Charlotte's Web

Decent watch, probably won't watch again, but can recommend for younger audiences. It's based off of a famous book, Dakota Fanning, Steve Buscemi, Julia Roberts are all charming in their own ways, but I never realized what a dud of a character Wilbur was before this. Sure, he's a happy-go-lucky guy and social trend setter, but he's a character that needs a lot of help and doesn't even really give back. The story feels like a more modern fable: there is a lesson of morality and life here, but it is a lot more subtle than I'm used to fables being. Of course this has a cooked in version of explaining life and death to young children, but it feels like it tries to convey that a life well served, however short, is good life. This does make the movie oddly charming, but I can't say that it makes it as great as I remember the book being. Now, that may be nostalgia glasses, or maybe I have them for the this movie, but I think, in the end, it's an average movie with a good story that kids might like.

The kindly young “Fern” (Dakota Fanning) manages to rescue a runt piglet and rear it as her own pet - despite the reservations of her dad. As it grows up, though, it becomes too big to live in their home so it’s sent to a nearby family farm and that’s where we all meet “Wilbur”. He’s an engaging and curious little critter who fits in with his talkative farmyard friends quickly and obliviously coasts through life until one of his new pals mentions the dreaded “C” word! He’s naturally quite terrified but what can he do? Well fortunately, the ingenious spider “Charlotte” lives in their barn too, and she concocts a plan that might just save his bacon! What now ensues sees a series of mischievous incidents that allows each animal to characterise a little as “Wilbur” and “Charlotte” come up with a plan to immortalise the young piggy. This is one of those stories I recall reading at school, and though it can run a little to sentiment, it’s still an entertainingly thoughtful story of fitting in, of team playing and of enduring friendship and though many years later I have undoubtedly become more of a cynic, it still has the power to reduce things to basics in quite a poignant fashion. It’s about optimism and sacrifice and the voice talents (on the English language version, anyway) offer us a friendly and touching story that still celebrates a vicarious version of humanity, well. Fanning delivers amiably, the animation is enjoyable to watch and if the last ten minutes doesn’t make you smile and blub just a little, then you’ve left your heart in the fridge.