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How do you turn a negative emotion or experience into a superpower?

Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright react to Matilda and her journey through childhood trauma. Jonathan shares what Matilda does that leads her to a happier and healthier life and how she stands up for others who face similar hardship. They talk about the difference between standing up for yourself and retaliating… and why retaliation is much more fun in movies. And Alan explains why the narration and over-the-top physical acting work when they often don’t.

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Comments

Anonymous

The squeal I squelt ❤️🙌🏻😂

Anonymous

And the story behind the scenes with the real life actors will make your heart burst into tears so get ready!#cryingwithalan

Chris Atkinson

I swear if they have Mara on as a guest 😍

Anonymous

Yay! That's my birthday! ☺️🎂

Anonymous

Dare I dream/hope that Mara will be a guest in this episode??

Anonymous

Darn, I have a class then.

Musical Esscence

I'm excited for this one! Matilda was one of my favorites growing up. It took years to get "Send me on my way" out of my head.😅

Anonymous

You guys ever think of making these episodes a podcast? I always listen to the episodes while I clean.

Anonymous

I like that idea

Anonymous

I remember reading the books as a kid

Alan Seawright

We’ve thought about it, but the whole idea is there are clips we watch. I honestly don’t get how people listen without watching… 🤷🏼‍♂️

Anonymous

Well it’s nice to be on the list 🤣

Anonymous

3rd best 😂

Anonymous

lol I’ve watched all these movies so many times I just see the clips in my head at this point

Alan Seawright

WHOA! Hey 50 friends! Jono is on his way, he’ll be here in moments.

Anonymous

I made it!! Yay!

Anonymous

Aww matilda!!! Such a good movie!

Anonymous

Hello Mr. Internet dad Sir 😁

Anonymous

Imagine playing Trunchbull AND aunt Marge

Anonymous

Plus you guys do an amazing job of explaining what’s going on in the clips. 😁

Anonymous

I’m listening on my Raycon earbuds I got for a discount cuz of my favorite internet dads! 😍

Anonymous

She’s Brooks from Shawshank

Anonymous

As someone who loves to read this is so relatable

Anonymous

That is an amazing library 😍

Anonymous

Like movies‽ I would never 👀

Anonymous

Alan do you always have that sparkle in your pocket for emergencies?

Scott Wilde

I was a "books" kid! I consider myself a storyteller kind of person now

Anonymous

Ohhh!!! I remember this film from when I was in elementary school. I was able to watch the whole thing since I was not at home or the theaters. I never knew the title ether so I couldn’t look it up later on. I thank you guys for shining the light on this film.😊

Alan Seawright

My kids have started saying “dip face” a LOT. Also, I KNOW Whit Hertford. Lived here in Utah for awhile and worked in the industry. Cool guy!

Anonymous

I was a movies kid (instead of books) bc dyslexia.

Anonymous

Already so sucked into Mara’s performance. What a talented young lady.

Anonymous

Learning self love as a kid but not perfecting the skill till your an adult 👍

Anonymous

It makes Trunchball very scary. It’s like she’s in your face screaming at you.

Scott Wilde

Movies can do things books can't, and vice versa, regardless of medium good stories shine

Anonymous

Yep I have their eps playing while I’m washing dishes. They’ve got me through lots of suds!

Anonymous

I came from a good family home and because of bullying from other kids and a family member I struggle with my self image. I am trying to get better with therapy but man it is the hardest thing to learn

Anonymous

Omg that Bull of a woman I was so scared of her.

Anonymous

She’s called Pam?!

Anonymous

When you skip merrily to lunch

Anonymous

I wonder if this scene was the inspiration for the scene in How I met your mother with the wedding cake

Anonymous

That shot reminds me of John Candy and the giant steak in the Great Outdoors

Anonymous

Danny Devito such a treasure and hilarious.

CinemaTherapy

I have three best friends, to clarify. Alan is friends with the other two. We've made movies all together. I'm not burning through bros, just fyi

Anonymous

Why did no one ever turn this principle in?

Scott Wilde

I consider all the insecurities I have helped friends burn away sacrifices in the name of Friendship

Anonymous

I’d just assumed you’d leaned in to Britishisms of only calling your best friends by the worst things

Anonymous

Is that even legal 5 hours after school haha

Anonymous

I had a teacher in the 2nd grade. He wasn't that bad, but he was close.

Anonymous

yesssss it *is* your reality

Anonymous

A teacher that reminders me of her*

Anonymous

This movie was perfectly cast

Alan Seawright

Yeah, I have some ideas for some “kids on bikes” movies, just because it’s SOOOO true that kids’ perception of reality is just naturally super cinematic!

Anonymous

I actually thought this was one of the things lost in translation culturally from the original british boarding school setting.

Anonymous

That's why artists envy there childhood. Kids have such a unique and beautiful view of the world and don't have cares. That's why kids are the ultimate artists

Anonymous

When you finally find the courage to say the thing you want to, regret inevitably follows

CinemaTherapy

I love that we bring John Wick into Matilda

Alan Seawright

I love when Jono has these types of insights: The hero is fun to watch, but not good to actually emulate…

Scott Wilde

The Punisher but just against animal abusers

Anonymous

Revenge stories are great and I love when the message that revenge isn't worth it is told as well. Last of us 2 anyone?

