Line #184 Characters/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactoryBucketFamily


1	[[header:[[center:''Characters/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' [[Characters/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory franchise character index]]\
2	[-[[Characters/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactoryWillyWonka Willy Wonka]] \| '''Bucket Family'''\
3	[[Characters/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactoryTheFourBrattyKids The Four Bratty Kids]] \| [[Characters/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactoryOtherAdultCharacters Other Adult Characters]] \| [[Characters/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactoryAdaptationSpecificCharacters Adaptation-Specific Characters]]-]]]]]
4	[[foldercontrol]]
5
6	[[folder: Charlie Bucket]]
7
8	->'''Played by:'''
9	-->Peter Ostrum (1971 film)\
10	Creator/FreddieHighmore (2005 film)\
11	Benjamin P. Wenzelburg (2010 opera's 2012 recording)\
12	Jack Costello (2013 musical's Original London Cast Recording)\
13	Ryan Foust, Jake Ryan Flynn, and Ryan Sell (2017 Broadway {{Retool}} of the musical)\
14	Lincoln Melcher (''Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'')
15
16	A boy who lives with his poor but loving family in a shack on the edge of the town that Mr. Wonka's factory is located in. He craves chocolate more than anything else in the world but their straits are so dire that it's only a once-a-year birthday treat for him. Despite his lot in life, he is a good, self-sacrificing soul, and perhaps that's how the MillionToOneChance of his finding the last of the Golden Tickets comes about...
17
18	!!In the novels and across adaptations:
19	* AdorablyPrecociousChild: Shades into this in the film adaptations; he does what he can to support the family in both versions, and is a near-IncorruptiblePurePureness with his manners and generosity in '05.
20	* AdvertisedExtra: In the novel, once Charlie arrives at [[AppliedPhlebotinum the factory]], he does ''nothing'' and, therefore, wins the factory. Granted, he spends the first third of the book starving to death while being a really good kid. By the time he gets to the factory, he's got nothing to prove to the readers. But with this trope in mind, adaptations usually tweak the story to give him more to do: He succumbs to a temptation and must make up for it in the 1971 film, [[spoiler: reconciles Mr. Wonka with his father]] in the 2005 film, and is a budding inventor in the 2013 version.
21	* AudienceSurrogate: The events are presented primarily through his eyes, though it is written in the third person. This also applies to most of the sequel, aside from the scenes with a different set of characters in the White House, though at one point the narration lets the reader in on Mr. Wonka's thoughts.
22	* FriendlessBackground: It is easy to miss, but Charlie seems to have only his parents and grandparents for company. He attends a normal school with other children, so either Charlie is shunned for being poor or he is too busy supporting the family to make friends. The Ride/AltonTowers theme park ride adaptation averts this by having the riders assume the role of Charlie's friends who have been invited along for a tour of the factory.
23	* GradeSchoolCEO: In the 2005 stage musical ''Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka'', the 2010 opera, and the 2013 musical, Charlie immediately becomes the new owner of the Wonka Factory once he passes the SecretTest, whereas in the novel and other versions he will not assume that role until he comes of age. The 2005 film splits the difference; he doesn't immediately become the factory's owner, but does become Mr. Wonka's partner until such time as he decides to officially retire.
24	* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: In the 1971 film and Quentin Blake's illustrations, Charlie is blonde.
25	* HakunaMatata: In the 2005 stage musical ''Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka'', Leslie Bricusse (who co-wrote the songs for the 1971 film) gives Charlie "Think Positive", which he sings to cheer up his just-laid-off father. He later has a brief reprise as he prepares to open what turns out to be the Wonka Bar that has the last Golden Ticket.
26	* IncorruptiblePurePureness: In the novel, 2005 film, and 2010 opera, he is distinguished from the four brats by his ability to resist temptation. Other versions present him as fundamentally good, but not to the extent of this trope.
27	* KidHero: Albeit one who doesn't affect the plot much; his defining trait is his virtuousness, which allows him to avoid temptation in the novel. As noted above, adaptations tend to make him a ''little'' more proactive.
28	* KidSidekick: In the sequel, he becomes this to Willy Wonka.
29	* LeadYouCanRelateTo: He reflects the novel's preteen target audience, and serves as a window through which Mr. Willy Wonka (who is at least middle-aged) can be observed.
30	* NiceGuy: All versions, but the 1971 film and 2013 musical incarnations deserve special mention in part because he is ''not'' a case of IncorruptiblePurePureness in either.
31	** In the 1971 film, he's certainly not as cruel as some of the other children, and actually tries to help Augustus when he falls into the river. But he actively desires more out of life, and is not above temptation, hence the Fizzy Lifting Drinks misadventure. [[spoiler: ''Proving'' he's a good kid by not giving Slugworth the gobstopper is what earns him the factory]].
32	** In the 2013 musical, he's as puzzled by Willy Wonka as the rest of the tour group is, but unlike the brats (who see Mr. Wonka as a means to an end, nothing more) and even some of the adults is unfailingly polite and respectful towards him anyway, because that's just the kind of kid he is.
33	* NiceMeanAndInBetween: The nice to Mike's mean and Augusts' in-between, being a soft-spoken, kind and selfless NiceGuy.
34	* PinballProtagonist: He's largely just along for the ride after the opening stretch. Because he's rather well-mannered and doesn't cause trouble (outside of the Fizzy Lifting Drinks), Charlie isn't nearly as disruptive as the other kids and their guardians are. The only things he does with any sort of agency are finding the Golden Ticket and returning the Gobstopper.
