In the 2000s, a live-action adaptation of the children's book by E. B. White (before adapted into a cult, but outdated animation in the 1980s) made sense for two specific reasons: First, to take advantage of the mix between the captivating and uplifting story and the remarkable visual effects that gave expression to the animals (a formula that led to "Babe" to become a public and critical phenomenon in the previous decade); and in the second, to put on stage the most assiduous child star of Hollywood in that period, Dakota Fanning - today, perhaps the public even better recognizes her younger sister, the beautiful Elle Fanning.
A story of loyalty, trust and renunciation comes to life in this film, an adaptation of the children's classic. Fern (Dakota Fanning) is one of the few humans able to realize that Wilbur is a special animal as she sees him transform into an incredibly radiant pig. When Wilbur moves into a new barn, another deep friendship is born, this time with Charlotte the spider, and their bond inspires the others to live together as a family. But when danger strikes, only a miracle can save Wilbur's life. Charlotte thus dedicates herself to constructing a web on which she writes specific words ("A Quite a Pig", "Brilliant", "Humble", and so on) to define Wilbur. Such an event is received with astonishment by the population, but as with all news, its effect passes with the memory, and Charlotte needs to come up with a new plan so that humans value Wilbur enough to not consider him for slaughter.
Launched in 1952, the original work is an indisputable literary success translated into more than twenty countries and with record sales rates that do not stop growing as the book constantly returns to the market to capture new generations. The parents themselves encourage their offspring to get to know this predictable and cloned story in the most diverse ways possible, however, charming and exciting. The aforementioned cartoon was even re-released at the time of the debut of the live-action feature, but only as an option for curious and nostalgic people, not being a success. And will the film itself stand the test of time? Unfortunately, there is already evidence that it is not.
Some elements that are very similar to this story have already appeared in cinema before, in the two films of Babe, the clumsy little pig (you know how it is... talking pig, trying to escape from the slaughterhouse with the help of his friends on the farm...). But George Miller's adaptations, while equally captivating, have less emotional overtones. Hence the chance to tell, without seeming like a repetition of the theme, the friendly adventure of the piglet Wilbur, who was born too small, would be sacrificed, but found in the love of little Fern a second chance to see the world. The late director Gary Winick, the same one who captivated children and adults alike with the comedy "13 Going on 30", chose to make this new version with real actors and animals trained and then dubbed, so the result is very similar or depending on the point of view identical to the pleasant "Babe", which certainly hindered the film's career.
With a farm as the main backdrop, cute and talking animals and a friendly and endearing piglet at risk of becoming a roast, escaping the stigma of copying is complicated, although the very fable that caused a stir in the mid-90s and won an Oscar for effects specials was inspired by White's book. However, the weight of the title and the well-known story circumvent the situation by leaning, as already mentioned, on the nostalgia of those who are adults today and were moved by Wilbur's story in an animated version when they were little. Now it's your children's turn to be enchanted by this tale that crosses generations passing on edifying lessons of friendship and respect for others. However, this new film adaptation should have adopted the original title of the book, "Charlotte's Web", since it is the spider that is mainly responsible for saving the little pig from being served at Christmas dinner. Small and discredited, she manages to help her friend by weaving some touching words about him, the encouragement that not only did he need to fight for his life, but a need shared by all the barn dwellers, even the Templeton mouse who apparently appears in the corner. Story as a villain.
Such expressions end up extrapolating the fences of the farm and also conquer the residents of the region who start to root for Wilbur to escape the slaughter.
Actress Julia Roberts lent her voice in the original dubbing to the spider Charlotte, responsible for positively transforming the lives of all the animals on the farm and who was portrayed as close as possible to the arachnid species. The grotesque features were respected and helped encode the message that appearances can be deceiving, so we came to see it through Wilbur's kind eyes. Well, this identification is possible, however, it cannot be denied that it is difficult to establish. Despite all efforts in terms of visual elements, Winick is unable to fully transport the viewer into the universe of the film, with the exception of very young children who will certainly be attracted by the images and have no idea of the content developed. The plot lasts longer than the average for productions aimed at children, but the slow pace seems to double that time, an intensified sensation for those who get involved with cliché plots. It seems that with each new scene you already foresee what will happen, being possible to predict even the content of the dialogues.
The film also fails to have well-conducted scenes. Gary Winick's direction leaves a lot to be desired. That scene was missing in which the audience felt at least a little tension at certain times, as they feared at some point for Wilbur's fate. Once again comparing the film to "Babe" (since it compares itself in its disclosure) we see in the film a scene in which the little pig leads the goats and everything is in total silence; the audience of the film and those who watch it remain in that state of pallor: "what is that?!" Until the end comes true and everyone explodes in joy. "Charlotte's Web" went a long way from having at least something a little similar.
Dakota Fanning must have enjoyed reading the book too much to agree to work on this film. Furthermore, those responsible seem to have spent a lot of money on an actress who is, shall we say, top of the line. The girl is barely highlighted in the film and, while the pig, the mouse and the spider are solving the nuances of the plot, the girl goes after her love interest, which the script tries to emphasize as the change from child to teenager, as well as how the seasons pass along the plot. In this sense, "Charlotte's Web" is incredibly superficial. The soundtrack is good, composed by the master Danny Elfman ("Batman"), but the weak film does not help.
The big flaw is that the interaction between the pet and the girl in the title has practically no effect. Fanning has her importance in the story, but her participation is small, leaving the feeling that her name was used only for commercial purposes, to attract the public. Any girl with a sweet face and a minimum of ease and friendliness could play Fern who, after the initial minutes, is only requested again with more force in the final stretch when her family decides to prolong the piglet's life by finding a new way to profit from him without having to sacrifice it. The feature also fails to have any climax moment, that sequence of tension that makes us root for the protagonist, even knowing that his happy ending is guaranteed. The vibration that is lacking in the narrative is obviously given in the soundtrack that will sound resounding in the conclusion to try to get some shiver of emotion from those who watch.
Highly recommendable for young children, "Charlotte's Web" may not please the older ones, who may consider it a silly work. So, what are parents going to say today, who are as connected to adrenaline and sarcastic jokes as their children are? Either way, the classic story reworked by Susannah Grant and Karey Kirkpatrick is worth giving a vote of confidence. With experience in the children's universe (they collaborated on the screenplay for "Chicken Run" and "Over the Hedge" respectively), the duo tried to be so faithful to the innocence of the original plot that the farm where Wilbur lives seems like a little piece of paradise protected by a glass dome. In the midst of so many productions filled with screaming special effects and hustle and bustle that don't take the viewer anywhere, seeing a children's work with an air of bucolic and raising moral values is a very welcome respite.
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