Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

[DollEyes]

One of my all-time favorite movies is Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,   the story of five kids who won a chance to visit the factory of Willy Wonka, the enigmatic and legandary candymaker played brilliantly by the late, great Gene Wilder in one of his greatest roles. The look, the songs and the message are just as fresh today as they were decades ago, when I first saw it and fell in love with it. I wouldn't be suprised if everyone who ever saw it wanted to buy a Wonka bar and find a Golden Ticket inside at least once. I know I did. 

Edited September 1, 2016 by DollEyes

[King of Birds]

Blazing Saddles and Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory to return to theaters this weekend.

Quote

Following the death of legendary comic actor Gene Wilder, exhibitors — spurred by fan demand — phoned up Warner Bros and requested prints of the 1974 raunchy comedy Blazing Saddles and the beloved 1971 family film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Willy Wonka will be at 200 locations, with Blazing Saddles galloping into another 60 across several chains this weekend.

[Spartan Girl]

I first saw it at an after school program. The opening credits of the chocolate being made...I drool just thinking about it.

You know I always get annoyed when I think about how much Roald Dahl despised this movie just because it wasn't exactly like the book. As a writer, I get it, but JKR wasn't a huge pill about getting every detail from the HP books on screen. It's okay for them to be a little different.

Plus some people might not have even read the original book if it hadn't been for the movie. So there you go.

Edited September 2, 2016 by Spartan Girl

[Princess Sparkle]

I have to say, I love this movie with all my heart - I LOVED Roald Dahl books as a kid (well, ok, and now) and even though this isn't the best adaptation of a Roald Dahl book (that honor goes to Matilda), this is still one of my favorites.  It truly never gets old and so much of that is due to Gene Wilder, because A LOT of the liberties they took with the book plot didn't really help/improve on the original plot, but Gene Wilder is just so perfect as Willy Wonka that you ignore all that.  I do think it's hilarious that reportedly, the only scene Roald Dahl approved of is the boat ride scene, which is so perfectly him.

That being said - every time I watch this movie, I skip Charlie's mom's song.  "Cheer up Charlie" drags everything to a screeching halt, it doesn't move along the story, and it feels like it's in there just to pad out the movie.  Also, I'm still pissed Bill the Candy owner was chucking candy for free at every kid in the first scene and coughs in annoyance when Charlie doesn't pay him IMMEDIATELY later on.  Dude, give the (literally) poor kid a break. 

Edited September 8, 2016 by Princess Sparkle
Whoopsies, wrong "there"

[Matt K]

1 hour ago, Princess Sparkle said:

That being said - every time I watch this movie, I skip Charlie's mom's song.  "Cheer up Charlie" drags everything to a screeching halt, it doesn't move along the story, and it feels like it's in their just to pad out the movie.  Also, I'm still pissed Bill the Candy owner was chucking candy for free at every kid in the first scene and coughs in annoyance when Charlie doesn't pay him IMMEDIATELY later on.  Dude, give the (literally) poor kid a break. 

I actually skip most of the beginning of the movie until they get to the factory.  Not a big fan of musicals to begin with and those early songs (for the most part) grind the movie to a halt for me.

[Hanahope]

So of course, I saw this movie as a kid, and loved it.  Definitely drooled over all the chocolate, and loved the bright colors and the kids.

Then I watched the movie as an adult when I showed my kids.  Boy,what a completely different movie it was.  I heard/understood lines that I didn't recall hearing (or at least understanding) when I was a kid.

I have to hand it to the writers that wrote a fun story for kids, and a warning tale for adults/parents.  

And omg, its like night and day with that "other version".  The original is such a classic.

[Terrafamilia]

"Spitting's a dirty habit."

"I know a worse one."

That line cracks me up every time.

[SosaLola]

I have watched both Willy Wanka and the Chocolate Factory and the 2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I liked them both just fine, but I prefer the Willy Wanka character of the 1971 movie more. There's more warmth to him. Though I do get why Johnny Depp played Willy Wanka the way he did, a kid in a man's body who had a terrible childhood. 

[enoughcats]

Our library has an early edition of Dahl's book, and I had decided to read all Dahl (or at least all the Dahl they had).  (There's a story about a Black Mamba that you will remember, chillingly, if you do a similar read.)

Anyway, boy was I surprised to see the four grandparents in a bed in a house straight out of Dahl was faithfully executed in the 2005 edition. And there I thought it was just typical warped and imaginative Tim Burton embellishment.  Nope.  Tim Burton read the book and appreciated it. 

(I like the Gene Wilder version more.  It's cuddly.)

[Scout Finch]

I sure hope Charlie put some long overdue safety measures in place after taking over the factory.