35	* RagsToRiches: Starts out as poor but inherits the chocolate factory and Charlie's business on top.
36	* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: He is the Sensitive Guy (a soft-spoken NiceGuy who always follows the rules) to Augustus' and Mike's Manly Men (the former is a BigEater who is not only ObsessedWithFood but one of the adaptations give him Gasshole tendencies, a stereotypically masculine trait. The latter is a loud and disruptive BrattyHalfPint who loves TV and cowboys).
37	* SevenDeadlySins: Subverted with Wrath- Charlie passes Wonka's moral test in adaptations.
38	* SweetTooth: Not that he gets many opportunities to indulge it (see TrademarkFavoriteFood below).
39	* TokenGoodTeammate: Of the five kids. He is the only kid who isn't spoiled, mean, greedy, stupid, or otherwise unworthy of Willy Wonka's favor, apart from succumbing to temptation once in the 1971 film, and he acknowledges that what he did was wrong and apologizes for it.
40	* TrademarkFavoriteFood: ''Chocolate.'' Alas, it is a MundaneLuxury to him (he only gets one bar a year, on his birthday), which makes it painful for him to live so close to Mr. Wonka's mysterious factory.
41	* UnderdogsNeverLose: In the 2005 film and 2013 musical, it is known to everyone that there is a secret super-prize for one of the Golden Ticket finders to win on the tour. In the former, Violet is determined to win this and calls poor Charlie a loser ''to his face'', and not long after Augustus taunts him in similar fashion. In the latter, Charlie is regarded as TheRuntAtTheEnd by the press compared to the other winners, and even Mr. Wonka treats him this way...
42	* TheWatson: In the sequel, he's this and a KidSidekick / TagalongKid rather than a PinballProtagonist; Mr. Wonka himself becomes the protagonist.
43	* WinsByDoingAbsolutelyNothing: In the original novel, Charlie wins Wonka's factory merely by virtue of being the last kid left on the tour by the time it reaches its conclusion. This can be particularly jarring to those who have seen any of its many film and stage adaptations first (which in today's age is likely to be the majority of readers), all of which make a deliberate point of averting this trope.
44	* WorkingClassHero: Every version of the story depicts him and his family as being poor in money but rich in morality.
45
46	!!In the 1971 film:
47	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/charlie_1971.jpg]]
48	[[caption-width-right:250:"Hey look, you guys! I got it! The fifth Golden Ticket is MINE!"]]
49	* AdaptationPersonalityChange: This Charlie is a much more open about his dislike for the situation he and his family are living in. While in the books he was upset, he was cheerful and hopeful. By contrast, this Charlie is more downtrodden and given moments of mistakes or frustrations, which makes him seem more grounded by comparison.
50	* AllLovingHero: Even with how bratty they are, he's still concerned for the other four kids, even mentioning Veruca (the worst of them) by name.
51	* BlueIsHeroic: He wears a blue like sweater-like shirt on the day of the factory tour.
52	* EarnYourHappyEnding: The kid is faced both with the temptation to try the Fizzy Lifting Drinks, which he succumbs to with nearly-fatal results, and the greater temptation to give Mr. Slugworth the Everlasting Gobstopper, which would net him even greater prizes than the lifetime supply of chocolate. And when he gives in to the former, he learns that the original prize is forfeited! [[spoiler: But he still can't bring himself to betray Mr. Wonka, and in the process wins the greatest prize of all.]]
53	* HeroicBSOD: Three times: First, he seems to be silently having one as (having become frustrated with his inability to find a ticket) he blankly roams around town during the "Cheer Up, Charlie" number. The second time occurs when he cries in bed after the fifth (actually a fake) Golden Ticket is claimed to have been found. The third case comes when Mr. Wonka tells him he won't get the lifetime supply of chocolate. The latter doesn't last long, thankfully.
54	* HeroicBystander: He tries to be one by holding out a giant lollipop for the drowning Augustus to grab on to, but the latter is sucked into the pipes before he can do so.
55	* IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim: Near the end, when Grandpa Joe vows to get even with Wonka by bringing the Gobstopper to Slugworth, Charlie realizes he and Grandpa Joe are no better than the others for the Fizzy Lifting drinks they consumed, and would become {{Ungrateful Bastard}}s if Grandpa Joe followed through on his threat. Charlie pacifies Wonka's wrath by giving the Everlasting Gobstopper back to him to atone for the wrong they've done.
56	* KarmaHoudini: While they ''are'' almost killed in the Fizzy Lifting Drink misadventure, he and Grandpa Joe initially seem to get away with drinking it in the first place, without any lasting consequences. But it's subverted: Mr. Wonka knew about it the whole time and is ''[[WhatTheHellHero not happy]]''. [[spoiler: This is enough for Charlie to realize that he did something wrong and lost just as much as the other kids. Giving the Everlasting Gobstopper back to Mr. Wonka is his way of acknowledging his mistake and apologizing for it]].
57	* MrViceGuy: Because he wants a lot more than what life has thrown at him, Charlie is prey to temptation, and along with Grandpa Joe samples the Fizzy Lifting Drinks.
58	* SevenDeadlySins: Envy. He's jealous of everyone else, especially the other kids. But unlike the others, he overcomes it.
59	* OneBookAuthor: This was Peter Ostrum's only acting role ever. He's now a veterinarian.
