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Charlotte's Web
Directed by: Gary Winick
Starring: Dakota Fanning
Genre:
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Run Time: 97
min.
Release Date:
December 2006
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
Watch out!
Those words should ring in the minds of all those who choose to see
CHARLOTTE’S WEB, especially those with fond childhood memories of
the novel by E.B. White. Although moving from paper to celluloid always
entails changes, there are some fundamental flaws with this updated
version (the first being the 1973 animated film). The flaws, however, do
not — thankfully! — dominate the entire picture.
For those of you who’ve lived under a stone for the past five decades,
let me tell you a bit about this Newbery Honors book that is in
the top 100 hardback booksellers of all time (those accolades alone
should give one pause before making film comparisons but they must be
made nonetheless since a film version now exists).
My first comment has to be a parental warning. Although the cover looks
childlike and fanciful, the story itself contains much more depth than
simply anthropomorphizing. Within the story’s fabric is the structure of
life, death, and how we view our food. It becomes immediately apparent
as little Fern learns that her father intends to kill the “runt” of a
litter of pigs. He carries an axe in one hand and the piglet in the
other, but is stopped short by Fern as she pleads with him to spare the
animal. Unable to deny his daughter, the father acquiesces. But the
redemption of the piglet (whom we come to know as Wilbur) may be
short-lived. Christmas is around the corner and Fern’s family needs
seasonal pork. But another sort of savior weaves her way into the barn
and befriends Wilbur. Her name, of course, is Charlotte. As all the
other farm animals fidget over Wilbur’s impending meeting with the
smokehouse, Charlotte the spider decides to act. She writes “Some Pig”
in her web, and this sparks a stampede of activity at Fern’s family
farm. Folks (humans) come from miles away to see this pig who warrants
such special praise from a lowly insect.
As Christmas approaches, Charlotte has to find more and more words to
weave in order to keep Wilbur alive. She does so with the assistance of
her fellow barnyard brethren. Most notable among them is Templeton the
rat (voiced perfectly by Steve Buscemi,
ART SCHOOL
CONFIDENTIAL). Usually very food-self-centric, Templeton
learns the reason friendship is so important via his newfound
interactions with living things rather than food-scraps.
It is the ending that gives this story its most non-childlike substance.
The death of Charlotte is heartbreaking, but the rebirth of her egg-sack
lets her live on. Wilbur, having saved the egg-sack, has, in effect,
returned the favor Charlotte gave to him: saving his life. Wilbur sees
many Christmases and several of the infant spiders stick around to live
out their days (and the continuing cycle of life and death) with Wilbur
and his eventual kin.
The voices in the film are standard Hollywood fodder. Julia Roberts as
Charlotte is okay, as is young Dominic Scott Kay as Wilbur the pig. John
Cleese as Samuel the sheep carries some of the more lighter moments, as
does Thomas Haden Church and Andre Benjamin as two confused but funny
crows. But, again, the biggest boost voice-wise has to go to Steve
Buscemi as Templeton the rat. His character goes through the greatest
growth (from despicable to thoughtful) and Buscemi’s narrative
exposition is undeniably the best one for a rat considering his other
film roles (THE BIG LEBOWSKI, 28 DAYS, etc).
The biggest downside to the movie is that it separates too much the
human world from the animal one. E.B. White’s novelization pulls these
items closer and closer, but here we witness Fern (Dakota Fanning, WAR
OF THE WORLDS, 2005) getting googly over a boy more than concerned with
what happens to Wilbur (or even involved with what happens to him after
Charlotte shows up and begins spinning her web-cabulary).
Fern is a vital construct to the entire story, helping to keep Wilbur
alive throughout the narrative (in the novel). But here we don’t get
that. It is all laid on Charlotte and Templeton (mostly) which deviates
significantly from White’s storyline; something to prepare yourself for.
The flick is entertaining if a bit off-kilter from the novel. Kids will
probably eat it up. And parents can run out and purchase one of the
finest “children’s” books ever published in order to inform their kids
about what the story’s really all about.
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Image from Charlotte's Web
DVD cost: $16.99
Purchase:
BestPrices.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
The spider introduces
herself as "Charlotte A. Cavatica," which refers to the barn spider's
scientific name, Araneus cavaticus. The old scientific name was singular
- Aranea cavatica.
Movie Quote: "With
the right words you can change the world."
Other Actors/Actresses
from Charlotte's Web
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