Alan Seawright

I just want a John Wick spinoff starring Mara Wilson as an ass-kicking assassin!

Anonymous

I agree

Anonymous

When I rewatched this recently, the fact that Trunchbull murdered her own brother for a house reminded me that Dahl has always been super dark.

Anonymous

Right the witches is super dark and so is Charlie and the chocolate factory!

Alan Seawright

Last of Us series is SOOOOO interesting in what it chooses to deconstruct. Love can be bad. Payback/revenge is never worth it.

Anonymous

Cool knowledge drop Alan! Love it!

CinemaTherapy

Alan literally answering a question I've had my whole life

Anonymous

If given the opportunity what scene would you like to try with wire work

Anonymous

Yep such good writing! I can't wait to see how it is done in season 2 of the Last of us!

Anonymous

I think that part gets lost a lot in the argument over which Wonka people like more. Both versions are dark in their own way, but the source material is pretty disturbing lol.

Anonymous

I ended up like Ms. Honey. Being a teacher and then a counselor.

Scott Wilde

Oh boy, practice not crying at work! (I 100% expected the emotions and trauma work with this movie)

Anonymous

Like soooo many, I spent 40 years thoroughly believing my superpowers were my problems.

Anonymous

I love Miss Honey's little house. It is so cute and cozy! She deserves her dad's house for sure and I'm glad she gets it but man I love that little house

Anonymous

Elsa from Frozen should be an X- man according to HISHE too

Anonymous

😆😆 the edits are so good. In every episode.

Anonymous

I am giggling, because in the Twilight books/movies Carlisle has love and compassion as his literal superpower lol.

Anonymous

“The great stories help you through your hardship.” Amen! There are certain books and movies that became my guidelines on navigating hardship

Anonymous

Credits to all the people who work on this incredible channel!

Alan Seawright

Holy crap guys. Are there going to be 100 of us watching this by the end?

CinemaTherapy

Alan found great editors, who then brought us other great editors. They're so talented, and delightful people to boot.

Anonymous

I love watching Alan try to put words to what we know or want to ask, and knowing exactly what he means even if it comes out in a tangle 🤍

Anonymous

From omg I'm gonna die to whoohooo this is fun.

Alan Seawright

It’s my true gift. I’m an exceptional communicator and simultaneously a godawful speaker.

Anonymous

Pam Ferris’s physicality is incredible

Scott Wilde

Alan: what am emotion? Good things not bad things? Jono: I not only understand what you're getting at but will expand in a way everyone wants

Anonymous

I appreciate that Jono is always realistic about the dangers of standing up for yourself. It is much more helpful than people who set you up for potential failure with no warning because that causes more harm.

Anonymous

Frankl FTW!! haha

Anonymous

Application of EQ! Good self-management. Love it

Anonymous

🤍🤍🤍 yayyy

Anonymous

Great episode guys!! 👏

Anonymous

Nooooo I missed it!! Time to rewind!

Scott Wilde

This was awesome!!! Thank y'all for Drops!!!

Anonymous

More future drops! I loved this!!

Anonymous

Alan we capped out at 97!! So close!! Great episode everyone!

Anonymous

Yay that was fun, so glad I could make it.

Anonymous

Black Widow of friends 😂

Alan Seawright

I love that ALL of Jono’s comments in this Drop have been about his 3 best friends. How he hasn’t killed them and whatnot!!!

Anonymous

Great thing to watch right before the hard work day! Super needed! Thank you Jono and Alan and the cinema therapy team! This channel is the best! I mention you guys sometimes in my therapy sessions I've learned so much from you guys and my therapist. Plus I get to nerd out!

Anonymous

To be fair we probably always have a moment when we want to kill our best friend. Mine wanted to kill me when I accidentally handcuffed myself to a mall shelf

Alan Seawright

Hey all, gotta run, but… in addition to this, there will be a Patreon-Exclusive episode: Villain Therapy for TRUNCHBULL! Coming in the next few days!

Anonymous

Hey Jasmine. I’ve started listening to old time radio to get through chores. Gunsmoke with William Conrad is awesome!! The Fred Allen and Jack Benny feud is really entertaining and funny.

Anonymous

For anyone who is interested in cognitive psychology, children who teach themselves how to read are actually using decoding skills (pattern recognition) that are different from the skills used to learn how to read with assistance. They also tend to struggle with pronunciation, because decoding is separate from phonics. The story of bright children having to teach themselves due to a lack of support isn’t as rare as people think. It’s a great example of resilience in children.

