During the 90s, there were plenty of kids movies that were made and turned into classics in no time. The Sandlot, Hocus Pocus, and the entire Disney Renaissance, for instance, all made a lasting impression on young audiences back in the day. Now, those kids are grown up and showing those movies to the next generation.
When looking at the most memorable kids' movies from the 90s, Matilda is certainly a film worth talking about. It had a lot going for it back when it was released, and while its box office gross left a lot to be desired, it still became a classic.
This movie had a lot to love about it, but on set, there was one thing that was genuinely scary to work with, according to the film's biggest star. Let's take a closer look at Matilda and hear about the one thing on set that was actually scary.
Matilda Is A 90s Classic
Released back in 1996, Matilda, which is based on the Roald Dalh novel of the same name, made its way into theaters with an exceptional amount of talent. Not only was Danny DeVito directing the film, but he was also acting in it alongside performers like Mara Wilson, Rhea Perlman, and Embeth Davidtz. Wilson was a major child star, and this film hit all the right notes during its runtime.
Roald Dahl adaptations have been spotty through the years, but Matilda had a considerable amount of charm to it. A lot of this came from Mara Wilson, who was also featured in major hits like Mrs. Doubtfire during the 90s. The fans loved what this movie brought to the table, and they continue to adore the movie all these years later.
The film was by no means a financial success, but it was still able to earn a legacy thanks to Wilson and co. As time has gone on, folks have grown curious about things from the film, including the fun and the scary elements from behind the scenes.
The Cake Scene Was Interesting To Film
There will always be ups and downs while filming, and certain things are a lot more fun to film than others. While working on Matilda, the infamous cake scene was fun for some but downright unpleasant for one actor.
The scene in question is undoubtedly one of the most famous from the movie. Now, as a kid, getting the chance to chow down on as much chocolate cake as possible might seem like a dream come true, but this couldn't be further from the truth. Unfortunately, the actor who played Bruce hated chocolate cake.
Jimmy Karz, who played Bruce, talked about this, saying, "The hardest thing was coming to set every day and getting the chocolate painted onto my face the way it was painted the day before. And wearing that crusty shirt every day. That was probably the worst, as far as I can remember."
Even though it wasn't fun for Karz, a lot of other performers had a blast while filming that particular scene.
Kiami Davael, who played Lavender, said, "We had an absolute blast filming that scene. I remember the auditorium was filled with so many kids, many of them I never got the pleasure of personally meeting."
It's great to hear that some fun was had on set by a lot of the cast members, and it really shows in their performances. However, there was something on set that was genuinely scary for the actors to work with.
The Chokey Was Scary
According to Mara Wilson, the infamous Chokey was actually scary.
"Oh, God. That was, like, the only time on set I was actually afraid. I wasn’t afraid of The Trunchbull because [actress] Pam Ferris is just the nicest woman ever. But the small spaces — I was not a fan of small spaces at the time. Also, it smelled really bad in there because of the smoke machine they were using. When I get pulled out of The Chokey, I’m holding my hands over my face; that’s because it smelled really bad. And I remember once they put me in there and closed the door, and then Danny said, 'Okay guys, we’re going to lunch!' And I started banging on the door like, 'Guys, let me out,'" recalled Mara Wilson.
Kids who grew up on this movie were terrified of this thing, and it's wild to hear from the actress who played Matilda that it was as scary in person as it was on screen. Even though it's just a prop, The Chokey was essentially its own character, and it was scarier than everything but The Trunchbull.
Matilda is a fantastic movie that still pleases fans, and The Chokey is officially scarier than ever now that we know that it freaked Mara Wilson out.