Over the summer I became fascinated with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I am generally a serious-minded person, so therefore I am not frequently drawn to this type of film. My fate with getting to know Willy Wonka was put on the fast track when both of my kids were cast in a local production of Willy Wonka, Jr. They were not cast as oompa loompas. This was going to be big time! My kids played both main characters - Willy Wonka and Charlie Bucket. So, it was 24-7 of The Candy Man, Cheer Up, Charlie, or I’ve Got a Golden Ticket. The songs were great, but it wasn’t until I watched the original movie starring Gene Wilder that I became enamored.
I had never seen the movie before or even known the story line. The story itself is heartwarming and Gene Wilder delivered what I would come to learn later was an iconic performance. I am not a move critic, and this is not a movie I would have ever chosen to watch, but it is such a classic that so many of its iconic phrases have been recently added to the Oxford English Dictionary. Scrumdiddlyumptious and Human beans are real words!
Beyond the pure entertainment value, the original movie is a treasure trove of material for understanding the same type of entitlement and overindulgence that is talked about in current parenting contexts. Several of the main characters are children that provide plentiful examples of obnoxious and entitled behavior. In many scenes parents are depicted as turning a blind eye to the bad behavior or in some cases even promoting it. The overall theme of the movie is that Charlie wins the opportunity to run the Factory because he made better choices along the way compared to the other kids who displayed a general lack of self-control and selfishness.
It is hard to convey the overall brilliance of this film and I highly recommend it to anyone who has not seen it. Watching it with your kids would be a great way to illustrate the idea of entitlement. The characters are easily identifiable and even younger kids will pick up on the messaging that kids like Charlie, who are not enabled, ultimately lead better lives.
Getting swept away in all the “Wonka Magic” over the summer could not have come at a more fitting time for me. Even more so now, I look forward to helping other parents curb the trend of entitling children starting in October at Park Center.
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Post Script: The blog cover image is a photo of a puzzle we did in my house during WONKA week. Enjoy!