NoFace for Film

Title: Charlotte’s Web
Year: 2006
Director: Gary Winick
Starring Cast: Dakota Fanning; voices- Julia Roberts, Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Oprah Winfrey, Cedric the Entertainer, Kathy Bates, Reba McEntire, Robert Redford, Dominic Scott Kay
Rated: G

NoFace for Film rating: 4 out of 7

I absolutely LOVED this book as a kid. I first read it in third grade, and I still remember the very first line in Charlotte’s Web when the little girl Fern says, “Where’s papa going with that ax?” Such a classic.

I’ve also seen the 1973 animated version with Debbie Reynolds as the voice of Charlotte, and the awesomely snarky Paul Lynde as Templeton the rat, but even Lynde’s delivery couldn’t save that awful movie. In fact, I absolutely hated Wilbur, who was voiced by Henry Gibson. His version of Wilbur was that of a whiny, irritating adult. I still cringe at the memories of him squeaking, “Charlotte! Charlotte!” and wishing that he’d just shut the hell up.

Therefore, when I heard that a modern, live-action movie of Charlotte’s Web, I became curious. How will they handle this children’s classic? Naturally, my first instinct when I first saw trailers was, “It looks just like Babe“, for how can you NOT think of that film when you see a cute talking pig in danger of becoming Christmas dinner? Hell, Wilbur even sounds like Babe, even though Wilbur is voiced by 10-year-old Scott Kay, while Babe was voiced by adult Christine Cavanaugh.

Then when I heard that the other animal voices will be provided by an all-star cast, I felt hesitant in watching it. I always have doubts when celebrities provide speaking voices, because it’s common knowledge that those in charge hire them primarily for their star power rather than their actual acting abilities. After all, people are more likely to watch Charlotte’s Web if they knew that Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, and Robert Redford are providing animal voices, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll be any good. But I gave it the benefit of the doubt and watched Charlotte’s Web on Saturday night.

Based on E.B. White’s bestseller, the plot in Charlotte’s Web the movie is no different from the book. Little Fern Arable (Fanning) prevents her dad (Kevin Andreson) from killing the runt of a litter of spring pigs. Naming him Wilbur, Fern treats her new pet like her child, showering him with love. However, when Wilbur gets older and bigger, Fern is forced to give him to her uncle, Homer Zuckerman (Gary Basaraba), who conveniently lives across the street.

Wilbur eventually befriends the other barn animals, who spare him the awful truth about why spring pigs don’t get to see winter. However, the truth eventually comes out, and as the months pass quickly, it’s up to Charlotte to come up with a plan to save Wilbur’s hide.

Since the plot is the same as the book, I don’t have any comments for it. Parents who loved this book as children will be pleased to know that the movie hasn’t been dumbed down in any way to “protect” the children. So yes, the ending is the same. Get your tissues ready. What I’ll comment on is the translation of the book to the movie.

I liked that the movie had a timeless quality to it. From just looking at the (human) actors and the town, you can’t pinpoint when this story was supposed to have taken place. While some of the women’s dresses seem straight from the 1950s, the cars seem more from the 1970s. The townsfolk don’t use digital cameras, and there isn’t a TV in sight. The children run around in jeans and t-shirts, which are no more out of place in 1955 than they are in 2006.

I thought that the human cast was ok. 12-year-old Fanning is a little old as Fern, but I guess there aren’t any 8-year-old actresses as good an actress as Fanning, who seems to be following in Jodie Foster’s sensible footsteps. I thought she was pretty good as Fern, though at times I felt that her version was a bit too defiant towards her father. Anderson and Essie Davis, who played Fern’s parents, are rather bland and forgettable, but then again, so were their textual counterparts, if I recall. On the other hand, Basaraba and Siobhan Fallon were a little more enjoyable to watch as Mr. and Mrs. Zuckerman, as was Nate Mooney, who played their hired hand Lurvy.

And now, for the animal cast. Many have criticised Roberts in her portrayal as Charlotte. I actually beg to differ. While I didn’t think she was fantastic, I thought that she was fine. I thought that Roberts’ motherly tone was appropriate for the story since Charlotte was kind of a surrogate mother for Wilbur whenever Fern was away. I thought that Scott Kay was adorable as Wilbur. Whenever he spoke, I’d look right in those little brown piggy eyes and explode from cuteness from within, just as I did when I watched Babe. Buscemi steals the movie as Templeton the rat. He’s so smarmy, sarcastic, and so unlovable that you can’t help but find him irresistable. The rest of the animal cast were so-so, but not memorable enough in spite of the big-name celebrities behind them. I think that real, trained voice actors could have done a better job.

Like most film adaptations, Charlotte’s Web doesn’t completely follow the book. There are certain added characters and scenes in the movie, in this case used for comic relief. Although it was kind of out of place, I liked the added scenes with the crows (Thomas Haden Church and André Benjamin) because they were funny, and they broke the monotony of life at the barn.

I would recommend Charlotte’s Web for kids because it’s nice, sweet movie. They’ll laugh at the crows and wacky animal antics and will cheer for Wilbur. However, adults who have read the book and/or seen the 1973 animated movie may not be too happy with this adaptation, especially with the cheap tactic of using celebrity voices to gain audiences. Overall, I feel that the 2006 Charlotte’s Web is an improvement over the 1973 Charlotte’s Web, but pales in comparison to Babe. If you want to know the story of Charlotte’s Web, read the book. If you want to see a movie with a cute talking pig who overcomes adversity, watch Babe.

Technorati Tags: E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web, Julia Roberts, Dakota Fanning, Steve Buscemi, Oprah Winfrey, Cedric the Entertainer, Reba McEntire, Kathy Bates, Robert Redford, Thomas Haden Church, Andre Benjamin, ChristineCavanaugh, Babe