In the 2005 film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Tim Burton, and starring Johnny Depp as the character of Willy Wonka, presents an interesting psychiatric profile. This movie is a film adaptation of the popular children’s book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Ronald Dahl.
The main character, Willy Wonka, shows signs of social anxiety disorder. The character has not left his factory in decades and is noticeably uncomfortable in the company of others. He appears very nervous and panicked at the thought of interacting with the outside world. This was emphasized in the film, by giving flashbacks of Wonka’s life and how his traumatic candy free childhood made him distrustful of others and obsessive about creating his own world so that he didn’t have to interact with the outside world. His appears to have manifested into agoraphobia. This may be helped with anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medications. Exposure therapy may also be helpful.
The character or Augustus Gloop, played by Philip Wiegratz, presents a possible binge eating disorder. He is shown as constantly obsessing about food throughout the film. He has no control over how much or what he eats. He is even willing to put himself in danger to obtain more food. He eats large amounts of unhealthy foods, and is clearly obsessive about food. One misconception shown in the film is that Augustus is just a glutton, and doesn’t feel remorse for his condition that is typical of binge eating. Cognitive based therapy would be the best option for Augustus.
The character of Veruca Salt, played by Julia Winter, presents a possible narcissistic personality disorder. The character is shown in the film as very impulsive and unwilling to listen to others. She lacks empathy for anyone other than herself. Cognitive therapy would be the best treatment option.
Works Cited:
Burton, T. (Director). (2005). Charlie and the Chocolate Factory [Motion picture]. USA: paramount.
