CS Weekly Archive > Weekend Read > 7/14/05

Just (and Delicious) Desserts

By matthew reynolds

In one of the few remakes worth the effort, an exceptional young Charlie gets a peek inside the mysterious Chocolate Factory, and also sees what makes a creepy but surprisingly engaging Willy Wonka tick.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

John August
Based on the novel by Roald Dahl

In a typically Burton-esque world, where Old London somehow co-exists with the present day in all its Xbox glory, young Charlie (Freddie Highmore) lives with his family in a leaning shack; they're so poor all four grandparents share the same bed, all day long. Charlie is so good-hearted that when he wins one of the five golden tickets to tour the famed Chocolate Factory, he first wants to sell it to the highest bidder, and give the proceeds to the family. But in one of the film's many charming opening act moments, his doting grandfather points out that this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, worth riches far beyond money. And so Charlie and his Grandpa Joe (David Kelly) -- along with four of the most obnoxious, whiniest, brattiest kids you've ever seen (Annasophia Robb, Julia Winter, Jordon Fry, Philip Wiegratz) -- gain entry to the mysterious world of Willy Wonka, played with mischievous weirdness by the most versatile actor on the planet, Johnny Depp.

But as the candy bar-chomping, gum-chewing kids gripe and gulp their way through the colorful complex, there are lessons in store. Charlie is no saint (although he's close), and he's as eager to be there as the rest of them. But there's something special about him, and it's not lost on Wonka. Indeed, this is just the movie for the kid who feels slighted when he doesn't push his way to the front of the line, or complain loud enough to get what he wants. Good things come to those who wait, and also those who appreciate. Depp earns a lot of praise, but the movie is Highmore's.

The original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, with Gene Wilder in the title role, is one of those hallmarks of childhood for a couple of generations. Like The Wizard of Oz, everyone has seen it, and many have been thoroughly creeped out: by the Oompa Loompas, their sticky-catchy song, the trippy factory with its traps and tubes, and Wonka himself with his odd, lingering gaze. But what was most unsettling was the way that, like all fairy tales, our innermost fears and desires were tapped -- not just the insane pleasure of eating gobs of candy, but the sadistic glee in seeing bratty kids suffer.

While the story is timeless, the times themselves have changed. Kids no longer huddle around network television for repeats of old classics, and so a new version, with a new marketing push, is what's require to tap into the collective consciousness these days. Luckily, the world of Wonka is perfect for imagining and re-imagining. Not only does the factory benefit from a fresh visual take, but Wonka is surprisingly ripe for some reinterpretation of his own (Wilder's standout portrayal notwithstanding). While Depp's androgynous qualities are threatening in previews, he imbues the character with enough sly doubletakes to remind us that there is a human within, who's much more aware than we think.

Scripter John August is one of several writers who applied their pen (or PC) to the screenplay, including Gwyn Lurie, Scott Frank, and Pamela Pettler. August has been quoted as not seeing the original, which was adapted by David Seltzer, and was encouraged to stay away and focus on adapting famed author Roald Dahl -- an approach which is evidenced by the glass elevator sequence near the end. The screenplay aims high with its flashbacks -- director Tim Burton's original idea -- of a young Willy with ghastly braces who's forbidden from candy by an overbearing dentist of a father (Christopher Lee). They don't work as well as you would think; if anything, they make Wonka less enchanting, less all-knowing. Not everyone needs an all-explaining backstory, Batman and Darth Vader aside. And it's when the focus slips from Charlie, the movie slips; even if, in the end, it's Willy who has the lesson to learn.

While not perfect, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory remains a delightful nugget worth unwrapping by a new batch of kids.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Warner Bros.
Rated PG; 106 min.

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Matthew Reynolds is a former journalist now working in feature film development. He is not responsible for items lost or stolen during the reading of this article.

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