What is the Mickey Rourke Award? Like it’s namesake, the Mickey Rourke Award is given to people, dogs, fictional characters, etc. who were once Down and Out who survived. Maybe it will give you hope that despite losing your job, or losing your wife, or getting botched plastic surgery (or in some cases, all three), you can win an Academy Award for portraying a downtrodden wrestler in a movie that is more documentary than fiction– or something.
In honor of Oscar season, I’m recognizing movie characters who represent the plight of the Down and Out. This Mickey Rourke Award goes to Grandpa Joe from Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
So what qualifies Grandpa Joe from the 1971 version of Willy Wonka to win the Mickey Rourke Award?
So. I’m not going to lie. I haven’t seen this movie since elementary school. I don’t even remember the plot of this movie past Charlie Bucket winning the golden ticket. I had to Wikipedia it. Basically. What I’m telling you is this. I am basing the entire award on the fact that all I remember from the movie is that scene where Grandpa Joe is sleeping in the same bed with his wife and two other people. Head. To. Foot. In the same bed. Four old people. In the same bed. Without moving. For years. If that’s not Down and Out, I don’t know what is.
But you can tell Grandpa Joe wants to get out of bed. But he’s sort of held back by the unambitious nature of his wife and the other two grandparents. I mean, he used to be able to walk. And then somewhere along the way he ends up in a bed with three other people and is like the live action version of Mickey’s Christmas Carol when Mickey Mouse cuts that pea into three slices for Christmas dinner. But! In the end, his grandson gets a balling ass chocolate factory. And because he had the wherewithall to get out of bed and go with him, Grandpa Joe gets to go in the glass elevator, too.
People said Mickey Rourke had the potential to be a heartthrob Jack Nicholson when they saw him in “Diner.” And then somewhere between resuming his boxing career and plastic surgery, something else happened. But! Now he’s winning awards left and right and says he’s getting laid more than ever. Hey. He’s winning awards, okay?
If you don’t see the similarities, I don’t know what to say.