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Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW

Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory

also known as “A Fantástica Fábrica de Chocolate,” “A Maravilhosa História de Charlie,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Charlie et la chocolaterie,” “Charlie og sjokoladefabrikken,” “Charlie und die Schokoladenfabrik,” “Dream Chocolate Factory,” See more »

Reviewed by: Brian Nigro
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Good
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: All ages
Genre: Family Musical Fantasy Comedy Adaptation
Length: 1 hr. 40 min.
Year of Release: 1971
USA Release: June 30, 1971 (wide release)
Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Companyclick photos to ENLARGE Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company
Relevant Issues
Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company

POVERTY—What does the Bible say about the poor? Answer

About the POOR in the Bible

Gluttony

Spoiled child of a wealthy father

Addiction to viewing television

Each child’s character flaws result in them giving in to ruinous temptations

Author Dahl disowned the film and was “infuriated” by the plot deviations and considered the music to be “saccharine, sappy and sentimental”. He was also disappointed because the film “placed too much emphasis on Willy Wonka and not enough on Charlie”. Though Dahl is the sole credited screenwriter, David Seltzer made major uncredited rewrites to the script.

In 2003, Entertainment Weekly ranked this film 25th in the “Top 50 Cult Movies” of all time.

Featuring Gene WilderWilly Wonka
Jack Albertson … Grandpa Joe
Peter Ostrum … Charlie Bucket
Roy Kinnear … Mr. Salt
Julie Dawn Cole … Veruca Salt
Leonard Stone … Mr. Beauregarde
Denise Nickerson … Violet Beauregarde
Nora Denney (Dodo Denney) … Mrs. Teevee
Paris Themmen … Mike Teevee
See all »
Director Mel Stuart
Producer Wolper Pictures [England]
Stan Margulies
David L. Wolper
Distributor Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures. Trademark logo.Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company
Copyrighted, Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company

Top 10 reasons why “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” belongs on every Christian family’s must-see list:

It is based on Roald Dahl’s classic children’s book with timeless “message” that easily carries over to Bible stories.

Vintage 1970’s camera tricks. Recent films like “Austin Powers” and the tacky action-movie sequence in “Boogie Nights” parody it—this is the genuine article.

Numerous social themes, most prominently the need for parental discipline.

Good performance by Gene Wilder as Mr. Wonka himself, the eccentric candy man who loves kids (but not greedy kids).

An even better performance by Julia Dawn Cole as Veruca Salt, the spoiled rich girl who wants everything. Really fun to watch.

And the rest of the cast is still unknown, more than twenty-five years after its release.

The Oompa-Loompas, the funny little chocolate workers.

Terrible special effects. “Willy Wonka” gets your suspension of disbelief the old-fashioned way: It EARNS it. (That’s no mud bog, it’s a chocolate waterfall.)

One of the last “musicals” released by a Hollywood studio, “Willy Wonka” got an Oscar nomination for the music.

It’s a fun movie.

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


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