The Importance of Finding Just the Right Words: Charlotte's Web (2006)
Written: Mar 20 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent voice talent; charming tone; Elfman's music
Cons: It's not the book, but it can't help that! Ending overly didactic.
The Bottom Line: A family movie that weaves some wonderful magic. A lovely adaptation of an even lovelier book.
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| befus's Full Review: Charlotte's Web |
"Where's Papa going with that ax?" is a startling line in American literature. As the opening line in E.B. White's beloved childhood classic Charlotte's Web, it grabs you as soon as you open the book and compels you forward into the drama and beauty of the rest of the story.
I've loved White's book for so many years, and when I heard that Walden Media was bringing a live-action adaptation to the big screen in 2006, one of my first thoughts was what a great dramatic opening such a line would make in the movie. So when I sat down in the theater, I was all primed to hear it.
And then it wasn't there. Screenwriter and director's prerogative, of course, to begin the film in another way, easing us more into the narrative via the visuals. And although I was disappointed by this initial choice (or lack thereof) I have to confess I was not disappointed by much else in this lovely adaptation. It goes without saying that it doesn't capture the tender lyricism of White's prose. But in its own way, this film version of Charlotte's Web weaves its own magic. It finds its own way, and own words, to retell the classic tale of a farmyard friendship between a small pig and an even smaller spider.
The Story
Almost everyone knows the outline of this classic tale: girl meets pig; girl raises little runty pig until he gets too big for her to push around in her doll stroller; girl's father makes her give the pig to her uncle who lives on a nearby farm. You could say that's act one. Act two begins when Wilbur, the pig in question, moves to the barnyard and meets his fellow animal friends who inform him of a spring pig's fate: he will be bacon before the first snow flies. Pig panics, and isn't helped at all by the cynical razzing of Templeton the Rat, who cares more about his own ravenous appetites than encouraging or helping a neighbor in need. In fact, no one seems that interested in Wilbur's fate until one evening, when he's about to fall asleep, he hears a tiny voice above him saying "Salutations!"
Thus begins act three, and the real meat of the story (if you'll pardon the pun). Pig meets spider, a lovely gray spider who spins her webs and catches flies in the rafters above his pen. It turns out that Charlotte, bloodthirsty though she may be, is also compassionate. She hatches a scheme to get the Zuckermans (Fern's aunt and uncle, who own the farm) to think Wilbur is so amazing, they could never dream of eating him. Essentially she launches an advertising campaign, putting all her artistry and skill to work as she weaves descriptive words into her web, beginning with "Some Pig." Many of the other animals in the barn begin to take an interest in the campaign. Even Templeton (oh so grudgingly and mostly for his own gain) ends up helping out.
There's a mostly happy ending, though it's bittersweet since it turns out that spiders themselves don't have long life spans. But Charlotte's short life is richly spent in loving and helping her friend Wilbur, and White (and this film that follows him) touches gently on her death and then kindly gives us the joyous postscript of Wilbur's continuing friendship with some of Charlotte's progeny.
A Barnyard Full of Talent
The 2006 film mostly sticks to this basic plot outline, and even retains some of White's prose (or close approximations, perhaps thanks to Earl Hamner's involvement). The filmmakers expanded on the personalities of the other farm animals, perhaps realizing animal characters would appeal most to young children and reveling in current computer technology that can make talking animals seem so real.
Although most of the animals are present in White's book, many of them are simply called "the sheep," "the geese," "the horse," etc., with only Charlotte, Wilbur and Templeton having major standout roles. In the film the other animals are all given names and more screen time than I expected. They are also played by major voice talent. Just as a few examples, Julia Roberts voices Charlotte, Robert Redford voices the nervous, neurotic horse named Ike, Golly and Gussy the geese are voiced by Cedric the Entertainer and Oprah Winfrey, and John Cleese played Samuel the Sheep. It's not hard to guess why so many major actors would want to play even a small role -- probably many of them, just like many of us, grew up in love with the book.
Wilbur himself is voiced with charming and imploring sincerity by ten year old Dominic Scott Kay, already a veteran actor. But my favorite voice talent was probably the funny, slimy sounding Steve Buscemi as Templeton the Rat. "The rat rules!" I was surprised by how funny and perfect I found him, mostly because one of the only memorable voice stand-outs from the 1973 animated version of this story was Paul Lynde in the same role. Whereas Lynde played it with his typical whining and wheedling tone, Buscemi makes his rat more "street-smart" and sarcastic. It changes the tone of the story a bit, but it's so cleverly done and brings so many genuine laughs that it's hard to mind. In fact, in many ways I think it's a terrific interpretation of the ratty character. I also loved the filmmakers' vision of Templeton's lair, a precariously balanced obstacle course of old junk. At one point in the story, when Templeton finds himself fleeing from a rolling rotten goose egg, he darts through his long, twisted junk tunnel of a lair for what seems like forever. It's a wonderfully detailed scene which also tips its hat to Indiana Jones!
Although the human characters in this story are decidedly secondary (as they should be) those roles are also well-played. Dakota Fanning brings a sweet innocence to Fern, the little girl who first rescues Wilbur from almost-certain death and then raises him on a bottle until he moves to the farm. Next to Fern, I liked Siobhan Fallon as the dumbfounded Mrs. Zuckerman (who gives Wilbur his buttermilk bath before the fair) the best. The rest of the human cast was fine, though Fern's little brother Avery (Louis Corbet) was underused and not nearly bratty enough.
Perhaps Avery's screentime was out on loan to the two crows out in the field who got their own original sub-plot involving their fears of a scarecrow. These funny birds are not in White's book at all, and though I thought it a bit strange that they got so much time in the movie, I had to admit the humor of their situation was well-played and even managed to serve the plot in a satisfying way at the end.
In the end, perhaps my main criticism of the film is that it didn't let the story speak entirely for itself: the ending felt as though the screenwriters were trying too hard to ensure that the young audience took away a lesson or two. The main "lesson" of this story is simply the value of friendship, and I think what will likely last longest for most children, even after the laughter fades, is the memory of how deeply Charlotte gave of herself to help Wilbur. The image that will last longest for me will be Charlotte's long night of labor as she wove her web out under the stars. With the moonlight sparkling on the web and the lovely, haunting music of Danny Elfman (whose stunning score added much to the beauty of this movie) I was almost moved to tears.
My four year old, who fell in love with the book last summer, was enchanted by this gentle movie. Some of it was over her head, but nothing in it frightened her. It's a film that the whole family can enjoy watching together, from youngest to oldest.
I still hope kids will read the book first and see the movie second, though I know that won't always be the case. It shows how much I liked this film when I say that if children run across it first, I think they will enjoy it so much that it will make them want to read the book. That makes me happy. I hope it would make E.B. White happy too.
~befus, 2007
E.B. White's classic Charlotte's Web
This bookworm's favorite movie moment: when Fern comes to visit Wilbur at her uncle's farm, and sits down by his pen to read him a story, she's reading from Robert McCloskey's 1941 picture book classic Make Way for Ducklings. Since the film evokes Charlotte's Web original 1950s setting, this was a perfect, period detail -- and what a wonderful choice of a book for a little girl to read to her barnyard friends. It also assured me that at least some of the folks making this film loved good children's books!
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Family Movie
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Epinions.com ID:
befus
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Member: Beth
Location: post-industrial town that time forgot
Reviews written: 753
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About Me:
You-can't-get a cup-of-tea big enough or a book long-enough to suit me...C.S Lewis
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