Books With a Movie Tie-In

Dahl, Roald. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (book, 1964). Allen & Unwin, 1967

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (film, 1971). Director: Mel Stuart; Cast: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film, 2005). Director: Tim Burton; Screenwriter: John August Cast: Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, David Kelly, Helena Bonham Carter, Missi Pyle, Franziska Troegner, Philip Wiegratz, Deep Roy, James Fox

The much beloved and generally well-known story focuses on the eccentric and reclusive CEO of the world’s most famous chocolate factory offering a promotion by which five lucky children will be given the opportunity to win a tour of his facility and a life-time supply of chocolate. To win each contestant must find one of five golden tickets that are included at random in the many millions of Wonka bars on the world market. The winners include four spoiled and bratty children and one desperately impoverished, yet kind-hearted boy named Charlie Bucket. Each film is inspired by Dahl’s wonderful novel and each shares its inclusions and departures from Dahl’s original conception. The 2005 film is not a remake of the 1971 film. The 2005 screenwriter, John August, though a fan of the book admits to never having seen the Gene Wilder vehicle. The 2005 film comes closer to matching the book in terms of portraying key scenes and specific details. The 1971 film shows Charlie to be fatherless and has many humorous scenes not from the book to show the desperate chase for the golden tickets. The 2005 film’s differences in the first part of the film are minor and are provided mainly to update the story. For instance, a correction for inflation is noted as Charlie finds a $10 bill instead of a $1 which leads to his winning purchase. Another update shows the television-obsessed child, Mike Teavee, entranced in an ultra-violent video game, instead of watching regular television while firing cap guns. The unveiling of the character of Willy Wonka makes for an interesting round of comparisons. Dahl’s Wonka is elderly and sports a goatee. Neither Wonka from the films sports a beard, and moreover, Depp’s Wonka is down right androgynous. He wears his hair in a bob a la Prince Valiant and has a very pale beauty with gorgeous eyes when they are not hidden behind sunglasses that would even draw envy from Elton John himself. All the Wonkas are misanthropic and wary of the reckless behavior of the children. Depp adds to this an eerie and enticing demeanor of nonchalant ambivalence. His whimsy has a child-like quality that is never seen in Wilder’s performance. Wilder does act silly at times, but he never reminds one of a child. The Oompa Loompas are an interesting group of dwarf-sized persons rescued by Wonka from a dangerous overseas land to work in his chocolate factory. In the book they are detailed as male and female. In the 1971 film they are all male and are stylized to look quite similar to one another, though differences can be clearly noted. In Tim Burton’s current film all of the Oompa Loompas are exact clones played by the extremely entertaining Deep Roy. These characters serve as a type of Greek chorus to comment in song and dance on the justice of the comeuppances received by the bratty children in various accidents brought on by their own willfulness and lack of self-control. In the current film the songs use the exact lyrics created by Dahl over forty years ago. The musical numbers begin like Busby Berkley routines a la disco and eventually evolve to Bollywood and finally suggest recognizable early rock icons. In the 1971 film, musical numbers are used throughout even in scenes prior to the grand tour. Unfortunately, some of the songs are weak including a particularly dreary and maudlin one sung by the wistful mother of Charlie as she wonders what will become of him. On the other hand, "Candyman" is quite appropriate and the film’s theme song, "Pure Imagination" is simply magical. While the newer film is truer overall to Dahl’s book, it must be noted that it includes Wonka’s expedition to rescue the Oompa Loompas and a back-story involving Wonka’s own upbringing by a candy-hating dentist father, neither of which originated with Dahl. Unlike the 1971 film, both other works employ a narrator that works well with the idea of a universe wherein some people nearly starve to death, others finally reap what they sow and yet even others live happily ever after. Both films offer non-book developments of concern as they draw to a close, but ultimately all ends well. Reading and viewing these three pieces within a four day period in July of 2005 was thoroughly enjoyable. Comparisons among the three were easy to make, but it should be noted that each is quite worthwhile on its own merits. (Only the 1971 film was a repeat for me. My first and only previous viewing was over 30 years ago.) In discussing the new film with friends and colleagues I am hearing often that people are reluctant to see the new film because they are so enamored of the original book or the earlier film. I cannot emphasize enough how one should not miss Tim Burton’s new film while it is still available on the big screen. The production qualities (especially the color and the sound) surpass what was possible with 1970’s technology. All of the individual performances are fine, Freddie Highmore is Charlie Bucket. He and Johnny Depp are paired again as they were in the timeless film, Finding Neverland. David Kelly portrays Grandpa Joe with enormous heart. Missi Pyle (Violet Beauregarde’s mother) and Franziska Troegner (Augustus Gloop’s mother) steal almost every scene they are in with their facial expressions alone. All these performances and others are sustained by the impeccable screenwriting of John August of Big Fish fame. Go see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Dahl, Roald. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. (Illustrated by: Joseph Schindelman). Little Charlie Bucket loved chocolate. Imagine his surprise when he finds the last of Mr. Willy Wonka’s five golden tickets in a chocolate bar. The ticket allows him, and the four other winners, a once in a lifetime tour of Willy Wonka’s extraordinary chocolate factory. The mysterious Willy Wonka himself leads the children, along with their parents, in a magical tour of his spectacular chocolate factory where Oompa-Loompas, Wonka’s small little singing workers, perform every task within the factory. One by one each child experiences a stroke of misfortune for disobeying Mr. Wonka. In the end our hero little Charlie Bucket is the only child left. Wonka explains that the reason for the five golden tickets being sent out, was to hopefully find a kind, loving child to someday run his factory when he was gone. Since Charlie won the contest, he was that child. What a happy day it was for Charlie and his family to know that Willy Wonka’s wonderful chocolate factory would someday be left to him.