60	* WhatYouAreInTheDark: He returns the Everlasting Gobstopper to Wonka despite having no reason to do so because it's the right thing to do. Despite the fact that Charlie could indulge his SweetTooth as much as he wanted with the Gobstopper, he admits that he and Grandpa Joe were no better than the other people in the contest, choosing to intentionally revoke it.
61
62	!!In the 2005 film:
63	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/charlie_2005.jpg]]
64	[[caption-width-right:250:"I wouldn't trade my family for anything, not for all the chocolate in the world."]]
65	* AdaptationalDyeJob: He has blonde hair in the book but here, he's played by an actor with brown hair.
66	* BrokenPedestal: This Charlie admires Mr. Wonka as much as any other incarnation, even building a scale replica of his factory out of the defective toothpaste caps his father brings home from work! (As the movie begins he just needs a head for the Wonka figure itself to complete it.) But unlike other versions, this admiration is broken by the time the tour ends. It's not just that this Wonka's socially awkward and an InsufferableGenius; that the boy can live with. As the climax approaches though, he completely loses Charlie's respect over [[spoiler: his demand that he abandon his family]].
67	* FlatCharacter: On his own, he doesn't have many personality traits outside of being a NiceGuy who helped Wonka with his DaddyIssues.
68	* SecondaryCharacterTitle: Ironically, this adaptation keeps the book's original title but changes the focus so that Wonka now ''is'' the main character.
69	* SupportingProtagonist: He has no real CharacterDevelopment over the course of the film; even his BrokenPedestal moment is something he largely takes in stride. Once the {{Flashback}}s to Mr. Wonka's childhood begin, it slowly becomes clear that this adaptation is really about him coming to terms with his past in order to achieve his goals and have a happy future. In the end, Charlie is merely a catalyst for this.
70	* ThickerThanWater: He loves and cares about his family above all else, even chocolate. He actually considers selling the Golden Ticket to lift them out of poverty and Grandpa George has to talk him out of it. And in the final stretch, [[spoiler: he turns his back on becoming Mr. Wonka's heir because he can't give up his family]].
71
72	!!In the 2010 opera:
73	* AdorablyPrecociousChild: Even more than other versions, he's the one that does the cooking for the family rather than his absent parents. Not that cabbage water takes much effort anyway.
74	* BornUnlucky: He seems to believe himself to be this owing to his dire straits; early on, he asks "Grandpa Joe, were you ever lucky?" suggesting he wants to know what that's like. Nothing suggests this is actually true, though.
75	* ConstantlyCurious: In the opening scene, Mr. Know winds up having to ask "Charlie, why do you ask so many questions?"
76	* GrassIsGreener: Charlie is at least resigned to his circumstances in the novel and most adaptations and even finds happiness in his existence, thanks primarily to his loving family. But here, even more than in the 1971 film, he's ''really'' unhappy and openly wants more out of life. In the "Dreams and Ambitions" sequence, which is effectively his IWantSong, he sings about how much he wants to "escape, far away,/into dreams?/And to roam strange fantastical worlds far from home". Luckily, when he gets his chance it works out well for him.
77	%%* HeartwarmingOrphan
78	* ParentalAbandonment: Owing to his parents being AdaptedOut; no explanation is given for what happened to them, so it's easy to assume they died.
79	%%* RaisedByGrandparents
80
81	!!In the 2013 musical:
82	* AscendedFanboy: He wants to find a Golden Ticket not just because (like everyone else) he loves Mr. Wonka's sweets and wants to see just how they're made, but because he's absolutely in awe of the man's amazing accomplishments to the point that he's inspired to brainstorm ideas for sweet inventions of his own, as detailed in his IWantSong.
83	* CatchPhrase: "How d'ja do?" in Act One: It's part of the "Almost Nearly Perfect" refrain, turns up again in "A Letter from Charlie Bucket" and "Don'cha Pinch Me Charlie", and is the first thing he can think of to say on the red carpet. Downplayed in the Broadway staging, where "Almost Nearly Perfect" and "Don'cha Pinch Me Charlie" are cut.
84	* CheerfulChild: His MrImagination tendencies help him make the most of his meager lot in life, though he does fall into a blue funk as his hopes of finding a Golden Ticket fade. He's not a case of IncorruptiblePurePureness -- he's sweet and kind, but he isn't above the occasional fib if it lets him hear a favorite story, he's prone to daydreaming, and while he tries to be selfless and obedient, he can't resist spending a bit of dropped money on a bar of chocolate or [[spoiler: looking at the idea notebook]]. So he's not perfect, but to nick the title of his IAmSong (which refers to the discarded-but-still-useable things he finds at the dump), he's "Almost Nearly Perfect", and [[spoiler: that's good enough for Mr. Wonka, who 1) encourages him, while in disguise, to buy the fateful bar, and 2) ''wants'' him to look at the notebook as a Secret Test not of morals but of ''creativity'']].
85	* CollectorOfTheStrange: He regularly picks up the Wonka Bar wrappers that the patrons of Mrs. Pratchett's sweet stall leave behind. When another character calls this out as unusual, he explains that he collects them. (Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight wrappers are his favorites!) It's a way he can vicariously enjoy the candy his family is too poor to afford on a regular basis, and ''they'' don't see this as odd at all.
86	* DespairSpeech: During his HeroicBSOD, all he can say when his dad tries to cheer him up by encouraging him to look through the hole in the roof for a shooting star is "Don't waste a wish on me." Short, but it says so much about his lost hopes.
