Just a fantastic family film based on a splendid book
Written: Dec 27 '06
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: Thought provoking; visually appealing; keeps children entertained; isn't overly long
Cons: A bit of crude humor here and there
The Bottom Line: A very good adaptation of a classic children's book. It may not follow the novel exactly, but it's close enough to make for a wonderful movie.
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| HawgWyld's Full Review: Charlotte's Web |
First of all, I'd bet the most consistent gripe about this film is that it isn't as good as the book. That complaint should be discounted out of hand -- what movie adaptation of the book has ever been as good as the book? I can't think of a one, honestly.
Having said that, Charlotte's Web is a heck of a film. For those that weren't lucky enough to have read the book at some point, this film centers on the adventures of a little pig who is worried about being slaughtered for Christmas dinner. He manages to make friends with a spider named Charlotte (the most hated creature on the farm next to a rat) and she takes it upon herself to help him survive. That's about all I'll say for the plot for a couple of reasons. For one thing, I figure most people at least have a passing familiarity with themselves, provided they went to an elementary school that makes children read "the classics." Second, I really don't want to spoil the ending or the valuable lessons the movie/book teaches.
While looks aren't everything in a movie, I've got to mention something about this film in that regard. I noticed at the first of this film that one of the intro screens boasted that a new visual technology pioneered by Texas Instruments was used to make the picture look dandy. And, my goodness, this film certainly was very visually appealing. There's a bit of animation at the first that looks positively three-dimensional, and the rest of the film is simply clear and vivid. That's saying quite a bit, really, as most of this movie takes place in a barn. Barns aren't pretty by nature, but the visuals are stunning and it appears that Texas Instruments deserves some credit for this.
As for the cast, it was utilized quite well. Charlotte the Spider (voiced by Julia Roberts) is particularly impressive as the wise, loyal spider happy to find a friend (Wilbur the Pig) who sees her for the gentle soul she is rather than a creepy spider who spins webs and eats flies. It is refreshing, for once, to see a film with Julia Roberts in it that does not feature her giant mouth flapping away and scaring audiences. Dominic Scott Kay plays Wilbur and pulls off the part of the naive, trusting pig to a tee. As is the case these days, Dakota Fanning plays a lovable kid (in this case, she plays Fern, the child who saved Wilbur from being killed off shortly after he was born because he was the runt of the litter). Some other notable appearances here are Reba McEntire (who plays a cow), John Cleese (a sheep who tries to convince his kind that they don't have to mindlessly follow others), Oprah Winfrey (a goose) and Cedric the Entertainer (a goose who gives his opinion to freely and gets in trouble with Winfrey constantly). Yes, we have plenty of stars.
But, stars don't make a great film. In Charlotte's Web, the true test of the film is how well it conveys the central messages to E.B. White's classic story for children? Frankly, it conveys them quite well and it's obvious the folks behind this movie adored this book (much as many of us who read it as children do). The themes of acceptance, loyalty, self-sacrifice and general optimism come through quite well. Yes, there are certainly some differences between the movie and the book (you've got to "Hollywood up" everything these days), but they are relatively minor and most of the deviations are for the purposes of comedy alone (gassy farm critters, a goose who is whipped by his wife and etc). The important lessons White tried to convey in his book are preserved quite well, I think. I probably should point out that it's been a quarter of a century since I read Charlotte's Web, so my memory may be faulty. Still, the bits of the book I do remember seemed well preserved in the movie.
And, this is a great family film. I saw this thing with my son and his fourth-grade class a couple of weeks ago and there was nothing in this thing that seemed terribly inappropriate for children. They laughed it up when appropriate, cried when they were supposed to and generally had a great time. Also, at 1.5 hours, it's not so long that it bores children. My son and his classmates seemed entertained throughout the whole thing. If you can make a film that keeps kids entertained and teaches them a thing or two, that's good enough for me.
These days, there are a lot of movies for kids floating around out there. Most of them are outright trash, but a few of them are lovingly made and thought provoking. Charlotte's Web falls squarely into the latter category and is well worth seeing with your kids.
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Family Movie
Viewing Method: Studio Screening/Premiere
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Nothing
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Epinions.com ID:
HawgWyld
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 - Top 200 |
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Member: Ethan C. Nobles
Location: Benton, Ark.
Reviews written: 1435
Trusted by: 495 members
About Me:
The oxen are slow, but the earth is patient.
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