Matilda

Airdate: August 2, 1996

Plot
Matilda Wormwood (Mara Wilson) is an intelligent girl with a bright personality, but her parents, Harry and Zinnia (Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman), neglect and mistreat her. When Matilda reaches four, she discovers the local library and walks there every day to read while her parents are at work and her older brother, Michael, is at school.

By age six-and-a-half, Matilda begins to lose patience with her parents. In retaliation for her father's constant lecturing, she mixes his hair tonic with her mother's hair dye which turns his hair an unhealthy blonde. Harry takes his family to his workshop, where he reveals that the cars he sells are faulty. Matilda accuses him of being dishonest and he belittles her, so she retaliates by putting super-glue in his hat, forcing Zinnia to cut it off. Matilda reads a borrowed library book of Moby Dick Which Harry then tears it calling it filth reacting to the title while her family is watching television. When Harry tries to force her to watch with them, Matilda grows increasingly angry and the television suddenly explodes.

Agatha Trunchbull (Pam Ferris) is the headmistress of a run-down school, Crunchem Hall. Harry enrolls Matilda there, where she befriends several children and learns of Miss Trunchbull's nature and her harsh punishments of the students. Matilda's teacher, Miss Jennifer Honey (Embeth Davidtz), is a kind woman who adores her pupils and takes an immediate liking to Matilda. Miss Honey speaks with Miss Trunchbull and requests that Matilda be moved up to a higher class, but Trunchbull refuses. Miss Honey pays Matilda's parents a visit and requests that they pay more attention to her, but they refuse to listen. Meanwhile, Matilda discovers that her family is under FBI surveillance because of her father's shady dealings, but her parents refuse to believe her.

Sometime later, Miss Trunchbull goes to Miss Honey's class for a weekly "check-up" and starts to belittle the students. As a prank, Lavender (one of Matilda's friends) places a newt in Miss Trunchbull's water jug to frighten her. She accuses Matilda, whose anger at the injustice leads to her telekinetically tipping the glass over, splashing water on Miss Trunchbull. Miss Honey invites Matilda to her house for tea. On the way, they pass Miss Trunchbull's house, and Miss Honey reveals her secret: when she was two years old, her mother died, so her father (a doctor) invited his wife's stepsister, Miss Trunchbull, to live with them and look after Miss Honey while he was at work. However, Miss Trunchbull mistreated and abused her niece at every opportunity. When Miss Honey was five, her father died of an apparent suicide (as said in the novel, he left all of his assets to Miss Trunchbull). Eventually, Miss Honey moved out of her aunt's house and into a small cottage. Matilda and Miss Honey briefly sneak into Miss Trunchbull's house while she is out, but her unexpected return leads to a cat-and-mouse chase with Matilda and Miss Honey only barely escaping.

When Matilda's telekinetic powers manifest again during an argument, she trains herself to use her ability at her own will. Matilda returns to Miss Trunchbull's house, wreaking havoc in an attempt to scare her away, like repeatedly striking her clock, opening the windows, and turning the lights on and off. Trunchbull almost flees, but she finds Matilda's ribbon and realizes that she was there. The next day, Miss Trunchbull visits Miss Honey's class again to get Matilda to admit her guilt. She uses her powers to write a message on the blackboard, posing as the ghost of Miss Honey's father Magnus (who Trunchbull thought was wrecking the havoc at her house) and accusing her of murdering him. Miss Trunchbull attacks the students, but Matilda keeps them out of harm's way with her powers and the students force Miss Trunchbull out of the school by pelting her with food and garbage. Miss Honey moves back into her house (as said in the novel her father's true will is discovered by the police, which named Miss Honey as the sole beneficiary), and Matilda is a frequent visitor.

The FBI finally uncovers enough evidence to prosecute Harry, and he and his family prepare to flee to Guam. They stop by Miss Honey's house to pick up Matilda, but she refuses to go with them. Harry and Zinnia finally realize how gifted Matilda is, and decide to let Miss Honey adopt her. The Wormwoods escape, while Matilda lives a happy life with Miss Honey.