[Bill1978]

I'm probably one of the few people who prefer the 2005 version of the story over the Willy Wonka version. I think its because the 2005 is closer to the original Dahl story (although I could have done without the made up Wonka backstory). Plus I love Elfman's musical arrangements of Dahl's original lyrics. 2005 is more Dahl-esque than the saccharine Wonka, I never feel like I'm watching a Dahl story when I view Wonka.

[Browncoat]

On 6/19/2018 at 8:31 PM, enoughcats said:

Anyway, boy was I surprised to see the four grandparents in a bed in a house straight out of Dahl was faithfully executed in the 2005 edition. And there I thought it was just typical warped and imaginative Tim Burton embellishment.  Nope.  Tim Burton read the book and appreciated it. 

(I like the Gene Wilder version more.  It's cuddly.)

Four grandparents in a bed was in the Gene Wilder version, too.

[Blergh]

On 6/23/2018 at 6:23 AM, Browncoat said:

Four grandparents in a bed was in the Gene Wilder version, too.

But oddly enough no mention of what had become of Charlie's father- the younger Mr. Bucket. Somehow, I had the feeling he'd died when Charlie was a baby- or else the younger Mrs. Bucket would have at least rid the bed of the paternal grandparents. Yet, the younger Bucket WAS a character in Mr. Dahl's work- but so ineffectual that he worked in a factory doing nothing but screwing on toothpaste caps!

  Of course it was odd that Grandpa Joe's search for his boots beneath the bed was supposed to be the first time any of them had checked under it in years- yet clearly seen next to the boots was a chamber pot!

[BetterButter]

Paul King’s ‘Wonka’ Movie Moves Forward at Warner Bros., Announces Release Date

[Blergh]

9 hours ago, BetterButter said:

Paul King’s ‘Wonka’ Movie Moves Forward at Warner Bros., Announces Release Date

Please, please PLEASE let it be closer to the Classic Wilder instead of the Creepy Depp depiction!

Edited January 20, 2021 by Blergh

[Browncoat]

I don't know if we need (or if I want) a prequel or a backstory for Willy Wonka.

[Matt K]

On 9/2/2016 at 12:26 PM, Matt K said:

I actually skip most of the beginning of the movie until they get to the factory.  Not a big fan of musicals to begin with and those early songs (for the most part) grind the movie to a halt for me.

So funny enough, my son was born while we were watching this movie.  We were in the delivery room and while we were waiting for go time I flipped around the tv and found this movie while was just starting.   Shortly after my wife goes into active labor and my son was born right when Charlie arrives at the chocolate factory.  Funny considering he came right when the movie gets good.

 

I'll add that Gene Wilder makes this movie.  The kids have their own little shtick but it's pretty one note and otherwise they're kind of just there.  Wilder is what glues the movie together.  You never know which Wonka you're going to get.  The whimsical one, the menacing one, the deadpan one, etc.  

[VCRTracking]

I love that it has the same structure as a slasher movie but with kids!

Mind blown that Violet was also in that Brady Bunch episode where Peter meets his doppelganger as the daughter of Mike's boss that the double agreed to a date with:

Edited January 27, 2021 by VCRTracking

[Browncoat]

Those should be blueberries on her collar instead of strawberries!

[Ubiquit0us]

On 1/27/2021 at 1:00 PM, VCRTracking said:

I love that it has the same structure as a slasher movie but with kids!

Mind blown that Violet was also in that Brady Bunch episode where Peter meets his doppelganger as the daughter of Mike's boss that the double agreed to a date with:

That doesn't look like Denise Nickerson at all! 😲

[Blergh]

48 minutes ago, Ubiquit0us said:

That doesn't look like Denise Nickerson at all! 😲

But it WAS Violet. Of course, the girl in the Brady Bunch was portrayed as such a bland nerd, one couldn't imagine that she could have ever toured a candy factory. 

Saddest irony is that while Violet was easily the nicer of the two girls on the tour, she got the WORSE deal of the two via being turned into a giant blueberry and getting rolled around- especially since Miss Nickerson said that that action gave  her lifelong back problems. 

[VCRTracking]

18 hours ago, Blergh said:

But it WAS Violet. Of course, the girl in the Brady Bunch was portrayed as such a bland nerd, one couldn't imagine that she could have ever toured a candy factory. 

I thought she was cute in Velma sort of way and she wasn't too shy to dance:

[BetterButter]

Rowan Atkinson, Sally Hawkins, and Olivia Colman to star alongside Timothée Chalamet in Wonka

[Browncoat]

I don't need a backstory for Willy Wonka, regardless of who's in the cast.