Six-year-old
Matilda Wormwood has been neglected and mistreated by her parents (corrupt car dealer Harry Wormwood and his bingo-loving wife Zinnia) and older brother Michael all her life. They frequently leave Matilda home alone to fend for herself and refuse to enroll her in school. Smart and independent, Matilda finds solace in books at the
public library from the age of four. Matilda seeks revenge by punishing her father by putting hydrogen peroxide in his hair oil, which bleaches his hair. Next, she glues Harry's hat on his head when her father encourages Michael into his illegal car dealings. After Harry destroys one of Matilda's library books and forces her to watch mindless television, Matilda becomes angry, and the television explodes. Harry sells a car to
Miss Agatha Trunchbull, the tyrannical, child-hating principal of Crunchem Hall Elementary School, in exchange for admitting Matilda as a student. On her first day, two of the students Lavender (who Matilda befriends) and Hortensia warn Matilda about Trunchbull's abusive disciplinary methods, which include throwing students out the window and locking them in the Chokey, a dark
closet with spikes, apparently inspired by an "
iron maiden". Matilda's teacher, Miss Jennifer Honey, notices the ease with which Matilda answers middle school multiplication questions and requests Matilda be moved to a higher class, but Trunchbull refuses. That night, Miss Honey goes to Matilda's home hoping to convince the Wormwoods, who are not interested. The next day, Miss Trunchbull calls an assembly in the school auditorium, where she forces overweight student Bruce Bogtrotter to eat a large
chocolate cake as punishment for stealing a piece of hers. Later that late evening after school, Matilda discovers her father is under surveillance by the
FBI over his illegal dealings, which include purchasing stolen car parts and using shady tactics to pawn off decrepit cars at marked-up prices. Her parents refuse to believe her warning, as Zinnia flirts with the two agents who pose as speedboat salesmen. Discovering the car from Harry to be faulty, Trunchbull locks Matilda in the Chokey as punishment. Miss Honey frees her and Matilda's friend Lavender puts a
newt in Miss Trunchbull's water jug as payback. After school, Miss Honey invites Matilda to tea and reveals her past: her mother died when she was two, and her father Magnus, who was a doctor, invited her aunt (Trunchbull) to live with them to care for Miss Honey. However, Trunchbull abused Miss Honey and Magnus died, apparently by suicide, when Miss Honey was five. He left everything including the house to Trunchbull in his
will, and Trunchbull continued to abuse Miss Honey until she grew up and managed to escape. Matilda and Miss Honey sneak into the house hoping to retrieve some of Miss Honey's belongings, including a special doll, but Trunchbull unexpectedly returns and they narrowly escape. Matilda channels the aggression she gets from her family and Trunchbull to practice her telekinetic powers, and she drives away the FBI agents, who are searching the Wormwoods' garage without a warrant. Matilda returns to Trunchbull's house, and from the roof, she uses her powers to claim Miss Honey's doll and wreaks havoc while posing as the
vengeful spirit of Magnus. This nearly scares Trunchbull out of the house, but she uncovers Matilda's ruse upon finding her hair ribbon. At school the next day, Matilda telekinetically writes a message on the blackboard to tell Miss Trunchbull to give Miss Honey her house and money before leaving town. Miss Trunchbull is terrified and attacks Matilda's classmates in a rage, but Matilda protects them with her powers and allows them to escape from Miss Trunchbull. Eventually, all the students turn on Miss Trunchbull, and she runs out of the school never to be seen or heard from again. Miss Honey moves back into her father's house with Matilda as a frequent visitor. Harry, Zinnia, and Michael arrive to reclaim Matilda and flee to
Guam to avoid the FBI, who now have enough evidence to arrest Harry for his illegal dealings. Matilda refuses to go, saying she would rather stay with Miss Honey. Zinnia expresses remorse at never having understood Matilda, and she and Harry sign the adoption papers doing "the first decent thing they ever did for their daughter." Matilda goes on to live happily with Miss Honey, who becomes the new principal of Crunchem Hall. ==Cast==