Honey invites Matilda to tea and reveals a secret her mother died when she was two, and her father Magnus invited his wife's stepsister, Trunchbull, to live with them and look after her, but Trunchbull abused her. Matilda is unable to reproduce her powers to Honey during a test. Trunchbull accuses Matilda, who, in anger at the injustice, telekinetically tips the glass over, splashing the newt onto Trunchbull. Matilda's friend Lavender puts a newt in Trunchbull's water jug. Her parents refuse to believe her as Zinnia flirts with the two agents whom she believes to be speedboat salesmen. Matilda discovers her father is under surveillance by the FBI over his illegal dealings. Matilda leads the students in cheering Bruce to success, and Trunchbull gives them all 5 hours detention. Trunchbull has the whole school watch her forcing pupil Bruce Bogtrotter to eat an entire enormous chocolate cake. Matilda's teacher, Miss Jennifer Honey, notices the ease with which Matilda answers middle school multiplication questions and requests Matilda be moved to a higher class, but Trunchbull refuses. Harry sells a car to Miss Agatha Trunchbull, the tyrannical principal of Crunchem Hall Elementary School, in exchange for admitting Matilda as a pupil. Matilda becomes increasingly enraged until the television explodes. Harry catches Matilda reading Moby-Dick, rips it up, and forces her to watch reality television. When Matilda's parents refuse to enroll her into school, she puts bleach in her father's hair tonic and glues his hat to his head. She is smart and independent, and finds solace in the fictional worlds of books at the public library. Young genius Matilda Wormwood is neglected and mistreated by her car dealer father Harry and mother Zinnia, as well as her older brother, Michael. However, the film was commercially unsuccessful, grossing $33.5 million in the United States on a $36 million budget. The film received positive reviews, praising DeVito's direction, and the film's faithfulness to the spirit of the source material. Produced by DeVito's Jersey Films, the film was released theatrically in the United States on August 2, 1996, by Sony Pictures Releasing through TriStar Pictures label. The film centers on the titular child prodigy, Matilda Wormwood, who develops psychokinetic abilities and uses them to deal with her disreputable family and Agatha Trunchbull, the ruthless, oppressive, and tyrannical principal of Crunchem Hall Elementary School. Based on Roald Dahl's popular 1988 novel of the same name, the film stars Mara Wilson as the title character with DeVito (who also served a dual role as the narrator), Rhea Perlman, Embeth Davidtz and Pam Ferris in supporting roles. Matilda is a 1996 American fantasy comedy film co-produced and directed by Danny DeVito, from a screenplay written by Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord.