Charlie Bucket

This article is about the 2005 film character, you might be looking for the 1971 character.

"Candy doesn't have to have a point, that's why it's candy."
— Charlie

Charlie Bucket is the titular main protagonist of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), portrayed by Freddie Highmore.

He finds the fifth Golden Ticket and is the only child that isn’t rotten, possibly partially due to growing up in poverty.

Background[]

He lives in a misshapen house close to Willy Wonka's factory. His mother is Helen Bucket, and his father is William Bucket who works at the local toothpaste factory. His four grandparents are Grandpa Joe, Grandma Josephine, Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina.

His family can not afford anything other than bread, potatoes and watery cabbage soup, resulting in Charlie being malnourished and suffering from hunger pains. As a result, Charlie enjoys chocolate, but can only afford to buy one chocolate bar a year for his birthday. However, he had a tradition of not eating it immediately; instead, he would put it in a box and stare at it, and nibble on it gradually every day, making the bar last longer than a month.

After his father loses his job at a toothpaste factory, the situation becomes dire as the family begins to starve, as it seems the society/era Charlie lives in has no child-protective services, welfare or food stamps. His family becomes concerned when Charlie begins to have a skeleton-like frame, pale skin and bony cheeks.

He is working on a replica of Willy Wonka's factory using toothpaste caps.

Film[]

Charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-1- — Charlie finding the last Golden Ticket

Charlie's luck changes when he manages to find money in the snow. He buys a Wonka Bar, and intends to give the leftover money to his family. Charlie obtains the last Golden Ticket, and goes to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory with Grandpa Joe.

He is the last remaining child, after Augustus Gloop, Violet Beauregarde, Veruca Salt and Mike Teavee are eliminated. He and Wonka enter the Great Glass Elevator which crashes into the Bucket house. However, after Wonka says Charlie can not bring his family to the factory and won't ever see his family again, Charlie rejects the notion of taking over the factory. Wonka leaves.

Charlie meets up with Wonka again and encourages him to reunite with his estranged father. Realizing his father loved him after all this time, this makes Wonka see the value of familial love and he decides to allow Charlie to bring his family to the factory. At the end, Charlie moves into Willy Wonka's factory with his house moved inside the Chocolate Room.

Appearance[]

Charlie has pale skin, brown hair and blue eyes. He has a thin build. He‘s taller than the 4 recipients, but shorter than his mom, dad, his aunt and grandparents.

Personality[]

Charlie is a kind boy. According to the narrator, he is supposed to be average and not smarter or athletic than other boys. Charlie not being special, asides from his luck of finding the Golden Ticket, is intentional.

Trivia[]

In the 1964 book, his paternal grandparents are Joe and Josephine, and his maternal grandparents are George and Georgina. However, in the 1971 film, Joe is his maternal grandparent and in the 2005 film, George is his paternal grandparent.
In Charlie's bedroom, there seems to be wrappers of every Wonka bar he has ever eaten on the wall (four of them) as well as a sketch of the chocolate factory.
Charlie was the only child who didn't get eliminated or had a song. Instead, he had an Oompa-Loompa narrate his entire story.
Charlie was the only child who didn't leave the factory by the main gate.
Charlie was the only child who brought a grandparent to accompany him on the tour, rather than a parent.
He was treated rudely by Augustus Gloop and Violet Beauregarde, indirectly by Mike Teavee, and never interacted with Veruca Salt.
He was born sometime during winter.[citation needed]
In real life, his actor was born on Valentine's Day.

Quotes[]

"It's my candy bar, and I'll do what I want with it." (insisting on sharing his birthday present with his family)
"I wouldn’t give up my family for anything. Not for all the chocolate in the world."
"He also has a funny haircut." (regarding Wonka)