Charlotte's Web (2006)

Charlotte's Web is a 2006 American comedy-drama film based on the children's book of the same name by E. B. White in the year 1952. Directed by Gary Winick and written by Susannah Grant and Karey Kirkpatrick, this is the second film adaptation of E. B. White's book following Paramount's 1973 animated version produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. This film featuring the voices of Dakota Fanning, Kevin Anderson, and Beau Bridges, with voices provided by Dominic Scott Kay, Julia Roberts, Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Oprah Winfrey, Cedric the Entertainer, Kathy Bates, Reba McEntire, and Robert Redford.
Produced by Walden Media, Jordan Kerner's The K Entertainment Company and Nickelodeon Movies, the film premiered in Australia on December 7, 2006 and was released theatrically by Paramount Pictures on December 15, 2006 in the United States. This film was both the critical and commercial success, having grossed $144.9 million worldwide, and grossing another $95.2 million in US DVD sales, against an $85 million budget.
== Plot ==
During the springtime on a farm in Somerset County, Maine, young Fern Arable wakes up during the storm and discovers her father Mr. Arable about to kill the runt of the litter of newborn pigs. She successfully begs her father to spare the piglet's life. Fern names him Wilbur and nurtures him lovingly. She ends up taking Wilbur, to school, this causes Fern to get in trouble and her mother states firmly that Wilbur is a pig and cannot go with Fern everywhere. For the next few days, Fern took care of Wilbur, even though her parents grow concern about her.
When Wilbur has matured, Fern's father tells her they have to sell Wilbur as several of their other animals were also sold to make room for the harvesting equipment they need. While not wanting to go back on her promise to Wilbur, Fern's mother suggests they take Wilbur to her uncle Homer Zuckerman's barnyard, who would be more than glad to take on the little pig and is nearby. Fern promises Wilbur to visit him whenever she can, however after she leaves, Wilbur goes after her, but after hearing Zuckerman's call and seeing the old barn Wilbur goes back. While shy at first, Wilbur adjusts to his new home. Meanwhile, Mrs. Arable feels slightly concerned for Fern's behavior as well as her constantly going to her Uncle's farm and one night, prevails upon Fern to stay home, do her homework and go straight to bed. During this time, Wilbur feels abandoned and is left yearning for companionship, but is snubbed by the other animals - the comedic, mischievous, rebellious, misunderstood, and "potentially dangerous" rat named Templeton, the serious and steadfast sheep named Samuel, the fun-loving and kindly goose couple named Golly and Gussy, two beautiful and laid-back cow sisters named Betsy and Bitsy, and the cowardly and humorous horse named Ike - until he is befriended by Charlotte A. Cavatica, a barn spider who lives in the space above Wilbur's sty in the Zuckermans' barn. 
When the other animals reveal to Wilbur that he will be prepared for dinner by Christmas, Charlotte promises to hatch the plan guaranteed to save Wilbur's life. With the help of Templeton, Charlotte convinces the Zuckerman family that Wilbur is actually quite special by spelling out descriptions of him in the web such as "Some pig", "Terrific", "Radiant" and "Humble".
The next day, the Arables, Zuckermans, Wilbur, Charlotte and Templeton go to the fair where Wilbur is entered in a contest, while Wilbur doesn't win first prize, he does receive the special award for the description. While there, Charlotte produces an egg sac containing her unborn offspring while Wilbur is later celebrated by the fair's staff and visitors, making him too prestigious to justify killing him. Exhausted from laying eggs, Charlotte explains that she cannot return home as she is dying because of her short life. Wilbur is shocked and saddened, she wishes to help Charlotte but she assures him that by becoming her friend he showed the other animals how beautiful a spider is. She also reveals that her webs were no miracle but merely a description what she truly saw. Wilbur decides to bring the egg sac back with the help of Templeton, after promising to let rat get dibs on his food from now on. After getting the egg sac, he bids an emotional farewell to her as she remains at the fair and dies shortly after his departure. After returning home, Wilbur and the other animals hold a mourning for her. As the seasons go by, the other animals help watch the egg sac, even Templeton.
Wilbur then lives to witness his first Christmas and snowfall and by the next spring, hundreds of Charlotte's offspring emerge most of the young spiders soon leave, but three named Joy, Aranea and Nellie stay becoming Wilbur's friends and joining the family.
