Charlotte's Web

***Charlotte's Web*** is a 2006 American family/adventure movie based on the 1952 novel of the same name by E. B. White. Directed by Gary Winick and written by Susannah Grant and Karey Kirkpatrick, it is the second film adaptation of White's book, and a live-action remake of the 1973 animated version produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. All the animals in this movie talk.

## Charlotte's Web

### Starring

Dakota FanningSteve BuscemiSam ShepardOprah WinfreyJulia Roberts

### Narrator

Sam Shepard

The film stars Dakota Fanning, Kevin Anderson, and Beau Bridges, with voices provided by Dominic Scott Kay, Julia Roberts, Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Oprah Winfrey, Thomas Haden Church, André 3000, Cedric the Entertainer, Kathy Bates, Reba McEntire, and Robert Redford. Danny Elfman composed the film's score.

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. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, yet was only modestly commercially successful. The movie grossed $83 million at the US box office and $61 million elsewhere for a worldwide total of $144 million against an $85 million budget, as well as grossing an additional $95.2 million in home media sales.

## Plot

During springtime on a farm in Somerset County, Maine, young Fern Arable discovers her father John about to kill a runt of a litter of newborn pigs. She successfully begs her father to spare the piglet's life; Fern names him Wilbur and nurtures him lovingly. The next morning, Fern sneaks Wilbur into her school desk and she lies to the teacher who forces her to open her desk and sends her to the office.

When Wilbur has matured, Fern is regretfully forced to take him to her uncle Homer Zuckerman's barnyard. Mrs. Arable feels slightly concerned for Fern's behavior 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 - a comedic, mischievous, rebellious, misunderstood, and "potentially dangerous" rat named Templeton; a serious and steadfast sheep named Samuel; a fun-loving and kindly goose couple named Gussy and Golly; two beautiful and laid-back cow sisters named Bitsy and Betsy; and a 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 a 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 her web such as "Some pig", "Terrific", "Radiant" and "Humble".

The next day, the Arables, Zuckermans, Wilbur, Charlotte and Templeton go to a fair where Wilbur is entered in a contest. While there, Charlotte produces an egg sac containing her unborn offspring while Wilbur, despite winning no prizes, is later celebrated by the fair's staff and visitors, making him too prestigious to justify killing him. Exhausted from laying eggs, Charlotte cannot return home because she is dying. Wilbur bids an emotional farewell to her as she remains at the fair and dies shortly after his departure, but he manages to take her egg sac home with the help of Templeton.

Wilbur then lives to witness his first Christmas 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 and become Wilbur's friends.

## Cast

* Dakota Fanning as Fern Arable
* Kevin Anderson as John Arable
* Beau Bridges as Dr. Dorian
* Louis Corbett as Avery Arable
* Essie Davis as Phyllis 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

### Voice cast

* Dominic Scott Kay as Wilbur the Spring Pig
* Julia Roberts as Charlotte A. Cavatica the 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 3000 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

## Release

### Home media

*Charlotte's Web* was released on DVD on April 3, 2007 in the United States and Canada and on May 28, 2007 in the United Kingdom. It was then released on Blu-ray on March 29, 2011 alongside *The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie*. Nearly 10 years later, the film was re-released on DVD on January 24, 2017.

## Video game

A video game based on the movie, developed by Backbone Entertainment and published by Sega, was released on December 12, 2006, for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and PC.

Another game based on the film was released in Europe for the PlayStation 2 by Blast Entertainment on April 5, 2007.