CarrieandMatildaare both famous and beloved films in their own right.Carrieis a staple in the horror genre and continues to influence modern horror films to this day. Meanwhile,Matildais a beloved family movie, chock-full of charm that never gets old. On paper, you may not think these films could even be put in the same category. After all, they’re targeted towards drastically different audiences and are completely different genres. Butif you really dig into the plot of both films, you may be surprised to discover just how similar they are.Think about it. A young girl from a neglectful family discovers she has supernatural powers, which she uses to get back at her bullies. That description could fit either movie. The most obvious similarity between the two films and their respective main characters is that both Carrie (Sissy Spacek) and Matilda (Mara Wilson) discover that they have telekinesis. Something they practice and sharpen throughout their films. But that’s not where the similarities end. Plenty of details betweenCarrieandMatildabear striking resemblances to one another, creating a delightfully twisted double feature that you likely never even thought of.
Carrie White, a shy, friendless teenage girl who is sheltered by her domineering, religious mother, unleashes her telekinetic powers after being humiliated by her classmates at her senior prom.
Carrie and Matilda Come From Similar Families
Carrie and Matilda both come from neglectful and abusive families.Carrie is raised by her mother, Margaret White(Piper Laurie), who is devoutly religious and believes that something as uncontrollable as puberty is a sin. Throughout the movie, we see her talking down to Carrie, basically calling her the devil, and even locking her in closets as punishment. It’s horrific to watch, but it plays into the bigger part of Carrie’s character, as she’s eventually pushed too far. But more on that later.
Matilda’s family life isn’t much different. From the get-go, we see thatMatilda’s parents didn’t care much for herand seemingly didn’t even want her. When they leave the hospital, they simply put her car seat in the back of the car without taking care to strap it in, leaving baby Matilda’s car seat to wildly roam around the car with every turn. And as she grows older, her family leaves her home alone when she’s merely a child. They don’t even let her go to school initially and punish her for taking up a hobby of reading rather than television, as they prefer. It is a bit extreme and gimmicky, which is intentional, but it drives the point home nonetheless.Both Carrie and Matilda come from families that don’t seem to love or even care for them, leaving them to navigate the world on their own and find solace in adults outside of their homes.
Carrie and Matilda Find Their Own Parental Figures
Seeing as both girls come from neglectful families, it’s not surprising that they find comfort in their respective teachers. For Carrie,that teacher is Miss Collins(Betty Buckley), the high school gym teacher. When Carrie gets her first period at the beginning of the movie, she’s terrified, as she has no idea what is happening to her. Her mother never told her of such a thing, as she believed menstruation was a sin and not a natural part of growing up. In her state of fear and panic, she cries to her classmates in the locker room, only for them to throw menstrual products at her and shout crude remarks like “Plug it up!” Miss Collins arrives to see what the commotion is about and comforts Carrie when she realizes the girl has no idea what’s happening to her. She’s the one who explains it to Carrie, and as the movie goes on, she takes Carrie under her wing, even helping her prepare for the prom — even if such an event would eventually prove to be fatal.Miss Collins served as the parental figure Carrie never had but deserved, and though she doesn’t make it out of the film alive, her time with Carrie was a huge part of the film and, for a brief time, helped Carrie to find her voice and confidence.
The same is true for Matilda. When she’s finally enrolled in school, she’s immediately at home. She’s surrounded by children her own age, whom she befriends. She uncovers a new world of books and knowledge and wows her teacher, Miss Honey (Embeth Davidtz), with a brilliance far beyond her years. Miss Honey begins giving Matilda more challenging homework and bonds with her over the works ofCharles Dickens. She even tries to get her into a more advanced class, an attempt thwarted by Miss Trunchbull (Pam Ferris). As Miss Honey learns of Matilda’s home life, she begins to bond further with the girl, even inviting her to her home for tea andshowing her a familial love she’s never gotten from her own parents.By the end of the film,Miss Honey adopts Matilda, promising to encourage her love of learning and her brilliant nature. And it wasn’t just Matilda who got something out of the deal. Miss Honey had a rough childhood, so Matilda helps heal her inner child, giving a happy ending all across the board.
Carrie and Matilda Both Have Cruel Bullies That They Defeat
As mentioned, Carrie is bullied by her classmates. They call her names, they hit her with dodgeballs, and they plan horrifically intricate pranks on her. Carrie’s primary bully is Chris Hargensen (Nancy Allen). She’s the ringleader of the locker room incident, which lands her in detention with Miss Collins. However, her refusal to accept her punishment leads Miss Collins to ban her from attending the prom. And for a popular high schooler, this is about the worst thing that could happen. So, with the help of her boyfriend Billy (John Travolta),she rigs a bucket full of pig’s blood to fall on Carrie when she’s crowned prom queen. This is the final straw for Carrie, and she snaps right there on stage. Having been practicing her newfound power of telekinesis throughout the film,Carrie uses her powers to lock her classmates in the gym as she sets it ablaze— killing them all in brutal fashion.
Matilda’s bully takes the form of her school’s principal, Miss Trunchbull. In one of our first meetings with Miss Trunchbull, we see her pick up a young student by her pigtails and hurl her over a fence. The girl is okay, of course, but it’s a terrifying introduction to a character meant to be in charge of these students. Miss Trunchbull continuously proves to be the worst as the movie goes on. She punishes a student for stealing a slice of chocolate cake by forcing him to eat a full cake in front of the entire school, the catch being that the cake is enormous and basically impossible to eat in one sitting, let alone as a child. She also singles out Matilda repeatedly due to her hatred towards Matilda’s father, Harry (Danny DeVito), and also talks down to Miss Honey constantly. But much like Carrie, Matilda manages to stand up to her bully and takes down Miss Trunchbull once and for all. She doesn’t commit massive amounts of destruction and murder like Carrie, but she does put a salamander in her water glass and use her telekinesis to attack her with blackboard brushes. Oh, and she uses her powers to write messages on the blackboard, posing as Miss Honey’s father, Magnus, to make Miss Trunchbull believe she is being haunted.
Sissy Spacek Wasn’t the First Choice for ‘Carrie’
The Stephen King adaptation would have been a very different movie.
Matilda and Carrie’s bullies also have something in common, and that’s how they choose to punish our characters. Carrie’s mother often locks her in a prayer closet, telling her to pray for forgiveness of her sins and keeping her in there for hours at a time. Do you know what that sounds reminiscent of? The Chokey. In Miss Trunchbull’s office, she has a tiny little closet called The Chokey, which is claustrophobic and filled with nails and other dangerous decorations. She often sends children to it and locks them in, often for minor offenses, to show off her power trip. Both punishments, though different in motivation, are extreme and invoke a sense of fear in our characters.
Is Carrie the Grown-Up Version of Matilda?
It may sound ridiculous, butonce you really look at both movies,there’s no denying thatCarrieandMatildashare a lot of similarities. And it’s more than just the surface level of both characters having telekinesis. Many details blend together, and a brief description of either story could create confusion between the two films. So, is it possible thatCarrieis the twisted horror version ofMatilda? It seems more likely than you might think. Then again,Matildacan feel like a horror movie because it deals with some seriously dark plot points. The only real difference between the two films is that one includes a massacre, and the other doesn’t. Though Matilda’s attack on Miss Trunchbull certainly toes the line. But don’t take my word for it. Rewatch bothCarrieandMatildaand see for yourself how similar the two are. It’s possible that in some twisted alternate universe, Carrie and Matilda may just be the same person. The more you get into it, the more likely such a scenario seems.Substitute the fire for chalk and a lower death count, and you may as well have the same movie.
