WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (1971) (****)

It's a classic children's film for good reason — it's a great film. Truly great family films break free from their "family" label, and WILLY WONKA's mischievous spirit makes it one of those films. Another thing WILLY WONKA has in common with other great children's films is a darkness that bubbles right under the surface. Willy Wonka smiles and runs a candy factory, but is he secretly a psychotic?

Gene Wilder plays eccentric candy maker Willy Wonka in a performance that is unmatched. Wonka puts five golden tickets in his candy bars allowing five winners and a guardian to participate in a guided tour of his mysterious chocolate factory. As spoiled kids from around the world win slots, the final ticket goes to Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum in his only film appearance), a poor boy who can only buy a chocolate bar after finding money in the gutter. His good fortune inspires his beloved Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson, POSEIDON ADVENTURE) to get out of bed and accompany him on what will turn out to be a wonderful adventure.

The wackiness and inventiveness of the journey through the factory never let's me down. How can anyone forget the Umpa-Loompas or the waterfall of chocolate or the soda that makes you float? Underneath all the wacky fun is an interesting comment on the bad behavior of children. Even our heroes Charlie and his grandfather are not immune to bad deeds, which is very daring for the often black-and-white morality of children's entertainment. Each of the children represents a various bad behavior. Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole) is a spoiled brat. Violet Beauregarde (Denise Nickerson, TV's DARK SHADOWS) chomps on gum as she talks loudly. Augustus Gloop (Michael Bollner) is a glutton. Mike Teevee (Paris Themmen) is obsessed with the boob tube.

In observing these children, I always laugh at Wilder's unenthusiastic delivery of "No. Stop. Don't do that." The pun-filled dialogue is witty and handled with perfect timing by Wilder. He never overplays any moment, making the performance more humorous and off-putting at times. Is he really sending children down garbage chutes to the incinerator, or is it just his morbid sense of humor? Wilder never spells it out for us. Ostrum has the perfect face for Charlie, innocent, yet worn. He was offered a five-picture deal after this film, but turned it down. He's now the father of two, veterinarian living in New York.

Like another classic children's film, WIZARD OF OZ, WILLY WONKA is a musical, but few people remember it as one. The story is so good that the music just flows with the narrative. If you haven't seen it or it's been awhile, treat yourself and watch it. You won't be disappointed with this bittersweet confection that might have some nutritional value hiding inside as well.