Matilda (1996) & The Phantom Tollbooth (1970)

Two back-to-school movies to enter a month of discovery!

Matilda (1996; YouTube)

A young girl from a toxic household discovers the joy of reading—and that for her, knowledge literally is power. This movie combines eccentric artistic style with charming actors, not least Danny DeVito as Matilda’s problematic dad—and the director of the movie! It is also very liberating. Matilda finds herself trapped at home and at school. At home, her family watches mindless game shows; at school, her teacher literally locks her in a dungeon. Good books—like good movies—can take us away. They can enlighten us in dark places (like Matilda’s home and school). They can expand our horizons. Written by Roald Dahl, this is another charming children’s story about how poor, downtrodden Charlie finds joy and lives happily ever after. But this time, it’s not because he’s brave, truthful, and unselfish. It’s because she reads.

I always feel a little awkward recommending movies. I’m even getting a little tired of watching movies. Because Roald Dahl is right: as his Oompa Loompas sing, television “rots the senses in the head / it kills imagination dead” until a child’s “brain becomes as soft as cheese. / He cannot think—he only sees.” This is the world Matilda lives in, and that all of us live in: constant visual stimulation that does our imagining for us. However, this is what makes Matilda such a special tale: not only does she heartwarmingly discover a better family, but this family treats reading the densest novel ever (Moby Dick) as a communal tradition of interrogation and wonder. The movie has head as well as heart.

But there’s no shortage of heart! As a kid, I was a big fan of Roald Dahl. I started to notice that everything he writes—everything—features food. Don’t miss the food here. Honestly, you can’t miss it. This movie is a chocolate cake for the imagination.

Not to be confused with that 70s movie about Robert Mitchum and the boxing kangaroo.

For sensitive viewers: A couple mild swear words. Drinking. Matilda is in some dangerous situations like… her teacher’s torture chamber? I think it’s pretty cartoony and appropriate for children, like a classic fairy tale, but Parental Guidance is not a bad idea, especially for younger children.

The Phantom Tollbooth (1970; nearly complete on YouTube)

When Milo (Butch Patrick) skips school, he finds himself transported into an animated fantasy adventure where he must choose to… learn. This may sound like a cheesy after-school special, but it is done well. It is made by Chuck Jones, famous for the best Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck cartoons back in the 1940s and 50s. Here, Jones tells a secular Pilgrim’s Progress, not about sin and salvation, but about personal growth nonetheless. And hey, it’s a musical!

Jones has a knack for bright, colorful animation and song (heart) combined with thoughtful content (head). Think of “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (1966), “Horton Hears a Who” (1970), or that captivating, faithful adaptation of a tale from The Jungle Book, “Rikki Tikki Tavi” (1975). He entertains while educating.

This movie is certainly not as well-loved as any of those other productions! I wonder if this is because it is a full-length film, so was harder for it to catch on as a TV classic. Or maybe it’s because it’s an unlikely, symbolic kid’s story about… education? Boring. But I like it, if only because it doesn’t settle for the easy answer. Every family movie since the Beatles ends with one word: “Love!” But that’s not all you need. This movie has a different final answer, one just as important. I think you’ll like it, too. As Willy Wonka says, I hope you will. 😊

For sensitive viewers: Some mild cartoon peril and explosions.

Nathan’s Writing Update

Nothing major this week, but I will say that finding a free copy of Bakhtin’s Problems of Dostoevsky’s Poetics has really come in handy for writing my book chapter on Frozen…