Lewis, C.S. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Book I of The Chronicles of Narnia), Harper, 1955. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy decided to explore the very large and out of the ordinary house where they were staying. The old professor who lived there wasn't at all surprised to hear about Lucy talking about another world (Narnia) which she had visited by entering through the wardrobe. Her brothers and sisters were not so understanding- until
they also entered Narnia and became part of the quest to capture the White Witch and her forces. Of course, the highlight of their adventures was meeting Aslan, the Lion, the King. This book is full of fantasy and allegory and can be read again every few years. With each reading there will appear more meanings and details which didn't surface the time before.

DVD (BBC version) 169 minutes, 1990. Basically, the dialog is straight from the book with some changes (who says what). Lucy took a coat into Narnia, Edmund took a coat into Narnia (not in the book). Animals are animated (except when wolves run). Beavers are tall as people. Edmund was given 5 or 6 pieces of Turkish Delight by the White Witch when riding on the sledge. In the book, she gave him 2 or 3 pounds of Turkish Delight. Lucy, the youngest Daughter of Eve, was very well done, very enthusiastic and totally involved in the Narnia adventures.

CD Harper Collins, performed by Michael York York read from the book word for word and used a variety of character voices which made this a dramatic reading and easy to follow the action. I found the book and audio book to be more enjoyable than the BBC presentation. Michael York does a very good job in this audio presentation of the C.S. Lewis classic.

Schaap, Jeremyy. Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History. Houghlin Mifflin, 2005. In retelling the story of a near-impossible sports comeback in 1935, Schaap intricately chronicles the history of boxing during the Depression. Jimmy Braddock, an Irish-American heavyweight who began his career as a light heavyweight, was determined to win the title until a series of jinxes hit: the stock market crashed, he broke his dominant hand and a succession of losses crushed his spirit. Schaap, host of ESPN's Outside the Lines, goes into captivating detail on the brawny, reserved Braddock, who, at his lowest moments, was reduced to living off government relief and doing grueling work on the Hoboken, N.J., docks. But the story is as much about Max Baer, the lovably clownish and handsome heavyweight Braddock defeated as a 10-to-one underdog. The account is inspiring: no one ever thought Braddock would come back, especially against Baer, who'd previously killed two men in the ring. Braddock succeeded with the help of his manager, the short, fast-talking Joe Gould; the two were "the sport's favorite odd couple." Boxing enthusiasts will be more than satisfied by Schaap's meticulous account, which includes round-by-round details of the fight, as well as profiles of other fighters of the era. Not overly emotional, the story hits a nerve at just the right moments and features many of the same elements that made Seabiscuit a hit. In the film version, Braddock is played by Russell Crowe and his wife Mae is played by Renee Zellwegger. Both do a fantastic job portraying the fighter’s struggle to take care of his family and push past the bad breaks and Depression era poverty to reach a remarkable pinnacle of world heavyweight champion. The film has an inspiring "Rocky" feel to it. Heart warming film; for a more balanced perspective, the book profiles both fighters.

