Factual error: It is stated that Miss Trunchbull competed in the Olympics in shot put, javelin, and hammer throw. According to her jersey those were the 1972 Olympics. The hammer throw wasn't added as an Olympic event for women until 2000.
Continuity mistake: When Harry puts Million Dollar Sticky on the TV, between shots Zinnia puts her sunglasses on twice. (00:18:45)
Visible crew/equipment: Two wires can be seen attached to Lavender (because light shines on them) as she floats back to the ground after the Trunchbull charged towards her. This is only visible on video, and has been taken out of the DVD, although you can (barely) see the shadow of the equipment letting her down on the wall behind her.
Continuity mistake: At the beginning of the movie, you see that the baby Matilda's eyes are brown, but they change colour to blue when she's in the car.
Suggested correction: It was just the lighting. The sun was shining through the window in the morning.
Deliberate mistake: When the Trunchbull is drinking from the glass with the newt in it, you can easily see that she doesn't actually drink anything, as the water level stays exactly the same. Logical, as the newt is real, but it's still very obvious because she drinks for about 15 seconds. (00:46:55)
Continuity mistake: When Ms. Trunchbull throws Amanda Thrip over the fence, her trousers get all dirty. And then in the next scene where Ms. Honey is doing Amanda's hair, her clothes are clean again. (00:41:38)
Continuity mistake: In the scene halfway through where the FBI agents are searching the garage, the door on the camcorder opens twice. Once before he turns around, then once more as he turns around and the tape comes out.
Audio problem: At the end, when the Wormwoods are leaving on a permanent vacation, Harry says, "Get in the car Melinda." Matilda corrects him and Harry says, "Whatever," but his mouth does not move.
Continuity mistake: When Matilda makes the chalk write the message on the blackboard, the writing changes. Watch the "Agatha," especially. The handwriting changes and the comma changes length, as well as most of the message changing. Also at the end of the message Matilda "writes" two long lines under it, which cross over. Yet later when Miss Trunchbull flies off the globe you can see there is just one line under the message, not two. (01:20:20 - 01:23:00)
Continuity mistake: When Harry puts baby Matilda in the back of the car, in her baby car-seat, in one shot she is wrapped in a pink blanket with blue straps over her, but under the blanket. Yet when the car jerks, the blue strap is suddenly over the blanket. (00:01:20)
Continuity mistake: When Matilda is trying to use her powers, she looks back at a thought when her mom said "There's something wrong with that girl." You can see Matilda in the background, but when her mother said that, she was not. (01:06:10)
Audio problem: When Zinnia combs back Harry's hair with the grey stuff in it, we see her lips moving, but we hear Michael's voice.
Revealing mistake: When Matilda telepathically makes the TV explode, you can see what looks like parts of an explosive hidden behind the screen.
Suggested correction: Clearly no sign of it.
Suggested correction: There is no view of the explosive.
Suggested correction: When the TV set explodes, it's a close-up of the screen and no device is seen. When it changes to a wider shot of the actual explosion, the glass breaks and some components of the TV set are shown. There is no way to distinguish between what is a component and what is, as you say, an explosive.
Continuity mistake: When Miss Trunchbull is in her home searching for the person in her home, she jumps down off the second floor to the first without using the stairs, a chandelier falls to the floor and shatters. Moments later when they show that area again, the chandelier is gone from the floor, in fact it's seen back up on the ceiling.
Continuity mistake: In some shots of The Trunchbull swinging Amanda Thrip by her pigtails, Amanda's arms are spread out. In others, they are down by her sides.
Continuity mistake: When Bruce Bogtrotter eats the cake and everyone starts to yell out 'Go Bruce,' there are several bits of cake left on the tray. Bruce stands up and moves to the front of the stage yelling. When he gets back, he licks the tray, and all the bits of cake are gone.
Continuity mistake: After being beaten by the board erasers, Miss Trunchbull falls to the floor and so do the erasers. Between three consecutive shots the erasers move. (01:21:25)
Factual error: Matilda searches for a library in what looks like the yellow pages. 'Library' is first under the 'L' section. Library starts with 'li'. Surely there would be something beginning with 'la', which would be before 'li'.
Revealing mistake: As the Wormwoods are driving out of the hospital parking lot at the beginning of the movie, the shot of the car driving from right to left has been flipped, as evident by the quick appearance of a hospital directory sign in the background being mirrored.
Revealing mistake: When Matilda goes to the Trunchbull's house alone to get the Lissy doll, she's sitting on top of what looks like a garage, Matilda leans forward and presses down on the roofing shingles but they bend in a way that shows they are foam, not real shingles.
