Charlotte's Web (2006)

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.

Director:

Gary Winick

Writers:

Susannah Grant (screenplay), Karey Kirkpatrick (screenplay),

Stars:

Dakota Fanning, Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey

8 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Based on the beloved children's novel by E.B. White, a young girl named Fern rescues a runty piglet, raises it as her own and names him Wilbur. However, after Wilbur grows into a pig, she is compelled to sell him to her Uncle Homer Zuckerman down the street. At Zuckerman's barn, Wilbur meets a host of animals and later learns from them that come winter, he will be slaughtered for food. Fearing for his life, Charlotte, a gentle and wise spider whom befriended the lonely Wilbur, vows to save his life.

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Plot Keywords:

spider | pig | piglet | uncle | barn | 

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Taglines:

Help Is Coming From Above.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Spain] Paramount Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 December 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Le petit monde de Charlotte

Filming Locations:

Attwood, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£1,892,120 (UK) (9 February 2007)

Gross:

£10,738,495 (UK) (23 March 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Walden Media, Kerner Entertainment Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

DTS SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The names of the two crows, Elwyn and Brooks, is a reference to author E.B. White, whose full name was Elwyn Brooks White.

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Goofs

When Wilbur is talking to the geese after he plays in the mud, the amount of mud on his side changes.

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Quotes

Charlotte A. Cavatica: Oh, Wilbur... don't you know what you've already done? You made me your friend and in doing so, you made a spider beautiful to everyone in that barn.

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Crazy Credits

The Nickelodeon logo segues into an animated series of farmyard illustrations. More illustrations of the storyline appear over the end credits.

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Connections

Referenced in Charlotte's Web: Flacka's Pig Tales (2007)

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Soundtracks

A Place in the Sun
by Ronald N. Miller & Bryan Wells
Performed by Gabe Dixon
Produced by Wayne Kirkpatrick

User Reviews

Beautifully done, very true to the story

I was prepared for almost anything going into this movie, knowing that so many filmmakers who adapt classic stories think it is their duty to "update" the story, or feel the need to add a lot of comic relief.

Thankfully, Winick did not succumb to these temptations. Instead, he offers a delightfully filmed version of the story, with CG effects so realistic and subtle that they detract from the live action base not even a little bit.

This movie is very true to the original story, and the comic relief was, in my opinion, not at all overbearing. I got a lot of genuine laughs out of the movie, and, at 40, that's saying something for a G-rated movie aimed at families with small children.

The movie has an old-fashioned but familiar feel to it. It seems to represent the America we all think we remember, and want to see when we visit the country. It seems in many ways timeless, without feeling Disney-esquire. I'm sure this is what the filmmakers were going for, and they hit it right on the nose.

I thought the casting was excellent, for the most part. Though Agnes Moorehead (from the original animated version) absolutely bowls Oprah Winfrey over as the goose, and Julia Roberts' voice was maybe a bit too matter-of-fact for Charlotte. Debbie Reynolds' extra-sweet voice did, I think, a just-so-slightly better job in the original. That aside, Miss Fanning is perfect as Fern, and Siobhan Fallon could not play the incredulous Mrs. Zuckerman one iota better.

I think E.B. White would be pleased. This is as honest a representation of his wonderful story as anyone could hope for.

If you have small kids, read them the book, and then go see the movie.

If you read the book as a kid, and still smile when you think about it, then go see it yourself.

Highly recommended.