Charlotte's Web (2006)

Director:

Gary Winick

Writers (WGA):

Susannah Grant (screenplay) and
Karey Kirkpatrick (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 December 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

Pig Tales

Plot:

Wilbur the pig is scared of the end of the season, because he knows that come that time, he will end up on the dinner table. He hatches a plan with Charlotte, a spider that lives in his pen, to ensure that this will never happen. |

Plot Keywords:

Pig | Spider | Ponytail | Baby Bottle | Farm

Awards:

7 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Julia Roberts	...	Charlotte the Spider (voice)
Steve Buscemi	...	Templeton the Rat (voice)
John Cleese	...	Samuel the Sheep (voice)
Oprah Winfrey	...	Gussy the Goose (voice)
Cedric the Entertainer	...	Golly the Goose (voice)
Kathy Bates	...	Bitsy the Cow (voice)
Reba McEntire	...	Betsy the Cow (voice)
Robert Redford	...	Ike the Horse (voice)
Thomas Haden Church	...	Brooks the Crow (voice)
André Benjamin	...	Elwyn the Crow (voice)
Dominic Scott Kay	...	Wilbur (voice)
Sam Shepard	...	Narrator (voice)
Abraham Benrubi	...	Uncle the Pig (voice)
Dakota Fanning	...	Fern
Kevin Anderson	...	Mr. Arable

Also Known As:

Schweinchen Wilbur und seine Freunde (Germany)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:G | Malaysia:U | Australia:G | Singapore:PG | UK:U | Ireland:G | Netherlands:AL | Finland:S | Hong Kong:I | Brazil:Livre | Switzerland:0 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:0 (canton of Geneva) | Portugal:M/6 | Argentina:Atp | Germany:o.Al. | Italy:T | Philippines:G (MTRCB) | Denmark:A | Norway:A | South Korea:All | Sweden:Btl | Canada:G (all jurisdictions)

Filming Locations:

Attwood, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

According the the 2007 DVD Director's Commentary, Templeton's feasting at the fair sequence was expanded after a test audience missed the Sherman brothers song, "A Veritable Smorgasbord," they remembered from the 1973 Hanna-Barbera animated feature.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the final scene, Wilbur's trough is empty. When Templeton pops out of his hole, he jumps into the trough which is filled with scraps.

Quotes:

Templeton: Look at her! Don't you think she's a little... uh... what's the word? EW!
Wilbur: I think she's beautiful.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: (#7.49)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

A Place in the Sun

moving, beautifully shot/animated

It's a beautiful movie and wonderfully true to the book. A fan of EB White's brilliant work, I could recite the last lines alongside the movie. The friend I went with is a die-hard fan of the older, animated Charlotte's Web; his only complaint was that this one had fewer musical numbers (read: none). Also, I felt the beginning and end credits act as somewhat of a homage to the animated version.

The voices are very well cast; Julia Roberts is a comforting and delightful Charlotte, and while the opening shots of the spider made some in the audience go "Ew," we grow, like the barn animals, to embrace her warm nature. I found her quite beautiful in the end.

Steve Buscemi is perfect as Templeton. Knowing John Cleese is behind the head sheep makes it even funnier. And Dakota Fanning finally gets to play a little girl being a little girl.

It only made me tear up twice, but I'm a big softy. Take the family, the kids, and anyone who's ever enjoyed EB White's classic story.