I have found myself increasingly emotional over the course of the past year, including slightly unusual things. Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical, has now earned a place in this ever-growing category. This post will not be a review, but since I am so akin to writing such, here's a short one:
This is a well done family musical, but as Roald Dahl's writings, and ideally adaptations go, it is much darker if you are not viewing it through the lens of a child. Children will find this joyous and colorful, with enticing dances and catchy songs. Adults, especially those having gone through similar stories to Matilda or Miss Honey, will find the brightness ominous, and the dialogue, horribly familiar.
CONTENT WARNING: Mentions of child abuse.
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Seeing a child find someone who supports and believes them, unabashedly, brings up a lot of emotions for me. As an adult, speaking about my childhood is quickly made complicated due to many things, such as childhood PTSD, contributing to severe memory loss, and frequent gas lighting when I had reached out for help as a child. I love seeing stories where children are believed, which I find to be such a rarity.
When living in Nashville, I spent time nannying, volunteering, and serving as a teaching aid. The quickest way to relate to a child, is to believe them. Sure, some of them lie to get attention or weasel their way into extra sweets, but as an adult, or at the time near-adult, those faux-truths were easy to learn about.
In this film, a child is repeatedly beaten down, forgotten, insulted, and abused, and yet, she still has the courage to fight for herself and those around her, in a musical form. I cried a lot (for me) while watching this film. To have such courage and find a home where you are supported and lov
ed, I think those of us who were quite a bit erased as children, continue to seek as adults. I hope to never be erased again.