== Cast ==
* Dakota Fanning as Fern Arable
* Kevin Anderson as Mr. Arable
* Beau Bridges as Dr. Dorian
* Louis Corbett as Avery Arable
* Essie Davis as Mrs. Arable
* Siobhan Fallon Hogan as Edith Zuckerman
* Gary Basaraba as Homer L. Zuckerman
* Nate Mooney as Lurvy, the Zuckermans' farmhand
* Julian O'Donnell as Henry Fussy
=== Voices ===
* Dominic Scott Kay as Wilbur the Spring Pig
* Julia Roberts as Charlotte A. Cavatica the Barn Spider
* Steve Buscemi as Templeton the Rat
* John Cleese as Samuel the Sheep
* Oprah Winfrey as Gussy the Goose
* Cedric the Entertainer as Golly the Gander
* Kathy Bates as Bitsy the Cow
* Reba McEntire as Betsy the Cow
* Robert Redford as Ike the Horse
* Thomas Haden Church as Brooks the Crow
* André Benjamin as Elwyn the Crow
* Abraham Benrubi as Uncle the Pig
* Briana Hodge as Nellie, one of Charlotte's daughters
* Maia Kirkpatrick as Joy, one of Charlotte's daughters
* Jennessa Rose as Aranea, one of Charlotte's daughters
* Sam Shepard as the Narrator
== Production ==
Charlotte's Web was produced without any involvement from E. B. White's estate. It was the first film based on a book by E. B. White since 2001's The Trumpet of the Swan.
Major shooting was completed in May 2005. It was filmed on location in Ballan, Victoria and suburbs in Melbourne, Australia. The fair scene in the story was filmed in Heidelberg in Melbourne, Australia at Heidelberg West Football Club's football ground. The school scenes were filmed at Spotswood Primary School.
The talking-animal visual effects were done by various visual effect studios such as Rising Sun Pictures, Fuel International, Proof, Rhythm and Hues Studios (which also animated 1999's Stuart Little, another film based on an E. B. White book, as well as its 2002 sequel Stuart Little 2), Digital Pictures Iloura and Tippett Studio. The visual effects supervisor for the film was John Berton, who noted that a live-action version of Charlotte's Web has become much more practical in recent years due to advances in technology. Winick "was adamant" that Charlotte and Templeton (the film's two entirely computer-generated characters) should be realistic and not stylized, although they did give Charlotte almond-shaped eyes. John Dietz, visual effects supervisor for Rising Sun Pictures, notes that there was a debate over whether to give her a mouth and that in the end, they decided to have her chelicerae move in what he describes as being almost like a veil as if there were a mouth behind it.
The three geese which appeared in the movie were procured local to the Nillumbik Shire, Victoria from the Burford Family Farm in Hurstbridge. These were hand raised by the Burford Family, before being sold to the producers for the sum of $50AUD and euthanized in order to allow the movie's taxidermist to prepare the geese for filming. This arrangement led to controversy following the release of the film after one of the breeders was accused of deliberately conducting a "ram-raid" of the local ANZ.
== Reception ==
=== Box office ===
The film debuted in third place at the box office with only $11 million. Having spent 14 weeks in theaters, the film grossed $82 million domestically and $61 million overseas for a worldwide total of $144 million before closing on March 22, 2007.
=== Critical response ===
Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 78% "Certified Fresh" rating based on 148 reviews with an average rating of 7.0/10, and a 62% audience recommendation based on 250,000+ reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Kids will be entertained by the straightforward plot and cute animals, and adults will be charmed by how quiet and humble the production is, a fine translation of E.B. White's genteel prose." On Metacritic the film has a score of 68 out of 100 based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.
Michael Medved gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, calling it "irresistible" and "glowing with goodness". Medved also said that Dakota Fanning's performance was "delightfully spunky". Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly stated that the film was "a bit noisy" but praised the director for putting "the book, in all its glorious tall-tale reverence, right up on screen." He later went on to say that "What hooks you from the start is Dakota Fanning's unfussy passion as Fern." Conversely, Colm Andrew of the Manx Independent gave the film a score of 6/10, saying that the main problem was "the ultra-cute characterisation of Wilbur, resulting in half the audience rooting for his demise" although overall it was "a competent retelling of a classic story that won't offend".
The film won the 2006 Critics' Choice Award for Best Live-Action Family Film, and Fanning won the Blimp Award for Favorite Movie Actress at the 2007 Kids' Choice Awards.
== Citation ==
Category:Films based on children's books
Category:Family
Category:Fantasy
Category:Musical
Category:English-language films
Category:American films
Category:Films without opening credits
Category:Films with vocal and instrumental credit music
Category:Blockbusters
Category:Charlotte's Web
Category:Films about pigs
Category:Films about spiders
Category:Fictional mice and rats
Category:Farm animals
Category:Paramount Pictures films
Category:Walden Media films
Category:Nickelodeon Movies films
Category:The Kerner Entertainment Company films
Category:Films starring John Cleese
Category:Films starring Steve Buscemi
Category:Films about talking animals
Category:Films starring Julia Roberts
Category:Films starring Cedric the Entertainer
Category:Films starring Fred Tatasciore
Category:Films starring Dakota Fanning