: will just have to re upload it for real) i downloaded both movies so i could see how which was actually closer to the book (Burton. neither one is totally the same, but Burton's is the closest, though the ending was altered dramatically, i thought it gave a nice touch, and helped explain Wonka's bizarre behaviour. and the original movie had more dramatic changes, like the addition of Slugworth, and the floaty room, to infuse more overt morals. i thought Burton's method of doing the same thing was less obtrusive and served to flesh out not just Charlie, but Wonka as well.)) I don't particularly care how close to the book a movie is usually, I fully realize that things must be changed in the name of different mediums and the fact that few people will sit through a movie over a certain length. but i was curious. and i stumbled across this article:
http://www.roalddahlfans.com/articles/char.php
in particular this snippett that leaped out at me:
nevermind the lack of character development, this is a POSITIVE thing? to be a sheep, a follower? to be ignorant? geez... what on earth would this woman say about Harry Potter? how, precicely is acting independently to save yourself or others a bad thing? the mind boggles.Cameron brings up White's Charlotte's Web as an example of "one of the [best] books ever written for children" and goes on to talk about how "Wilbur, the runt pig... never ceases throughout the progress of the story to be anything but naive and ingenuous.... He is always the innocent who is acted upon in order that he shall be saved, rather than the hero who acts independently and with assurance to save himself" (Cameron, 12/72). So E.B. White can get away with a lack of character development for his main character, but Dahl is held to a different standard.
and now i am thinking about something else. I see this all the time, people protesting violence or immorality or whatever in children's books, even if these acts serve to teach a lesson. I've never quite understood it. possibly because of my upbringing... my parents were strict in some ways, but in others they were very lenient. In particular, our entertainment. My sister and I were taught to read by our mother before we started school because at that time, schools were not teaching via phonics, and she didn't trust it. so she got us up to speed very early so we'd be in the habit of using phonics. so i was reading at a high school level when i was in elementary school. as a result, I read things others were not. one time I read the Neverending Story, and had it taken away by a teacher for being too advanced, too mature for one as young as me. it has dark themes, violence, death. I STILL remember it, even though i haven't read it sicne then, i LOVED it. I can't imagine what could possibly be wrong with letting a child read it. I read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the Glass Elevator around that time too, but they were permitted to me....
anyway. that was a big long rambling something... back on topic. i really don't think many parents are giving kids enough credit, or are letting them read these things without discussing it with them. if someone dies or there is scary stuff... well, i think it teaches lessons. people die. bad things happen. life isn't a fantasy world where everything is perfect all the time. and if this is infused with the hero making moral choices, all the better. I don't see the issue... the Grimm's Fairy Tales are rife with cruelty and violence, and they never harmed kids. I don't believe in exposing them to really really dark, grim, bloody stuff, or overtly adult themes. violence for violence's sake. it should be to teach a life lesson of some sort and not too graphic. but i see people saying that, for instance, the last couple HP novels are not appropriate for the original target audience of 12 year olds. I don't think so. they teach great life lessons, and they aren't very graphic. characters die, yes. there are scary scenes, yes. but it's all towards the purpose of teaching selflessness, bravery, importance of friends, fair play, how to deal with grief, etc. on the other hand, i was reading Stephen King (with my mothers permission) when i was 12, so...