Anonymous

I loved reading the book Matilda as a child, and this movie was amazing. Looking back, I emulated Matilda in the sense that I went and found humanity in books. 📖 It was an escape, but the books I read were usually people on their Hero’s Journey. I don’t think I connected that until now. Such a good episode with a great balance in me connecting the dots from my childhood to now, with comedy helping to levy the heavy moments in my memory. Thank you all on the Cinema Therapy team for this. Many previous therapists have asked me how I went from a child literally locked away for laughing with my sister after bedtime at the age of 4, to being brave enough to report my mom for child abuse at the age of 10, to joining and enlisting in the Marine Corps at 19 after personally witnessing 9/11 while growing up in NYC, and then retiring after 20 years. Reading, and later movies, was such an awesome escape; it’s so amazing to see that it was also trying to connect to the humanity in myself and others. I’ve been trying to reconcile that within myself recently, what’s a healthy balance in reading and movies vs numbing myself out with Netflix. Thanks for shining a light and helping me connect the dots for myself 🙏

Anonymous

This was class , I remember seeing this for the first time in the Cinema it was class then and it’s class now , I see myself a lot in Matilda I never had friends I felt like making friends was in what I did hobbies like Music , Books , I befriended animals very easily, Connection to humanity is still a weakness for me because I’ve spent so many years being a loner and I guess being hurt by people hasn’t helped my situation so I’ve ended up with trust issues I can’t get to close because I feel I’ll be hurt in the same way so I don’t connect to anyone anymore because I feel that way I can avoid being hurt , And I did once convince someone that there house was haunted , Psychology was so fun for me dealing with bullies 😂 this was class Jono & Alan looking forward to Villain Miss Trunchbull !! I appreciate the walkthrough on this Jono 🥹 Also a big Roald Dahl Fan I’ve actually got the book Roald Dahl’s Revolting Recipes Bruce Bogtrotter’s Cake Recipe is in the book there basically all food recipes from Roald Dahl’s famous books 😂😄☮️💚🪬🌙🌈⭐️👌

Anonymous

I definitely identified with Matilda growing up. Autistic girl growing up in an abusive home. I didn't have telekinesis but a lot of times nuerodivergence can feel like a super power. I definitely used books to escape my reality and found as many extracurricular activities I could do and get away from my family with. For me the thing I took from it all was a lot of compassion and anger. I went to law school to bring abusers to justice, but ended up burning out before I could get there. Now I kind of just help those close to me and try to actually take care of myself and not just other people.

Anonymous

OMG! I love this! Matilda is my heart character. I love the book, I love the movie, I enjoyed the musical (though it doesn't quite hold the same place in my heart), and I love this review! I'm especially thrilled to see the bonus episode! My birthday was last month and it feels almost like a late present. Lol

Anonymous

My mom wanted to play a trick on her colleague & ended up making him believed their work place was hunted. She used to work at an hospital during the night. Only time she saw someone run in the air as they jump in fright. The guy is ok & know it was her.

Anonymous

This was one of our most watched movies as a kid. My older sister called me dip face ALL THE TIME.

Anonymous

Same. Home life was great and not great at the same time and school was awful. It took me over a decade after highschool to learn real self love. I still have negative self thoughts but they are easier to deal with.

Anonymous

Matilda is such an important movie to me. As an autistic person, it is one of the absolute first special interest movies that I can remember having. It spoke to me in so many ways, and it really helped me through some tough times. I just got my first ever order from Lisa's Popcorn, so I am super excited to watch this and snack in a couple minutes!

Anonymous

forever keeping the phrase “I will not accept input on my character from a Trunchbull” stapled to the wall of my brain

Anonymous

loved this movie growing up, it still makes me ugly cry. thx for taking my suggestion for Matilda :)))))) 🫶🏻

Anonymous

I just recently watched Matilda I had no idea that is aunt Marge. Bullying abused wizards since 1996 :D I'd say in this case there is a bit of a difference between revenge and retribution. Matilda doesn't do it for herself but to bring Trenchbull to justice and to stop her from abusing others. I'd also say immediate retribution is sometimes neccessary to set boundaries. At highschool guy splashed water on me when I was reading book so I'd "grow up" (I'm pretty tall for hobbit though), so I filled watering pot, splashed some water on ground as he was running with his bagpack so he'd slip and then I just turned it upside down on him while he was lying on the floor. He never bothered me again.

Anonymous

Aww, I got a mention! Thanks!

Anonymous

Favourite childhood movie ❤️

Anonymous

What makes Danny DeVito one of the best is while they were filming the movie, Mara Wilson’s mother was battling cancer and it was dedicated to her. I believe it was also said they watched it before it was officially released and before her mom passed.

Anonymous

I don't have kids and was too old for this movie (tho the perfect age for the book). But I really appreciate the discussion and your question to the audience. I grew up with abuse and neglect. Self-soothing is definitely something I had to learn very young and I use it all the time. Also empathy - I use it in my work as an activist. I know how to be a "diplomat" and how to better navigate the bullies I encounter as an adult. I am EXTREMELY difficult to manipulate, because I grew up with a master manipulator. I also appreciate the note about inner defiance being a way to stand up for yourself. It is a powerful survival tool!

Anonymous

I love matilda. I believe it is because of what happened when I was so child and the fact that I have now got the strength to stand up for myself and others and I resonate with her in that respect. I won't always do it, but there are times when it needs to happen. Thank you for doing this episode.