5 reasons why we love Matilda

This winter we’re taking members across the UK to witness the return of everyone's favourite bookworm to the big screen, with an adaptation of the West End stage show including magical music by Tim Minchin.

Alisha Weir is taking on the iconic Matilda and joined by an extraordinary supporting cast that’s comprised by strong female actors like Lashana Lynch as sweet-natured teacher Miss Honey and Emma Thompson as the wicked head mistress Miss Trunchbull.

Matilda tells the story of a precocious girl with a vivid imagination, who dares to take a stand to change her story with miraculous results. Here are five reasons why Matilda is a Girlguiding favourite that we hope girls and members will relate to.

She stands up for herself and her peers

Matilda is an impressively brave girl, who teaches us that it is not okay to be manipulated nor bullied - whether by her parents or teachers. No matter how much bigger or stronger they are, she stands up for herself and others; including Miss Honey, who she helps find the courage to stand up to her wicked aunt Agatha and reclaim her home.

We think she would earn her Safe the world badge, which gives girls the opportunity to understand, identify and take action against unsafe behaviours, and teaches them how to keep themselves safe and others (including standing up to others).

She’s an avid reader

Through history girls and women weren't allowed the same learning opportunities that men had. Matilda’s escapes to the library are an example of the power that libraries and reading can bring to marginalised communities by making learning accessible to them.

We can’t think of many movies that have a bookworm as a protagonist, but Matilda spends almost every waking hour reading. She shows us how the magical world of books could transport us to distant lands and realities, and for that very reason - we think she deserves the Rainbows’ Book lover badge!

She lives by her values

Let’s be honest Matilda is not surrounded by the best of role models, her dad runs an illegal car dealership and doesn’t care about breaking the law; and Miss Trunchbull, her headmistress mistreats children and cheated Matilda’s favourite teacher out of her life and home.

Nevertheless, Matilda is able to develop and live by different values and beliefs to those who surround her - for this we think she would have earned her Reflect Skills Builder!

She teaches girls to be the masters of their own destiny

Matilda has taught us that your destiny is not set - you have the power to change your own story. She never allowed her upbringing to stop her from becoming the genius she was destined to be.

Even if you're little you can do a lot, you
Mustn't let a little thing like little stop you

Matilda would have earned the Live smart Skills Builder, as she has the skills and resilience she needs to become the independent young girl she is!

Her telekinetic powers!

Whether learning an impressive trick or taunting her bullies to teach them a lesson, who wouldn’t love to have the power to control objects with their mind like Matilda?

Matilda had to learn to control her emotions and impulses and train her mind to make her powers work. This (okay, minus the powers) is all part of the Healthy mind badge which we think she would totally ace!

If you haven’t booked tickets yet for Matilda’s Mighty Movie screening, it’s not too late! Join us for a musical extravaganza on 10-11 December at an ODEON cinema near you.