Charlotte spins her web on the big screen
MOVIE REVIEW
by DAVID HANNAH Bee Reviewer
One good thing about the Christmas holiday season is the fact that some films come out for families to enjoy. This is one of the finest ones to appear in a while. E. B. White’s award-winning classic tale about a pig and a spider. E. B. White was not pleased with an earlier animated version that came out in 1973, but his granddaughter was fine with this latest one, and thought her grandfather would have been, too.

“Charlotte’s Web” is wonderful for children because it not only entertains, but also has a few things to teach as well. One of the classic stories of loyalty, trust and sacrifice comes to life in this live-action adaptation.

This story is basically simple: A young girl rescues a pig from being turned into ham sandwiches, and places him in her uncle’s barn. The pig’s name is Wilbur. He meets other animals and they all have different personalities. The voices of the animals are as follows: Oprah Winfrey and Cedric the Entertainer as a goose and gander; John Cleese as a snobbish sheep; Kathy Bates and Reba McEntire as stuck-up cows; and Robert Redford as a scaredy-cat horse. But the true star of the movie is Julia Roberts, who lends her voice to Charlotte. It is such a tender-hearted part.

When the spider begins to weave her magical web to form words to save Wilbur’s life, it made me think of a certain question: What would I do to save my friend? This story has some funny barnyard banter, which were my favorite scenes. I had a little trouble figuring out whose voices were which animals, but I especially liked the Templeton the Rat’s (Steve Buscemi) character because he didn’t always act like one. Dakota Fanning shines yet again in the role of Fern Arable that is simplistic yet charming. Because of her caring nature and good heart, you can tell she loves Wilbur and wants him to live.

As the film came to a close, I got teary-eyed because I knew what was coming. The death of Charlotte is sad, but it also represented a commentary on life: Everything is born and everything dies. Charlotte did a lot of good deeds for her friend Wilbur while she was alive. How many people can say the same thing? Kids in the audience were laughing during this movie, but it would be nice to know they took a message from this film and use it in their own lives.

“Charlotte’s Web” evokes laughter and tears. It touches on friendship, keeping one’s word and how everything has a purpose. Director Gary Winick (“13 Going on 30” and “Tadpole”), working from a script by Susannah Grant (“Erin Brockovich” and “Pocahontas”) and director Karey Kirkpatrick (writer/ director “Over the Hedge” and screenplay for “James and the Giant Peach”) made this G-rated movie, which should stand for “great.” The running time is 97 minutes.