A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Charlotte's Web

Date Viewed: 12/24/06

Details:

Real people: Dakota Fanning

Voice talent: Julia Roberts (Charlotte the Spider)

Steve Buscemi (Templeton the Rat)

John Cleese (Samuel the Sheep)

Oprah Winfrey (Gussy the Goose)

Cedric the Entertainer (Golly the Goose)

Kathy Bates (Bitsy the Cow)

Reba McEntire (Betsy the Cow)

Robert Redford (Ike the Horse)

Dominic Scott Kay (Wilbur)

Sam Shepard (The Narrator)

Director: Gary Winick

Score: Danny Elfman

Score: 3/4

The Review: Taken from yet another "well-beloved children's book" that I've never read (by E. B. White), though at least this one has been around long enough that I've heard about it. Spring-born runty piglet Wilbur charms the farmer's daughter (Fanning), who rescues Wilbur from the fate typical of his breed, and sets him up in a neighboring farmyard to make friends with a cast of oddball barn residents, including a very intelligent spider named Charlotte. If this is your only "uplifting holiday-like spirit" movie this year, you could do worse.

Excellent voice cast -- both in the sense of casting a variety of stars, and the sense of well-done "animated" narrative -- and some very good SFX to render the critters' conversation with reasonable lip sync (such as it is, in that ducks are normally considered to have no lips; or is it chickens?). And Dakota Fanning can do no wrong.

The song backing the closing credits ("Another Ordinary Miracle" by Sarah MacLachlan) is attractive and a well-chosen closer. The score by Danny Elfman is also not too bad.

Although filmed in such diverse terrain as the back-country near Melbourne, Australia and Buck's County, PA, this is supposed to be down-east Maine. I guess one farm looks much like any other.

(24-Dec-06)

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