87	* HeroicBSOD: He goes into a funk when it looks like he won't find a Golden Ticket. Right after his annual birthday Wonka Bar proves not to have one, he and his family learn the third ticket has been found and the news genuinely upsets him. The others (save for [[TheCynic Grandpa George]]) try to keep his spirits up...and then the news of the ''fourth'' ticket being found -- by Mike, the worst of the brats in this version to boot -- breaks. For the next week, the poor boy is glum and quiet, not even asking to hear one of Grandpa Joe's stories.
88	* HeroicBystander: When Grandpa Joe accidentally presses Mr. Wonka's BerserkButton over [[spoiler: the lifetime supply of sweets turning out to be the Everlasting Gobstopper]], Charlie prevents them from physically fighting by StandingBetweenTheEnemies and [[spoiler: declaring that the Gobstopper's "an amazing present" and that he doesn't want anything else]].
89	* IAmSong: "Almost Nearly Perfect" has him explaining how he makes the most of his meager world. Averted in the Broadway production.
90	* ICanExplain: He uses these exact words when [[spoiler: Mr. Wonka catches him adding to the idea book. (Not that he has to...)]].
91	* IWantSong: "A Letter from Charlie Bucket". Most of it details things he'd like Mr. Wonka to invent -- in order to brighten up the lives of his parents and grandparents. He realizes at the end that there ''are'' two things he wants for himself: "Please drop them off yourself/So we can ask ya 'How d'ja do?'/And well, I'd like one Wonka Bar/That I would share with you." (Interestingly, [[spoiler: by this point he's unknowingly managed the first part]].)
92	* MrImagination: He's more grounded than most examples of this trope, using his imagination to brighten up his life. This gives him something in common with Mr. Wonka: Charlie's shy, poor, humble, and warm and Mr. Wonka is a LargeHam, fabulously wealthy, boastful, and frosty, but both have vibrant imaginations and enormous senses of wonder; at heart, both want to create things to make other people happy. Downplayed in the Broadway version, in that his imaginative skills are mostly in service to his adoration of Mr. Wonka and "Almost Nearly Perfect" is cut.
93	* OneMansTrashIsAnothersTreasure: U.K. version only: Both Charlie and his dad keep an eye out for discarded items that they can find use for, be it a notebook that still has blank pages or a broken umbrella that can be fixed up. Charlie even sings in "Almost Nearly Perfect" that "Their ["your" on the cast album] trash is my treasure/Their 'Goodbye' is my 'How d'ja do.'"
94	* ThePollyanna: Downplayed. In the early going, he's of the mind that even if times are tough for him and his family ''now'', things will eventually get better (in "Almost Nearly Perfect" there are the lyrics "But someday/When I have my say"...note the ''when''), and he isn't fazed by the odds against his finding a Golden Ticket even though he'll only get one shot at it. But when that chance fails he reaches his breaking point, angrily declaring that the factory would just be a lot of machines anyway in a desperate attempt to hide his disappointment. Learning that the fourth ticket has been found triggers his HeroicBSOD, as he loses all hope that his dreams will ever be fulfilled. Luckily his fortunes finally take a turn for the better, and that blue funk doesn't keep him from being a good, CheerfulChild.
95	* TheRuntAtTheEnd: After the other four Golden Ticket finders make flashy entrances on the red carpet come tour day, the poor boy -- the last to find a ticket to begin with -- cuts a shy, small figure by comparison and reporters Jerry and Cherry clearly see him as this while the other kids ''clearly'' have shots at the glorious secret super-prize. He and Grandpa Joe are always bringing up the rear; Mr. Wonka asks (during the introductions in "Strike That, Reverse It") "Is least the last to join our cast?" and when they dawdle in the Nut Room after Veruca's demise, they wind up having to ride in an actual bucket being towed by the CoolBoat to get to the Department of the Future, with Mr. Wonka noting that the boy has a bad habit of daydreaming.
96	* WartsAndAll: Charlie quickly realizes that his hero is a decidedly quirky, icy fellow in "Strike That, Reverse It" -- and Mr. Wonka notices his puzzlement and asks him about it. Charlie explains "[Y]ou're not what I expected." Mr. Wonka admits "That's a coincidence...because I'm not what I expected either." As the tour progresses it becomes clear Mr. Wonka can get ''very'' [[AmbiguouslyEvil dark]] and he keeps treating Charlie as TheRuntAtTheEnd, but he also has sensitive HiddenDepths. Charlie sees those depths, never loses sight of what a remarkable person Mr. Wonka is, and always treats him with kindness and respect. [[spoiler: And as it turns out, Mr. Wonka cares ''much'' more about Charlie than he's letting on.]]
97
98	!!In the 2017 Broadway {{Retool}}:
99	* MrExposition: During "Willy Wonka! Willy Wonka!," Charlie tells the {{Backstory}} of Willy Wonka to the candy shop owner -- not realizing his listener is Mr. Wonka himself.
100	* ObsessedWithFood: Admits he's obsessed with Mr. Wonka's candy in this version. He's much more upset to learn that the Golden Tickets are being found by others and hangs out around the pop-up candy shop even though he can't afford the candy and the owner (a KingIncognito Wonka) treats him thoughtlessly.
101	* ParentalAbandonment: Mr. Bucket is dead in this version.
