Nah I can’t agree with this one. Matilda the film, while enjoyable, messed up the ending.

In the book the superpowers aren’t just there and once unlocked stay. they are coming out because matilda isn’t allowed to be a smart kid. They express the frustration with being held back by parents and teachers. Once matilda is allowed to be herself, the frustration goes away and she’s just a normal kid. It’s like carry but nicer.

In the film they chose to have her powers stay which suggests she’s always had these powers so it is much more the usual “person finds out they are exceptional and isn’t life amazing” that fits much closer with the american way of looking at things (success is an attribute people have, rather than an outcome of circumstance) like in a weird way the prosperity gospel preaches. She didn’t make her success happen (through adversity) but rather she had success built in and it just showed up.

I kind of rant about this sometimes. I still watch the film because it’s well made and I love the actors but I do end up griping about the ending.

Tim Curry is gold in anything he is in.