3. Joe (Jack Albertson) - Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory
You've all probably seen Tim Burton's recent adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic children's book. But instead of this bloated, special effects-laden extravaganza, I'd rather watch again the 1971's original version. All sequences may not have aged too well but Gene Wilder's manic energy and snappy comic timing, as the enigmatic candy maker Willy Wonka, is still a real treat compared to Johnny Depp's wacky Michael Jackson impersonation. Visually, the set designs are deliciously old-fashioned and the songs are still catchy as ever. It's a childrens movie that bursts with imagination and appeals to everyone's inner child. The story revolves around Charlie Bucket, a poor young boy who lives with his penniless and starving family. One day, he learns that genius chocolatier Willy Wonka has hidden five Golden Tickets around the world and that each one would grant the owner a tour inside Wonka's secret chocolate factory and a lifetime supply of candies. Charlie is fascinated by this once-in-the-lifetime opportunity but his weary mother doesn't want him to get any false hope and then suffer disappointment. She just makes him understand that his future will be brighter one day. On the other hand, his Grandpa Joe (Jack Alberston), condemned to a bedridden existence with Charlie's other grandparents, is always there to look out for his grandson and cheer him up. He is at the same time his confident (they can talk together all night long) and his very best friend. When Charlie finds a Golden Ticket and offers his Grandpa to go with him to the factory, the latter leaps out of bed against all odds, feeling suddenly twenty years younger. He then lets his own inner child break free as he throws himself into a great musical number. Jack Alberston had been a stage dancer on Broadway and his 'Golden Ticket' song-and-dance number is one of the films greatest delights. Grandpa Joe's relationship with his grandson is both touching and uplifting and never feels forced. Finally, when he enters the chocolate factory, he is as excited as the children around him - if not more.