Precocious Facts About Roald Dahl’s Matilda
"Everyone is born, but not everyone is born the same. Some will grow to be butchers, or bakers, or candlestick makers. Some will only be really good at making Jell-O salad. One way or another, though, every human being is unique, for better or for worse."—Narrator, Matilda (Film version)
The classic 1996 children's movie Matilda is an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1988 novel of the same name. The book/movie tell the story of a little girl by the name of Matilda Wormwood who is not only a genius, but also has telekinetic powers.Forced to deal with her crooked and cruel father and mother, as well as the evil, bullying principal at her school, she takes solace in the library and reading. When Matilda discovers that she has telekinesis, she starts using her powers to exact revenge on her parents and her school principal. Below are 42 fun facts about this beloved story.
Roald Dahl’s Matilda Facts
42. A Country’s Favorite
In 1988, the book Matilda won the Children’s Book Award from the Federation of Children’s Books. The award is voted on by actual children, and is awarded every year in the UK to the books the kids choose as their favorites. Ten years later, the book was voted “The Nation’s Favorite book” in England in a Bookworm poll conducted by the BBC.
41. Together On and Off Screen
Rhea Perlman and Danny DeVito played Matilda’s parents in the movie, and Perlman was also DeVito’s wife at the time. The couple briefly separated in 2012 after about 35 years of marriage, but later reconciled. In late 2016, they split again, this time for good, but the two remain friends.
40. An Author’s Cameo
In the movie version of Matilda, the portrait of Miss Honey’s father is really a picture of the Roald Dahl himelf. Dahl died in 1990 just two years after the release of the book, and the painting was included as a tribute to him.
