To find Matilda hard to watch?

[susiesuelou]

I know it's just a work of fiction for kids and that it all comes good in the end for Matilda, but I've been watching it this morning whilst toddler DD naps and it's struck me just how horrible it is (the start especially). Particularly the part where she begs to be allowed books to read and the Dad holds her head and forces her to watch TV instead. Not being acknowledged by her mum when she comes in from school and wants to tell her about her day. 🥹

And don't get me started on the abusive practices of Miss Trunchbull! Particularly force feeding chocolate cake to that boy! I actually skipped through that part.

I've watched it before but never really watched it, if that makes sense. And it's just left an uncomfortable feeling.

AIBU? Am I too sensitive? I know the answer is probably yes, as it's just a film after all. But has anyone else had similar discomfort watching it?

Dahl's adult stories are deeply dark, almost certainly influenced by his wartime experiences. "Over To You" is mostly horrifying, and his "Tales Of The Unexpected" are well known for being blackly macabre. I find it intriguing, and unsettling, that someone who wrote those could also write such popular children's books. (Which I love, and my kids loved - there needs to be vinegar to balance the sugar, IYSWIM.)

He was born in 1916. What do you think it was like to grow up in 1916??

For some children, seeing this awful stuff happening is almost reassuring. They know it's shocking but they also know it's fake, and they know that they themselves are loved and safe. It's almost cathartic - a permission to express awful, unacceptable thoughts.

But if your childhood was not safe, if you were force fed, over-worked or ignored, seeing such things could be distressing.

My parents, both survivors of war and poverty in their childhoods, have completely opposite responses to Dahl-esque depictions of cruelty. For one they area painful reminders of suffering, for the other they are positive reminders of their survival and success.

I really like that quote.

My dsis read some of RD's adult literature, she decided he was a very creepy man.

I believe he also had a head injury as an adult, that affected his ability (inclination?) to filter his speech.

@DigitalTranny Roald Dahl's sister died when he was young, followed quickly by his father dying.
He was then sent to a horrible boarding school followed by Public School (not the nicest places to be in that era).
During the War his plane crashed which left him with such bad head injuries his personality changed.
Later in life his baby son was almost killed by his pram being hit by a car (Dahl helped create a medical device which saved his son plus 100s of other children). His eldest daughter died of the measles. His wife had a stroke at a young age.
No wonder his stories turned out a bit 'dark'.

You need to consider the ending too. We have to root for Matilda to get her freedom from her parents and be able to live with Miss Honey. It has to be really bad so we can cheer and feel good about it.

Roald Dahl was always on the children's side against idiotic and cruel adults, stupid bullies, and the unfairness of life. His child protagonists always overcome horrors to find justice.

Maybe he wasn't a nice person in his personal life - great artists are not often known for being lovely human beings - but in his books he championed children. And created some of the greatest and most enduring stories that children absolutely love.

Oh I totally agree. The ending is so beautiful!

@susiesuelou - I took my son to see the musical of it and found it really upsetting, and was crying 😢

This. He went to boarding school.

Why are so many Mn posters so incredibly naive and assume everything in the world either is or should be nice and fluffy?

I loved Matilda as a kid, it was an iconic movie with a lovely ending where everyone got their comeuppance. While she went to live with the lovely Miss Honey 🍯

No. He was a man who wrote excellent, very creepy and disturbing stories.

You don't have to be a criminal to write crime stories either.

Same with the thread whinging about the ‘adult themes’ and ‘unfairness’ in Jacqueline Wilson books 🙄 it’s good for kids to read about such things, and to learn the world isn’t fair and nice to everybody.

DAted? Because the premise of most childrens stories for a few thousand years is suddenly dated...as of when? Last week?

Why are you all so suddenly sensitive? Didn't you all grow up on Bambi and Dumbo and Snow White and Hansel and Gretel?

@Ostryga

Anything?! Not even the Twits? That’s a great story and very fulfilling at the end

I don't like any of his work at all.

@Cuppasoupmonster

I'm not "whinging" about it nor am I expecting the world to be all nice and "fluffy".

I'm opening a debate about the emotional impact of a film. Which has thus far been very interesting to read.

But if your childhood was not safe, if you were force fed, over-worked or ignored, seeing such things could be distressing.

Or it could be uplifting and validating to recognise your experiences and be told that it's not your fault and adults - including parents - really can be that shitty. I loved reading from a very young age because books taught me that I had value and adults were not always right or good.

I had a shit childhood and I really felt a sense of connection to Matilda, especially her love of reading. I used to wish there was a miss honey in my life!

Roald Dahl was an unpleasant man and his books reflect this. If you don't mind exposing your children to very uncomfortable ideologies, go ahead and read them. Otherwise, there are plenty of more palatable options available.

Interesting to learn about RD's life - he certainly had a lot of traumatic events happen to him!

What "uncomfortable ideologies" are those? Please give some examples.

@susiesuelou exactly. And for it to be beautiful and feel good, her parents had to be bad. Really ,really bad. If they were just slightly neglectful, a bit ditzy and just not understanding the potential of their amazing daughter it really wouldn't have felt the same. Basically a teacher singles out a child who is different, gives her special treatment, grooms her with attention and treats and eventually takes that child away from her parents, with no checks, no proper legal work and "under pressure". Not as beautiful. Not really something we'd root for, particularly as adults/parents.

Such as??? I'll bet for every acceptable book you come up with there is someone who is going to find it "distressing"