From Book to Film : Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

From Book To Film: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

“Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” starring Gene Wilder became an instant classic when it was released in 1971. In 2005, another version of the movie was released this time starring Johnny Depp. However both movies were based on the 1964 children’s book by Roald Dahl entitled “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, the first of a series of candy adventures. What were some of the similarities and differences between the book and films?

Mr. Bucket

Although we were never introduced to Mr. Bucket, Charlie’s dad, in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”, Noah Taylor played him in the 2005 film. While “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, the movie and the book, were in agreement that he worked in a toothpaste factory, putting caps on the tubes, there were differences in how he lost his job. In the movie Mr. Bucket was replaced by machinery that could do the job faster. In the book he lost his job when the factory closed down.

Mike Teavee

The Mike Teavee in the book liked to watch TV and play with toy guns, similar to the character played by Paris Themmen in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”. In the 2005 film, Mike Teavee (played by Jordan Fry) liked to play video games. However, he did meet the same fate with the Wonkavision incident.

Side Stories

With 2005’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” we were treated to a few side stories. One had Grandpa Joe (David Kelly) telling the story of Willy Wonka, his competitors and working in the factory. While the book’s Grandpa Joe (who was 96 ½) did talk about Willy Wonka and the competitors who were trying to steal his ideas, it never mentioned that he worked at the factory.

However, another story Grandpa Joe told in the 2005 movie was part of the book but missing from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”. This was the story of Prince Pondicherry (Nitin Chandra Ganatra) who had Willy Wonka make an exquisite chocolate palace for him only to have it melt in the sun.

Another story that was part of the second movie was that of a younger Willy Wonka and his dad (played by Christopher Lee) who was a dentist. But the story was only part of the movie script. Wonka’s dad wasn’t mentioned in the book.

Second Thoughts

In both movies Charlie (played by Peter Ostrum in the 1971 film and by Freddie Highmore in 2005) finds the golden ticket and is immediately inundated with offers to buy the ticket. Both times Charlie quickly runs home to show the ticket to his family. We see an eager Charlie in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” but in the latest film, he has second thoughts and considers selling the ticket in order to have money for his family. The first movie was more in sync with the book’s portrayal of Charlie as he never had doubts about going.

Arrival At The Candy Factory

The entrance of Willy Wonka was different in both movies. Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka met the golden ticket holders at the outer gates, similar to what happened in the book. Johnny Depp’s character appeared with the group during the song and dance routine by the mechanical puppets. Also, while Grandpa Joe was the one who accompanied Charlie in the book and films, the other parents change. In the book, each of the other children had both parents with them with Mrs. Salt being the geography teacher who questions Willy Wonka. It’s slightly different in the movies.

The Ending

***SPOILER ALERT***

At the end of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” we leave the heroes of the film flying through the air in the glass elevator after Charlie wins the factory. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” took the scene a bit further and we see the elevator landing into Charlie’s home. Both of these are similar to the book. However, the scene in the second movie, with Willy Wonka telling Charlie he would have to leave his family, is not part of the book. The book explained that Charlie and his entire family would be able to live at the factory.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

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