CHARLOTTE’S WEB (Theatrical Release USA 2006)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 2.9|5.0 Stars ìì

Charlotte’s Web—a live action remake of the 1973 animated story—has a narrator who sounds like he doesn’t care for the story and might eat pork at any minute during the film. Dakota Fanning plays a weak part partially due to a poorly written script. The movie fails in the believability department.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Farm girl Fern’s (Dakota Fanning) father removes a runt piglet from a newly born litter of piglets and decides to kill it. But, Fern saves the piglet’s life by promising to nurse it herself. She names the piglet Wilbur (voice of Dominic Scott Kay). When the piglet gets larger, Fern’s parents suggest that the pig be moved to a more appropriate environment. So, Fern stores the pig at the Zuckerman’s neighboring farm where it will eventually find its way to the smokehouse. A Zuckerman farm spider, named Charlotte (voice of Julia Roberts), speaks with Wilbur, constructs a web, and begins to write positive web messages about how special Wilbur is so that he does not have to go to the slaughterhouse.

Additional Thanks

Fair work by Gary Winick. Thank you to Executive Producers Edgar M. Bronfman, Paul Neesan, Julia Pistor, and Bernard Williams for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Templeton the Rat (voice of Steve Buscemi), Samuel the Sheep (voice of John Cleese), Gussy the Female Goose (voice of Oprah Winfrey), Golly the Male Goose (Cedric the Entertainer), Bitsy the Cow (Kathy Bates), and Betsy the Cow (Reba McEntire).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

No. It’s not the best film remake.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers