Diractors is an ongoing series in which Hassle writer Jack Draper examines films, new and old, whose directors are better known for their work in front of the camera.
National treasure Danny DeVito has been selling himself for 40 years, and we love to buy it. What we get is the authentic, lovable package that carries forward the idea that directing yourself is taking charge of your public persona. Maybe it’s binary thinking that directing your own movies (especially when you’re also acting in it) means either embracing your personality or subverting it. In the case of DeVito, he has zero shame in his comedic interests, along with a complete unpretentiousness about directing– certainly when placed in the same lane as other directors who have adapted Roald Dahl, like Wes Anderson, Nicolas Roeg, or Tim Burton. For someone who has been present in in American cinema and TV for 55 years, he is famous for something different and unique for each passing generation– including a director.
As far as comedy directors that are as consistent as DeVito, its pretty impressive to see his maximalist style work as well as it can. The jokes and performances in Matilda are pitched to an 11, but not to such a degree that it rings false. It helps that the relationships DeVito surrounds the story with create a comfortability within his movies– think of the way he reteamed his Romancing the Stone co-stars Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas in The War of the Roses, or acting alongside his longtime friends like Billy Crystal, wife Rhea Pearlman, or unique character actors from his theater days like Vincent Schiavelli. It’s what makes comedies like Roses or Throw Momma From the Train (Truly one of my favorite comedies ever) so special, remaining slapstick and screwball comedy adjacent while adapting to the studio comedy of the ’80s. Certainly for an era of comedy that otherwise comes off as unflattering, DeVito is never interested in punching down, even if he doesn’t write his own movies for himself throughout his directing career. And even a directorial pivot after Hoffa, Matilda possibly has its most during legacy.
I really enjoy this quote from Roger Ebert’s Matilda review from the time: “Matilda is not in any sense a ‘children’s movie,’ although older children will probably like it a lot. It is a dark family comedy about stupid parents, cruel teachers and a brave little girl, and it is no surprise to find that Danny DeVito not only stars but directed it.” This is just what Ebert does best– summarizing what the movie is getting at while realizing the kind of movie this is. If DeVito is a great actor’s director and comedy director, then this might be the great blend of both– all while being the most dysfunctional family yet of a career filled with broken relationships. For a kid’s movie, the performances are heightened, and what the movie is about isn’t all that complex, but since DeVito wanted to direct this for his kids, it’s as good as a coming-of-age picture gets. The legacy of Mara Wilson’s embodiment as Matilda, Embeth Davidtz as Ms. Honey, and an insane Pam Farris as Ms. Trunchbull further the movies legacy that carry past it just being a millennial kids’ relic.
After this, we see DeVito stick the comedy lane with Death to Smoochy (2002) and Duplex (2003)– both of which were the worst reviewed of his career– and hasn’t directed a movie in 21 years. Since Duplex, we know what he has been up to: starring as Frank Reynolds on Its Always Sunny, reteaming with Tim Burton two more times, even being included in Todd Solondz’ latest movie Wiener Dog. Anyone would’ve loved to see him direct features again, not to see if his comedic sensibilities have changed, but who today could be the next Billy Crystal or Ben Stiller, handling the idiosyncratic characters he surrounds his leads with. He finds himself with Matilda, however, enduring a near 30 year-long, beloved shelf-life that DeVito could best be remembered for as a director, right next to Throw Momma from the Train. Which is good and makes sense; he is responsible for one of the definitive comedies of the ’80s and the ’90s, all while never abandoning his acting career for directing. What you see is what you get with Danny DeVito.
Matilda
dir. Danny DeVito
1996
98 min.
Screens in a special kids’ matinee Saturday, 11/30, 10:30am @ Coolidge Corner Theatre
