While there are plenty of Hollywood couples that absolutely amaze fans, the personal as well as the professional relationship betweenTim BurtonandHelena Bonham Carteris at the top of the list. There was a point in time when you could not help but find the two names back-to-back in a headline or article. They were often called a peculiar and eccentric couple for their work together as well as their public image, but in reality, they are very down-to-earth people who just happen to have better imaginations than most.
Burton is a creative mastermind with a certain eye for elaborate worlds andabnormal movie characters, while Bonham Carter loves to embody strange and unique roles. The two were an item (but not married) for 13 years, and they have two sons together. Since their official separation in 2014, Burton and Bonham Carter have only worked on one film together, but fans don’t imagine they’ve seen the end of this dynamic duo.
Let’s take a dive into their professional relationship and see where each movie that Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter did together ranks among the others.
7Dark Shadows (2012)
While Burton, Bonham Carter, and Johnny Depp are typically an iconic trio that produce incredible films,Dark Shadowsmakes it to the bottom of this list. The tone is dark, the dialogue is humorous, but the overall storyline simply falls flat. Anyone who is a Tim Burton fan will know he was attached to the film due tohis stylistic trademarksand over-the-top characters, but fans believed the movie’s themes were all over the place.
Depp is dramatic, witty, and a bit frightening at times, but this lack of consistency did not fare well with audiences. Bonham Carter plays a live-in psychiatrist who enjoys a stiff drink, but her overall role is small. She and Depp have great chemistry on set, but due to her early “death,” the banter between the two is short-lived.
6Planet of the Apes (2001)
Planet of the Apeswas not only the very first film Bonham Carter and Burton worked on together, but it is where they initially met. Bonham Carter told Graham Norton (viaYouTube) that while she was in Australia, she received a call in the middle of the night, and it turned out to be Burton taking about casting her. He said that she was “the first person he thought of to play a chimpanzee.” Instead of being offended by this unusual statement, Bonham Carter was amazed that he knew she liked eccentric characters, and she quickly made the cast list.
Mark Wahlberg is an astronaut who starts a rebellion against the humanoid apes who have been keeping humans as their slaves. Bonham Carter plays Ari, an ape who is kind towards humans and actually helps Wahlberg’s character begin the rebellion. The movie itself received mixed reviews, and the science-fiction aspect doesn’t have Burton’s signature touch that fans look for in most of his fantasy films.
5Big Fish (2003)
Based on Daniel Wallace’s novel, the premise ofBig Fishallowed Burton to go as big and bold as he could with his own imagination.The frame narrativeof this story primarily follows a young man, Edward Bloom (Ewan McGregor), who leaves his hometown in search of bigger and grander things. Now, the elder Edward has a knack for storytelling, so giants, werewolves, and plenty of wild and exaggerated scenarios are thrown into his narrative.
Bonham Carter managed to juggle three roles within this one film while she was pregnant with her and Burton’s first child. Bonham Carter plays the witch as well as the younger and older Jenny who always loved Edward even though his one true love was someone else. The tall tales within the plot make for wonderful fantasy-like visuals.
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4Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
The second adaptation ofCharlie and the Chocolate Factoryis nothing short of brilliant and colorful due to Tim Burton being able to create his vision on multiple sets rather than rely on computer animations to primarily take over as the backdrops. Johnny Depp once again collaborated with Burton on this film, and both he and Helena Bonham Carter simultaneously worked on Burton’s other project,Corpse Bride.
Bonham Carter may have had a smaller role as Charlie’s mother in this dark fantasy film, but she certainly left a lasting impression on fans. On the outside, it looks as if her home is about to collapse under a light snowfall, but on the inside, it is filled with love and comfort as she makes sure everyone has enough to eat during the cold season.
3Corpse Bride (2005)
After the huge success ofA Nightmare Before Christmas, fans were excited to see what was in store for yet another animated film from Burton. In aninterview with About.com, Burton said it was a bit weird working with Depp at the time because he was starring in both of Burton’s films,Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryandCorpse Bride. He mused that Depp was “Willy Wonka by day and Victor by night,” so that may have led to some schizophrenia with very different personalities being taken on all at once.
Bonham Carter, on the other hand, was perfectly cast as this beautiful undead bride who simply wanted her own happy ending. For a moment, she believes that Victor is her one true love, but then she discovers his heart belongs to another and lashes out. In the end, she recognizes her selfishness, and she gets justice on her ex-fiance who murdered her; so in a way, she does get her happy ending.
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There have been many memorable performances in Tim Burton’s movies. Here are the best ones, ranked.
2Alice in Wonderland (2010) & Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)
Burton really outdid himself when he agreed to be the director of the live-action film adaptation of Lewis Carroll’sAlice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Between the incredible visual works, perfectly mad and unique characters, and the 3D aspect that made audiences truly feel like they were jumping right into Burton’s mind, it is no surprise that the first film,Alice in Wonderland, turned out to be Burton’s highest-grossing film thus far. The elaborate story and fanciful characters carried over to a sequel,Alice Through the Looking Glass, six years later, but that film would prove not to be as successful.
Bonham Carter’s performance in both films was nothing short of spectacular. She was able to embody the lifetime of anger and revenge as the Red Queen, and her natural chemistry with Anne Hathaway (who played the White Queen) really came to life.
1Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Sweeney Toddwas perhaps one of Burton’s biggest personal accomplishments. When he was still just a CalArts student in London, Burton went to a stage production ofSweeney Toddand absolutely fell in love. Decades later, he jumped at the opportunity to take over as director. From his macabre style and dark humor, Burton successfully pulled off this rather difficult and dark musical.
Bonham Carter once again co-starred with Depp, and just like inBig Fish, her character’s love goes unrequited by Depp’s character. She and Depp are neck and neck when it comes to who is the moremenacing and tortured individual, but Bonham Carter certainly takes the cake when it comes to their singing abilities.