102	[[/folder]]
103
104	[[folder: Grandpa Joe]]
105
106	->'''Played by:'''
107	-->Creator/JackAlbertson (1971 film)\
108	Creator/DavidKelly (2005 film)\
109	Keith Jameson (2010 opera's 2012 recording)\
110	Nigel Planer (2013 musical's Original London Cast Recording)\
111	John Rubinstein (2017 Broadway {{Retool}} of the musical)\
112	Creator/JessHarnell (''Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'')
113
114	Charlie Bucket lives in a MultigenerationalHousehold with his parents and both sets of grandparents. The grandparents have been bedridden for decades when the story begins. Of the four, Grandpa Joe -- who is fascinated by Wonka's Factory and knows all the stories that surround it -- is the most hopeful that Charlie will find a Golden Ticket. When the boy does, the old man is so excited and happy that he gets out of bed to serve as Charlie's guardian for the factory tour.
115
116	!!In the Book and Adaptations:
117	* AscendedExtra: In the books, he's just sort of there along with Charlie, though he also handles a lot of exposition early on in the first installment. Most adaptations give him more to do; by way of screen/stage time, this character is usually the secondary adult lead.
118	** In the 2005 film and the stage musical ''Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka'', he's actually a former employee of Mr. Wonka's.
119	** In ''Theatre/TheGoldenTicket'' he is not even bedridden; he seems to be the one who supports (to a however small extent) the rest of the family, as in this version Charlie's parents are absent. This is zigzagged, though -- see below.
120	* CoolOldGuy: Downplayed in most versions, but he's certainly fun to be with. ''Definitely'' this in the 1971 film, owing to his DeadpanSnarker tendencies (heck, he even enjoys the boat tunnel at first).
121	* DemotedToExtra: As the other grandparents become {{Ascended Extra}}s in ''Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator'', he becomes this.
122	* DotingGrandparent: All of Charlie's grandparents love him dearly, but Grandpa Joe isn't just a relative, but a true friend who's willing to sacrifice what little money he's saved up to get Charlie a Wonka Bar in hopes of the boy finding a Golden Ticket. He also is determined, in both the 1971 and 2013 versions, to make sure Charlie gets everything he's been promised.
123	* GreaterNeedThanMine: He gives up the tiny bit of money (a few coins of change, really) he's saved so Charlie can buy a Wonka Bar and -- hopefully -- find a Golden Ticket in the novel and most adaptations. In the 1971 version Joe uses the money Charlie, having earned it on a paper route, had earmarked for the former's tobacco habit (which he's giving up anyway). In the 2013 musical, Grandma Josephine points out that the 53 and 1/2 pence Joe stashed away in a sock was for his ''funeral'', but Joe's says he's fine with just being packed away in a rubbish bag and left on the curb when he dies if Charlie gets his heart's desire! Notably, in all versions, this Wonka Bar ''doesn't'' yield a Golden Ticket.
124	* MrExposition: He delivers most of the backstory of Mr. Wonka and the factory in the opening stretch of the novel and most adaptations.
125	* OlderSidekick: For Charlie.
126	* RedOniBlueOni
127	** In the 1971 film, he is the Red Oni -- optimistic, feisty, and willing to break rules -- to Mrs. Bucket's Blue Oni, who is realistic and serene. Interestingly, in this adaptation she is his daughter, whereas in the novels her father is Grandpa George.
128	** In the 2013 musical, he is the optimistic, fun-loving, easygoing Red Oni to grumpy, cynical Grandpa George's Blue Oni. And he's married to the demure, sweet Grandma Josephine, making for another Red/Blue combination.
129	* TheStoryteller: He knows all kinds of stories -- including the history of Mr. Wonka and his factory -- and relating a story or two to Charlie is a nightly after-dinner ritual.
130
131	!!In the 1971 film:
132	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grandpa_joe_1971.jpg]]
133	[[caption-width-right:250:''"'cause I had said, it couldn't be done! But it could be done!"'']]
134	* AmbiguouslyJewish: He's portrayed by actor Jack Albertson, who was born to a Russian-Jewish family in Massachusetts in 1907.
135	* BrokenPedestal: He admires Mr. Wonka greatly and is as excited by Charlie at the prospect of meeting him and touring the factory. But as the tour ends, Mr. Wonka's choice to deny Charlie the lifetime supply of chocolate, compounded by a WhatTheHellHero speech, over the Fizzy Lifting Drinks incident ''shatters'' this. Grandpa Joe delivers his own WhatTheHellHero speech in response; by the time Mr. Wonka cuts him off, he's called the man an "inhuman monster" who cruelly strung Charlie along. He is so embittered by this that he decides he'll get revenge on him by selling the Everlasting Gobstopper to Mr. Slugworth, whom he spoke of as "the worst" of Mr. Wonka's rivals. [[spoiler:He only stops because of Charlie]].
136	* DeadpanSnarker: Only Mr. Wonka himself can out-snark him. "If [Veruca's] a lady, [[AndImTheQueenOfSheba then I'm a Vermicious Knid]]!" is just one example of his skill.
137	* GallowsHumor: His snarker devolves into this as the tour goes on.
138	-->'''Grandpa Joe:''' Well, Mr. Salt finally got what he wanted.
139	-->'''Charlie:''' What's that?
140	-->'''Grandpa Joe:''' Veruca went first.
141	* TheMillstone: Even though he doesn't intend to be one, he's pretty much a bad influence on Charlie all the way through. He tells Charlie not to read the contract he signs at the beginning of the tour, he talks him into trying the fizzy lifting drinks, which almost gets both of them killed and leads to the infamous "You get nothing!" outburst, and after said outburst, he suggests giving the Gobstopper to Slugworth as revenge. [[spoiler:Charlie doesn't, and this is what earns him the factory.]]
