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:

Julia Roberts, Steve Buscemi, Oprah Winfrey

7 wins & 9 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

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.

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Plot Keywords:

pig | spider | rain | springtime | fried bacon | 

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Taglines:

Honk if you love pigs.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [es] Paramount Pictures [us]

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 December 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

La telaraña 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 emblem on Fern's red jacket represents the Brownie Scouts. The emblem was a "brownie" (elf) in a trefoil. Brownies are the level of Scouts for girls in grades 1-3.

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Goofs

Wilbur, a boar (male pig) is played by sows (female pigs). This is blatantly obvious in some scenes.

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Quotes

[repeated line]
Wilbur: Great name!

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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: Making Some Movie (2007)

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Soundtracks

"Ordinary Miracle"
by David A. Stewart and Glen Ballard
Performed by Sarah McLachlan
Produced by Glen Ballard and David A. Stewart (as Dave Stewart)
Sarah McLachlan performs courtesy of Nettwerk Records / Arista Records LLC
By Arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment

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.