Berger, Thomas. Little Big Man. Dial Press, 1964. Believe it or not, Jack Crabb is 111 years old. He is also the son of two fathers, one white, the other a Cheyenne Indian chief who gave him the name Little Big Man. As a Cheyenne, Crabb feasted on dog, loved four wives, and saw his people butchered by horse-soldiers commanded by Custer. As a white man, he helped hunt the buffalo into extinction, tangled with Wyatt Earp, cheated Wild Bill Hickok--and lived through the showdown that followed. He also survived the Battle of Little Bighorn, where he fought side by side with Custer himself--even though he'd sworn to kill him. The basis of a popular film, Little Big Man, starring Dustin Hoffman, in one of his earlier roles, is true to it’s literary subject. Entertaining, and highly recommended!

Condon, Richard. Prizzi’s Honor. Coward, McCann & Georghegan, 1982. Prizzi’s Honor is no ordinary story of boy-meets-girl. Charley Partanna is a faithful lieutenant/hitman for the Prizzis, New York's most powerful Mafia family. The object of his affections is Irene Walker, a Los Angeles-based tax consultant. But it's her freelancing that pays--she's a hit woman for the Mob. She has also cheated the Prizzis out of an unforgivably large sum of money. This is very dangerous moonlighting indeed, and eventually it places Charley's oldest loyalties in conflict with his newest one. Which wins? What obligation does Charley owe to the don? What does he owe to the don's family, the Prizzis? What does he owe to someone he loves? What does he owe to his own father (who also works for the Prizzis)? What does he owe to himself and his own sense of self respect? Charley Partanna, played by Jack Nicholson, is a Don Quixote-like figure who is very concerned with what honor requires. Although the rest of the characters of often speak as though they do too, they really focus on what's best for their wealth and survival. But Charley overlays the concept of honor on them, despite the evidence to the contrary. This makes him a very appealing character for someone who is a remorseless contract killer, enforcer, kidnapper, and general on-call criminal. Perhaps Mr. Condon's message is that we can all aspire to the Heavens, no matter how debased our lives and sins are.

Austen, Jane. Sense and Sensibility. Though not the first novel she wrote, Sense and Sensibility was the first Jane Austen published. Though she initially called it Elinor and Marianne, Austen jettisoned both the title and the epistolary mode in which it was originally written, but kept the essential theme: the necessity of finding a workable middle ground between passion and reason. The story revolves around the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne. Whereas the former is a sensible, rational creature, her younger sister is wildly romantic--a characteristic that offers Austen plenty of scope for both satire and compassion. Soon however, Marianne meets a man who measures up to her ideal: Mr. Willoughby, a new neighbor. So swept away by passion is Marianne that her behavior begins to border on the scandalous. Then Willoughby abandons her; meanwhile, Elinor's growing affection for Edward suffers a check when he admits he is secretly engaged to a childhood sweetheart. How each of the sisters reacts to their romantic misfortunes, and the lessons they draw before coming finally to the requisite happy ending forms the heart of the novel. Though Marianne's disregard for social conventions and willingness to consider the world well-lost for love may appeal to modern readers, it is Elinor whom Austen herself most evidently admired; a truly happy marriage, she shows us, exists only where sense and sensibility meet and mix in proper measure. The movie version, written by Emma Thompson who won an Oscar for her adaptation, also stars Ms. Thompson as Elinor. Kate Winslet stars as Marianne and Hugh Grant IS the hapless Edward rounding out an excellent cast to this delightful movie. Jane Austen would have been proud!

Sparks, Nicholas. The Notebook. Warner Books, 1996. Nicholas Sparks has become famous for writing the sweet and tender love story that appeals to the romantic in all of us. He doesn't disappoint with The Notebook as he weaves the tale of two teenagers, Noah and Allie, who meet one fateful summer and fall in love. Since the course of true love is never smooth, it should come as no surprise that Allie's parents do not approve of her relationship with Noah. He does not have the education, money, or social prominence they wish for their daughter. Allie and her parents move away and Noah writes to her for years, but after never receiving an answer gives up. WWII comes, lives change, but one thing remains constant---neither Allie nor Noah can forget the other. As Noah's friend Gus tells him, first love changes your life forever and no matter what else happens in your life, the memory of it stays with you. And so it is that fourteen years later and three weeks before her wedding, Allie finds herself driving to New Bern to find Noah for reasons she herself does not fully understand. Their reunion proves once again that they are true soul mates, but it that enough? Can Allie forsake the "perfect mate" who has not only her love but also the approval of her parents? Can she walk out on Noah for a second time? Will Noah let her go? The story then skips to the nursing home where an 80-year old Noah resides and spends his time reading poetry to his fellow residents. But down the hall is a very special woman. The reader will be overcome with emotion as this relation-ship unfolds and the missing pieces of Noah and Allie's story are revealed in the notebook he carries with him. Intensely romantic and a tribute to the power of true love, The Notebook will leave you emotionally spent and thankful to be so. The movie is an entertaining version of the book, with James Gardner & Gena Rowlands playing the older versions of Noah & Allie. I personally liked the ending of the movie better than the book…of course, it wouldn’t have left room for a sequel. Both are very enjoyable!

