Beyond the Happy Ending: Matilda and Child Autonomy
Episode Summary:
In this episode of Adoptees Crossing Lines, Zaira and J Way continue their Family Policing in the Media series with a childhood classic: Matilda. Rewatching the film as adults, they explore what its story says about child autonomy, neglect, survival, education, and the people who become safe places when home isn’t one. They also unpack Miss Honey’s own experience with kinship care, the role of imagination and escapism, and why listening to children matters far beyond the world of the film.
In this episode, we cover:
(01:34) Rewatching Matilda as adults and what stands out differently now.
(06:26) Neglect, libraries as refuge, and reading as a form of escape and survival.
(11:15) Physical punishment, “spare the rod,” and adults using power against children.
(13:06) Ghost kingdoms, imagined lives, and the ways adoptees use imagination to survive uncertainty.
(22:50) Miss Honey as a safe adult, and whether her relationship with Matilda falls into saviorism.
(29:02) Miss Honey’s kinship care story and how lived experience shapes her empathy for Matilda.
(35:30) Child autonomy, being allowed to speak for yourself, and the long-term impact of authoritarian parenting.
(43:00) Matilda choosing adoption for herself and what makes this ending different from the other films in the series.
Call To Action:
Subscribe to Adoptees Crossing Lines wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow us on social media and Substack for more content and community:
Connect with J Way:
Work With Me:
Email adopteescrossinglines@gmail.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries.
Editing by J. Way (AV Editor)
Special thanks to J. Way for editing this podcast. To collaborate with her, email jwayedits@gmail.com.
