6. Mr & Mrs Wormwood Matilda
Who Are They?: The parents of Matilda Wormwood, a neglected child who is incredibly intelligent. Why Are They So Horrible?: They treat Matilda as nothing but an annoyance, favouring her older brother over her and take any opportunity they can to run her down. They pay her so little attention that she has to point out that she should have already started going to school. As well as that, theyre both incredibly vapid (viewing reading as inherently inferior to watching television and discouraging Matilda from reading), and Mr Wormwood is a criminal, dealing in stolen car parts as well as cheating those who buy cars from him. The only good thing they really do for Matilda (letting her teacher Miss Honey adopt her) is done mainly because its easier for them in the long run. What Happens To Them?: In a surprising move for a film faithfully based on a Roald Dahl book (who was usually very big on his villains getting what was coming to them), Matildas parents never face any real consequences for their actions. You could argue that the pranks Matilda plays on them on count as some form of retribution for the constant neglect, but their main crime is selling stolen car parts and Mr Wormwood cheating his customers by selling them cars that are complete wrecks disguised as something driveable. Theres never any implication that they get caught, making their long-prepared-for escape attempt to Guam (Spain in the book) likely a complete success.
JG Moore
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JG Moore is a writer and filmmaker from the south of England. He also works as an editor and VFX artist, and has a BA in Media Production from the University Of Winchester.
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