During the Springtime, a litter of pigs is born including one runt at the Arable farm. As John (Kevin Anderson) prepares to "do away" with the runt, his daughter Fern (Dakota Fanning) objects saying he shouldn't be killed for simply being small with John agreeing to let Fern take care of him. Fern names the pig Wilbur (Dominic Scott Kay) and the two form a strong bond as Wilbur continues to grow. Eventually the time comes for Wilbur to be sold despite Fern and Wilbur's objections otherwise with Wilbur now living at the farm of Fern's uncle Homer Zuckerman (Bob Holt). While begins seeking a friend among the farm eventually finding one in a spider named Charlotte A. Cavatica (Julia Roberts). Eventually Wilbur learns he is fated to be killed during the Winter to become bacon and ham leading him into despair, however Charlotte makes a promise to Wilbur to help save his life.
Charlotte's Web is a 2006 live-action/animated adaptation of E. B. White's 1952 children's book of the same name previously adapted as an animated feature in 1973. While the original film only performed modestly upon its initial theatrical run (despite carrying decent critical praise), like many films Charlotte's Web found a second wind in both TV broadcasts and home video even becoming a best selling VHS tape in 1994. The film began development in 2004 under producer Jordan Kerner as a project for Nickelodeon Movies whose parent company Paramount had released the 1973 film. The adaptation comes to us courtesy of Susannah Grant and Karey Kirkpatrick with the two of them having been responsible for writing credits on everything from James and the Giant Peach and Chicken Run to Erin Brockovich. While I'm usually skeptical of remakes of classics, a re-adaptation of Charlotte's Web wasn't a bad idea as there was room for improvement from the first film as White rather famously didn't like the 1973 film despite having had a hand in its development. The film being what it is and made when it was, I don't think it would've been likely for the film to be more tonally faithful to the source novel as it wouldn't have been as marketable but while the film is more or less on par with the 1973 film, it does just enough different as a comparison piece and isn't a hollow remake like 2005's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
From an aesthetic perspective, Charlotte's Web is a very nice looking movie and you can see where the film's $85 million budget went in creating the detailed and lively animal characters who are only just barely shy of the mark hit by either of George Miller's Babe films. Despite now inhabiting a live-action space the illusion that the animals are talking is well constructed and the models are well rendered and integrated into the live-action scenery including Charlotte herself who despite bearing a more realistic appearance still looks expressive and approachable. This incarnation much like the 1973 film is a mostly faithful take on the material and per the wishes of Mr. White (whose estate had no involvement with this movie) the movie is no longer a musical and instead is firmly focused on the story. Tonally speaking the movie is more consistent than the 1973 film, but where the 1973 film stuck with the grounded realistic approach that was interrupted by the Sherman Brothers songs and the fantastical interpretation of the fair, Charlotte's Web is more fantastical throughout feeling not unlike the small town takes seen in Big Fish or Edward Scissorhands. Had White seen this film I suspect he probably would have had similar issues to the 1973 film even if slightly different. Despite deviating from the tonal approach of the source material, the movie mostly hits the mark when it comes to its characterization. Dominic Scott Kay is likable as Wilbur, Julia Roberts is sweet as Charlotte (even if she's missing some of Debbie Reynolds' edge she brought to her interpretation of the character), and Steve Buscemi is excellent in Templeton the rat and a worthy comparison to Paul Lynde's take on the character. Some characters feel extraneous (Robert Redford's Ike the Horse for instance doesn't really contribute anything) and rather strangely Henry Fussy's character has been greatly reduced as has the arc of Wilbur needing to deal with Fern growing up.
Much like the 1973 film, Charlotte's Web is a flawed adaptation of the original novel that doesn't quite capture the tone of White's writing even if it captures the content. The movie gives a different enough experience that I still say it's worth a viewing even if it doesn't fix the issues with adapting the material as much as trade them for new ones. Despite it's flaws, the movie is clearly made by people who understand and care for the story and it's got more heart than the previous year's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory re-adaptation.
Charlotte's Web is a 2006 live-action/animated adaptation of E. B. White's 1952 children's book of the same name previously adapted as an animated feature in 1973. While the original film only performed modestly upon its initial theatrical run (despite carrying decent critical praise), like many films Charlotte's Web found a second wind in both TV broadcasts and home video even becoming a best selling VHS tape in 1994. The film began development in 2004 under producer Jordan Kerner as a project for Nickelodeon Movies whose parent company Paramount had released the 1973 film. The adaptation comes to us courtesy of Susannah Grant and Karey Kirkpatrick with the two of them having been responsible for writing credits on everything from James and the Giant Peach and Chicken Run to Erin Brockovich. While I'm usually skeptical of remakes of classics, a re-adaptation of Charlotte's Web wasn't a bad idea as there was room for improvement from the first film as White rather famously didn't like the 1973 film despite having had a hand in its development. The film being what it is and made when it was, I don't think it would've been likely for the film to be more tonally faithful to the source novel as it wouldn't have been as marketable but while the film is more or less on par with the 1973 film, it does just enough different as a comparison piece and isn't a hollow remake like 2005's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
From an aesthetic perspective, Charlotte's Web is a very nice looking movie and you can see where the film's $85 million budget went in creating the detailed and lively animal characters who are only just barely shy of the mark hit by either of George Miller's Babe films. Despite now inhabiting a live-action space the illusion that the animals are talking is well constructed and the models are well rendered and integrated into the live-action scenery including Charlotte herself who despite bearing a more realistic appearance still looks expressive and approachable. This incarnation much like the 1973 film is a mostly faithful take on the material and per the wishes of Mr. White (whose estate had no involvement with this movie) the movie is no longer a musical and instead is firmly focused on the story. Tonally speaking the movie is more consistent than the 1973 film, but where the 1973 film stuck with the grounded realistic approach that was interrupted by the Sherman Brothers songs and the fantastical interpretation of the fair, Charlotte's Web is more fantastical throughout feeling not unlike the small town takes seen in Big Fish or Edward Scissorhands. Had White seen this film I suspect he probably would have had similar issues to the 1973 film even if slightly different. Despite deviating from the tonal approach of the source material, the movie mostly hits the mark when it comes to its characterization. Dominic Scott Kay is likable as Wilbur, Julia Roberts is sweet as Charlotte (even if she's missing some of Debbie Reynolds' edge she brought to her interpretation of the character), and Steve Buscemi is excellent in Templeton the rat and a worthy comparison to Paul Lynde's take on the character. Some characters feel extraneous (Robert Redford's Ike the Horse for instance doesn't really contribute anything) and rather strangely Henry Fussy's character has been greatly reduced as has the arc of Wilbur needing to deal with Fern growing up.
Much like the 1973 film, Charlotte's Web is a flawed adaptation of the original novel that doesn't quite capture the tone of White's writing even if it captures the content. The movie gives a different enough experience that I still say it's worth a viewing even if it doesn't fix the issues with adapting the material as much as trade them for new ones. Despite it's flaws, the movie is clearly made by people who understand and care for the story and it's got more heart than the previous year's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory re-adaptation.