142	* NeverMyFault: At the end of the film, after Mr. Wonka denies Charlie the chocolate and gives a WhatTheHellHero speech to him over the Fizzy Lifting Drinks incident, he furiously chews Mr. Wonka out in response, calling him an "inhuman monster" who strung Charlie along and vowing revenge by selling the Everlasting Gobstopper to Slugworth. Of course, not only did he encourage Charlie to sign Wonka's contract [[ReadTheFinePrint without reading it]], but it was Grandpa Joe's idea to try the drinks in the first place. That said, the reason he's outraged is because Wonka is apparently weaseling out of the deal by punishing a little boy for a harmless infraction that wasn't even his idea.
143	* PapaWolf: He's Charlie's grandfather but otherwise fits the trope perfectly.
144	* SidekickSong: "I've Got a Golden Ticket" is his reaction to finding Charlie's found the last of them, as he gets out of bed for the first time in twenty years.
145	* TemptingFate: In the Fizzy Lifting Drink room: "A small one won't hurt us."
146	* WhatTheHellHero: Attempts this on Mr. Wonka in response to his use of this trope on him and Charlie.
147
148	!!In the 2005 film:
149	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grandpa_joe_2005.jpg]]
150	[[caption-width-right:250:"I’d give anything in the world just to go in one more time, and see what’s become of that amazing factory."]]
151	* AdaptationExpansion: Overlapping with AscendedExtra, his knowledge of Willy Wonka's public {{Backstory}} is due to having been an employee of his. He was a clerk in Mr. Wonka's first chocolate shop and went on to work in his factory until the day it was closed.
152	* AdaptationalJobChange: Goes from being retired or unemployed to having worked as a clerk for Willy Wonka since the latter's first candy store opened. He continued to work as an employee of Wonka's when the latter expanded and built his titular factory, at least up until Wonka closed it.
153	* AscendedExtra: He goes from a supporting character to the film's {{Tritagonist}}.
154	* FourPhilosophyEnsemble: He's The Optimist amongst the grandparents.
155	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: When watching on tv the second Golden Ticket winner, Veruca Salt, Grandpa Joe tells Charlie that her father isn't doing her any good by spoiling her that way. Also during the factory tour, he tries to convince Violet to listen to Mr. Wonka's warnings against chewing his experimental chewing gum.
156	* {{Tritagonist}}: He's the third most important character in this adaptation, having a personal connection to and knowing the history of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory by virtue of having worked with Wonka since the former opened his first store. Part of his desire to go with Charlie there is to reconnect with his former workplace, meet Wonka for the first time in years, and see what's happened to the factory since it originally closed.
157
158	!!In the 2010 opera:
159	* CompositeCharacter: With AdaptedOut Mr. Bucket in the 2010 opera, since he seems to be the meager breadwinner of the family.
160	* DemotedToExtra: His MrExposition function is completely eliminated, his celebration when Charlie finds the last ticket is dropped, and he's sidelined from the final stretch of the tour when he stays behind to comfort Mrs. Teavee (Mike is third, not fourth, to be eliminated in this version), not appearing again until the denouement back at the shack.
161	* GoodSamaritan: Mrs. Teavee, in the wake of her son being shrunk by Bubblevision, is so traumatized that she begs for someone to stay with them while they wait for him to be restored. Mr. Wonka is indifferent, Veruca and her father don't care, but Grandpa Joe volunteers to stay behind and comfort her, figuring Charlie can manage on his own with the remaining tour group. (Charlie might have stayed behind too, but Mr. Wonka "sweeps him on board" the train to the BazaarOfTheBizarre, according to the stage directions.)
162
163	!!In the 2013 musical:
164	* BornUnlucky: According to "Don'cha Pinch Me Charlie", the reason he became bedridden so long ago was that times were so tough he believed he was an example of this! "All my [[FourLeafClover four-leaf clovers]] wilted/And my [[LuckyRabbitsFoot rabbit's foot]] had mange/The [[GenieInABottle genie in the bottle]] turned up dead".
165	* FunPersonified: The most fun-loving of the Bucket family members, which might be why [[spoiler: he becomes the factory's official taster ''and an honorary Oompa-Loompa'']].
166	* TheMunchausen: He loves to tell silly [[TallTale tall tales]] about his past: he claims to have fought with the Light Brigade, traveled with Scott of the Antarctic, ran a four-minute mile in the 1948 Olympics, etc. (An InJoke detail reveals that he has at least one true feat to his credit, though -- the uniform he wears to the factory marks him as having served as an RAF pilot in World War II...as Creator/RoaldDahl did.)
167	** Also present in the Broadway staging, but replaced with references to American history: he claims to have been a travel agent for Lewis and Clark, fought with General Custer, and took the wheel of the Titanic.
168	* SidekickSong: "Don'cha Pinch Me Charlie" is his response to the news that the boy has found the final Golden Ticket.
169	* WhatTheHellHero: In this version, this is his response to Mr. Wonka revealing that [[spoiler: the lifetime supply of sweets is the Everlasting Gobstopper in a case of Exact Words]], and unfortunately it presses Mr. Wonka's BerserkButton. Good thing Charlie understands both sides of the situation and can defuse it before it gets out of hand!
170
171	!!In the 2017 Broadway {{Retool}}
172	* AdaptationExpansion: Similar to the 2005 film, he was an employee of Wonka's and worked as the factory's security guard until the day it was closed.
173	* SidekickSong: "I've Got a Golden Ticket" is revived from the 1971 film to replace "Don'cha Pinch Me Charlie".