Hillenbrand, Laura. Seabiscuit: An American Legend. Random House, 2001; Special Illustrated version, 2003. Let me say a few things up front: I have never set foot on a racetrack, I have watched the Kentucky Derby maybe twice on TV and I have little interest in jockeys, horse trainers or horses in general. For those who think this is a book about a racehorse, think again. It is a wonderful, descriptive work about the underdog, about triumph over adversity, about personality in animals and, most importantly, about a rarely discussed slice of America. With a keen sportswriters eye toward detail as well as broader context, Ms. Hillenbrand has written a vivid description of an amazing animal, the three men around him and an era in American sports and history. Seabiscuit was a fascinating creature, not only for his deceptive power but for his playful, competitive nature. Ms. Hillenbrand helps us understand this horse as a person - a person you instinctively root for. His owner, a self-made success in the automobile industry, displays concern for the horse as if it were a child. Seabiscuit's trainer embodied the western spirit and had an uncanny bond with the horse - he was a real-life horse whisperer. Finally, the harrowing, rough and tumble life of a jockey during the 1930's is painted here with unsympathetic accuracy, as we learn about the trials of Red Pollard. Seabiscuit was the hub of these three lives and their extraordinary accomplishment on the racetrack. The book builds toward two climaxes - the match race against War Admiral (which Ms. Hillenbrand describes in such wonderful detail) and the ever elusive Santa Anita Handicap. Although historical, the book has a novel-like suspense that keeps the uninformed reader rapt and engrossed. This book, which describes the regional split between east and west coast race horses, really describes the potential and scrappy nature of the American west. Thank you, Ms. Hillenbrand, for such a terrific read. As for the movie, starring Tobey Maquire as Red Pollard & Jeff Bridges as Seabiscuit’s owner, is good, but not as good as the book. Better is the PBS American Experience special on DVD which truly captures the excitement and drama, with actual footage of the horse and all the major players in this story.

Chevalier, Tracy. Girl With a Pearl Earring. Dutton, 2000. A fictional account of how the Dutch artist Vermeer painted his masterpiece. In this splendid novel, the girl in the painting is Griet, the 16-year-old servant of the Vermeer household. The relationship between her and Vermeer is elusive. Is she more than a model? Is she merely an assistant? Is the artist's interest exaggerated in her eyes? The details found in this book bring 17th-century Holland to life. Everyday chores are described so completely that readers will feel Griet's raw, chapped hands and smell the blood-soaked sawdust of the butcher's stall. They will never view a Dutch painting again without remembering how bone, white lead, and other materials from the apothecary shop were ground, and then mixed with linseed oil to produce the rich colors. Readers will also find out how a maid from the lower class, whose only claim to pearls would be to steal them, becomes the owner of the earrings.

Suskind, Patrick. (translated from the German by John E. Woods). Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. A.A. Knopf, 1986. This novel is the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born in the squalid surroundings of a fish market stall in 18^th century Paris. From the time of his babyhood, Grenouille excites fear and revulsion in others because his body gives off no scent at all; however, he has an unusually keen sense of smell and as he grows into adulthood, he longs to create the perfect scent, one he can wear so that all who smell it will adore and worship him. Slowly he gains the knowledge that he will need, and one day he detects from afar a scent so ravishing, so divine, that he knows he must possess it as a key ingredient of the perfume he will create. Once he tracks it to its source, that source turns out to be a beautiful young virgin. He must have her scent---and he is willing to kill to get it. Suskind has created a thrilling and suspenseful story, but one that will be difficult to translate to film because the sense of smell usually does not call much attention to itself. It will be interesting to see how the producers of the movie (due out in 2006) rise to the challenge. Meanwhile, if you’re in search of an uncommon read, try Perfume.

August 10, 2005