠 Homeschool Parents. Matilda is a comfortable choice for home learners in the upper elementary range, and the differentiated question sets give families flexibility to match the activity to the child's level. The creative writing tasks, including the magic writing activity and book list, are open-ended enough to generate good conversation alongside the movie.

🌟 Supporting All Learners Movie guides can be a wonderfully calm fit for students with autism, learning difficulties, and mild to severe disabilities. The structured format gives every student a clear purpose during viewing, easing uncertainty and allowing them to engage at their own pace. If you teach in a special education or learning support setting, you may find this guide a gentle and practical resource. Find out more about why movies work for diverse learners.

Part 1. Comprehension Questions
Two differentiated sets of 15 questions each, covering the movie in chronological order. The first requires full sentence answers. The second is multiple choice with three options per question, noted in the listing as working well with ESL and ELL students or a more focused younger group. Answer keys included for both sets.

Part 2. Storyboard
Students create a 9-scene storyboard illustrating pivotal events from the beginning, middle, and end of the movie. Each scene includes a short sentence describing the action. Students can use their comprehension questions to help with sequencing.

Part 3. Creativity
Three tasks. First, students imagine they have Matilda's telekinetic powers and write about how they would use them to help their friends, then draw a picture showing their magic in action. Second, students imagine they are Matilda and write a diary entry for a day when Miss Trunchbull came to their class. Third, students list five books they want to read and write what interests them about each one and why they want to read it.