174	[[/folder]]
175
176	[[folder: The Rest of the Family]]
177
178	->'''Mrs. Bucket is played by:'''
179	-->Diana Sowle (1971 film)\
180	Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter (2005 film)\
181	Alex Clatworthy (2013 musical's Original London Cast Recording)\
182	Emily Padgett (2017 Broadway {{Retool}} of the musical)\
183	Kate Higgins (''Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'')
184
185	->'''Mr. Bucket is played by:'''
186	-->Creator/NoahTaylor (2005 film)\
187	Jack Shalloo (2013 musical's Original London Cast Recording)\
188	Ryan Breslin (2017 Broadway {{Retool}} of the musical)\
189
190	->'''Grandma Josephine is played by:'''
191	-->Franziska Liebing (1971 film)\
192	Eileen Essell (2005 film)\
193	Roni Page (2013 musical's Original London Cast Recording)\
194	Kristy Cates (2017 Broadway {{Retool}} of the musical)\
195
196	->'''Grandpa George is played by:'''
197	-->Ernst Ziegler (1971 film)\
198	David Morris (2005 film)\
199	Billy Boyle (2013 musical's Original London Cast Recording)\
200	Paul Slade Smith (2017 Broadway {{Retool}} of the musical)\
201
202	->'''Grandma Georgina is played by:'''
203	-->Dora Altmann (1971 film)\
204	Creator/LizSmith (2005 film)\
205	Myra Sands (2013 musical's Original London Cast Recording)\
206	Madeleine Doherty (2017 Broadway {{Retool}} of the musical)\
207
208	!!In the novels:
209	* AscendedExtra: The grandparents become central to the plot of ''Literature/CharlieAndTheGreatGlassElevator''. Grandma Georgina gets the most attention of them, revealing herself to be a DeadpanSnarker and the ChewToy of the story.
210	* CoupleThemeNaming: The grandparents have names that are Spear/Distaff Counterparts of their spouse's. Grandpa Joe is married to Grandma Josephine, while Grandpa George is married to Grandma Georgina.
211	* TheChewToy: Grandma Georgina in the sequel.
212	* {{Fainting}}: Grandma Georgina does this when the Great Glass Elevator crashes through the roof of their house at the end of the first book.
213	* FlatCharacter: All five in the first book; also applies to the counterparts who appear in the 1971 and 2010 adaptations. The sequel does take steps to give the grandparents distinct personalities, whereas in the first book they're virtually interchangeable, but adaptations usually take them in other directions than Dahl did.
214	* {{Foil}}
215	** As described below, Charlie's parents and grandparents are this to the brats' parents.
216	** In the sequel, bad-tempered and snarky ChewToy Grandma Georgina is this to the upbeat, always-in-control (but even snarkier) Willy Wonka.
217	* GoodParents: Charlie's parents ([[DisappearedDad except for]] the 1971 film [[AdaptedOut and]] ''The Golden Ticket'') and both sets of his grandparents. The fact that he has a loving, though poor, family makes him contrast with the bratty, dysfunctional rich kids even more. Charlie's parents get a duet in the 2013 stage musical, "If Your Mother Were Here", that makes this even clearer: They're both so busy working or looking for work that they don't get to spend much time together, but they both love each other and Charlie deeply, the essence of GoodParents.
218	* GrannyClassic: Both grandmothers, though they're too weak to do much anymore and not above the occasional moment of grumpy snark, come off as this in the first book. At the end and in the sequel, the pricklier, anxious sides of their personalities (Josephine being more anxious and Georgina being more prickly) emerge in the presence of Willy Wonka, which is quite understandable.
219	* {{Housewife}}: Mrs. Bucket in most versions, with the exceptions of the 1971 film and 2013 musical, both of which give her a job involving laundry on top of caring for her family.
220	* HystericalWoman: Grandma Josephine throughout the sequel -- her panicking when Mr. Wonka flies the elevator ''really'' high to make a proper descent is what winds up sending the elevator into orbit. Later, her panicked despair as they face capture by Vermicious Knids gives Mr. Wonka a EurekaMoment. Mrs. Bucket also becomes this as most of the grandparents are de-aged to babies or out of existence altogether -- in part because Grandma Georgina, who vanishes, is her own mother.
221	* UnnamedParent: Mr. and Mrs. Bucket, who have no given first names in the novels or (Almost) ''any'' adaptations.
222
223	!!In the 1971 film:
224	* AdaptedOut: Mr. Bucket died sometime before the events of the 1971 film begin.
225	* AscendedExtra: Mrs. Bucket gets a solo, "Cheer Up, Charlie". It's one of only three musical numbers set before the story gets to the factory.
226	* LivingProp: Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina get next to no lines and hardly contribute to the plot. Grandma Josephine doesn't fare much better, but at least she gets 5 or 6 lines in. None of their actors are credited.
227	* RedOniBlueOni: Mrs. Bucket is the down-to-earth, realistic Blue Oni to Grandpa Joe's Red Oni here. Compare their musical numbers -- the ballad "Cheer Up, Charlie" for the former and lively "I've Got a Golden Ticket" for the latter.
228
229	!!In the 2005 film:
230	* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Grandma Georgina. Her EstablishingCharacterMoment has her adding to the other characters' conversation about the factory the following: "I love grapes."
231	* ClusterFBomb: Implied with Grandpa George; with each news story about the other four children, he gets increasingly disgusted by their bratty behavior. It all comes to a head with Mike Teavee's declaration that he doesn't even like chocolate. Grandpa George goes off on a rant that is unheard as Charlie's father covers his son's ears; the audience doesn't hear the rant either. Wearing headphones does make it possible to hear him yell several "hell"s and "bloody"s, though.
232	* TheCynic: Grandpa George is the one who most often brings up the fact that Charlie really has no chance of finding a ticket. Ultimately inverted when he's the one who gives an idealistic speech to persuade Charlie to use the Golden Ticket, rather than sell it for cash.
233	* DeadpanSnarker: Grandpa George's grumpiness makes him good at snarking. When Willy Wonka unintentionally insults the rest of Charlie's family in the late going, he adds "No offense" to his speech; Grandpa George replies "None taken, jerk."
234	* EveryoneHasStandards: While Grandpa George correctly insists that Charlie's chances of finding a golden ticket are almost non-existent due to a lot of kids being able to afford a Wonka Bar every day unlike them, he still looks as crestfallen as everyone else with not even an [[IWarnedYou "I told you so"]], via words or expression, when Charlie opens his birthday Wonka Bar and finds no ticket.
235	* {{Foil}}: Grandpa George is one to Grandpa Joe: while the latter is optimistic, openly affectionate towards his family and especially Charlie, the former is cynical and less openly affectionate, only in a more subdued way (when Charlie shares his birthday chocolate with the family, everyone thanks him and Grandpa George merely gives him a nod of approval and [[WhenHeSmiles a rare smile]]).
236	%%* FourPhilosophyEnsemble
237	%%** '''The Cynic''': Grandpa George (the GrumpyOldMan)
238	%%** '''The Optimist''': Grandpa Joe (the DotingGrandparent)
239	%%** '''The Realist''': Grandma Josephine (quiet and objective)
240	%%** '''The Apathetic''': Grandma Georgina (the {{Cloudcuckoolander}})
241	* GrumpyOldMan: Grandpa George is the most grumpy and easily irritated member of Charlie's grandparents.
242	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Grandpa George is more cynical and grumpy than in past incarnations but that doesn't mean he don't care. When Charlie decides they should sell his ticket for money, Joe is visibly [[BreakTheCutie broken]] but understands his decision, and then George gives him a surprisingly idealistic bit of wisdom, reminding him that there is plenty of money out there but there will never be a chance like that again. He [[CruelToBeKind asks him if he's a "dummy"]] and when Charlie replies with "no", he gives him an important bit of encouragement to take Grandpa Joe to the Wonka factory, showing that beneath his grumpy, cyinical attitude, he does love him family dearly and puts their wishes and happiness over wealth.
243
244
245	!!In the 2010 opera:
246	* AdaptedOut: Mr. ''and'' Mrs. Bucket, with no explanation given.
247	* DoesNotLikeSpam: All four grandparents '''hate''' cabbage soup.
248	* ObsessedWithFood: All four of them crave Wonka chocolate.
249
250	!!In the 2013 musical:
251	* AscendedExtra: ''All'' of them get moments in the spotlight in Act One -- the grandparents get to help Grandpa Joe deliver "The Amazing Fantastical History of Mr. Willy Wonka" and later follow his lead in getting out of bed in "Don'cha Pinch Me Charlie". The parents have "If Your Mother Were Here" as they try to comfort Charlie.
252	* TheCynic: Again, Grandpa George fits both tropes, mostly to be a foil to FunPersonified Grandpa Joe. Even in his sunnier moods, he has a glass-half-empty streak going -- when Charlie finds his ticket and the family celebrates the rich possibilities ahead of them, he notes "We'll have no more cabbage suppers/[[FalseTeethTomfoolery Now I'll have to wear me uppers]]" and "We can even get divorces!"
253	* DirtyOldWoman: Grandma Georgina -- as the grandparents recount "The Amazing Fantastical History of Mr. Willy Wonka", she twice praises the man for his ''attractiveness''. According to her, he "[h]as a sex appeal what makes me feel young!" and "Whips a swirl that makes a girl go wild".
254	* MrExposition: The grandparents are elevated to equal footing with Grandpa Joe with regards to this trope in the early going.
255	* ParentalLoveSong: "If Your Mother Were Here" for both parents.
256	* RedOniBlueOni
257	** Mr. Bucket does his best to have a glass-half-full attitude even as he loses his job in the early going, is creative enough to fashion HomemadeInventions to help the family get by, and loves to play with his similarly creative son (Red Oni), while Mrs. Bucket is the down-to-earth, gentle, practical enforcer of house rules (Blue Oni). Much of "If Your Mother Were Here" discusses the different ways they interact with Charlie -- and how together they make HappilyMarried GoodParents as they each bring different good qualities to the table.
258	** Grandpa Joe is optimistic FunPersonified (Red Oni) while Grandpa George is cynical and grouchy (Blue Oni).
259	** Grandma Georgina is a feisty DirtyOldWoman (Red Oni) while Grandma Josephine is demure and sweet (Blue Oni).
260	** Also, the grandparents maintain Red/Blue combinations as married couples! The relationships between them are nicely summed up by which section of the newspaper each reads first: Joe likes the cartoons, George the obituaries, Josephine the society pages, and Georgina the horseracing news.
261
262	!!In the 2017 Broadway {{Retool}}
263	* DeathByAdaptation: Poor Mr. Bucket died before the action begins, though he appears in a DreamBallet with his wife during "If Your Father Were Here".
264	* DemotedToExtra: The grandparents besides Joe only sing backup on a few numbers, and Mr. Bucket only appears in the DreamBallet.
265	[[/folder]]

Context Characters / CharlieAndTheChocolateFactoryBucketFamily