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Movies / On DVD / Charlotte's Web
Charlotte's Web

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Charlotte's Web (2006)

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Reviews Counted:139

Fresh:108

Rotten:31

Average Rating:6.9/10

Consensus: 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.

Rated: U

Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins

Genre: Education/General Interest

Theatrical Release:09-02-2007

Synopsis: Gary Winick (THIRTEEN GOING ON 30) had a lot to live up to in remaking a beloved children's movie, itself based on the classic novel by E. B. White, but this 2006 live-action version more than... Gary Winick (THIRTEEN GOING ON 30) had a lot to live up to in remaking a beloved children's movie, itself based on the classic novel by E. B. White, but this 2006 live-action version more than fulfills its promise. With droll '50s-inspired art direction, low-key and earnest performances, and the cutest ensemble cast of farm animals since BABE, Winick maintains the deeply moral (though not moralistic) themes of the original novel and also injects some mild humor and scenes of peril and adventure. Child actor Dakota Fanning gives an impressively mature performance as the loyal and spunky farm girl Fern who rescues the pig Wilbur--the runt of his litter--from her father's axe. But as Wilbur grows up and faces his likely fate of becoming Christmas dinner, another friend steps in to save the day--the spider Charlotte (voiced by Julia Roberts), who spins fancy, slogan-filled webs above Wilbur's pen to convince his guardians that he is indeed a special pig and worth saving. The resulting hubbub saves his hide and reveals the importance of friendship and loyalty. Additionally, in scene after poignant scene, Wilbur learns about the nature of miracles, the seasons of life and death, and the inherent worth of even the runtiest of us. [More]

Starring: Dakota Fanning, Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Buscemi

Starring: Dakota Fanning, Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Buscemi, Kathy Bates, John Cleese, Thomas Haden Church, Cedric the Entertainer, Robert Redford, Jane Sibbett, Jennifer Garner, Reba McEntire, André Benjamin, Gary Basaraba, Siobhan Fallon

Director: Gary Winick

Director: Gary Winick
Screenwriter: Susannah Grant, Karey Kirkpatrick
Story: Earl Hamner
Producer: Jordan Kerner
Composer: Danny Elfman
Studio: Paramount Pictures

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Charlotte's Web

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Hides a big heart beneath a small piglet.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
05/12/08
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

In this live action movie, with talking animals and a good deal of clever computer-generated imagery, Julia Roberts does the talking for Charlotte and only confirmed arachnophobes such as myself will resist her charms.

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
02/18/07
Philip French
Philip French
Observer [UK]

If you can identify all the voices before the credits roll up, you are a better man than I.

Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
02/09/07
Derek Malcolm
Derek Malcolm
This is London

Hilarious and heart-warming, this is a real crowd-pleaser for all ages.

Full Review Source: Sun Online | comment Comment
02/09/07
Johnny Vaughan
Johnny Vaughan
Sun Online

Most of the problem is that everything feels very familiar, while the movie’s moralising tone grates very quickly.

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
02/09/07
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

Hardly the equal of Babe but the superior voice cast and Fanning’s unforced charm make for another film that’ll put you off pork forever.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
02/09/07
Emma Morgan
Emma Morgan
Total Film

This film does what all children's films should do: not just offer lots of entertaining things to look at, but teach children how to look at the world with curiosity, attentiveness and joy.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
02/09/07
Sukhdev Sandhu
Sukhdev Sandhu
Daily Telegraph
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's hard to go wrong with a cute liddle piggy.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
02/09/07
Andrew Pulver
Andrew Pulver
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Adult audiences tend to find [Dakota Fanning] rather shrill — witnessing [her] at full shriek is like being attacked by a colony of bats. For this reason, Charlotte’s Web is probably one for youngsters only.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
02/09/07
Wendy Ide
Wendy Ide
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

If they'd stopped yammering for just a few minutes, White's heartbreaking ending might have retained its poignancy. As it is, it's little more than a blessed relief.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
02/09/07
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Youngsters will warm to the barn’s talking animals and perhaps even shed a tear at the sight of a spider shuffling off the mortal coil. Arachnaphobes, though, are advised to approach with caution.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/08/07
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Never less than watchable, thanks to its superb cast, but kids will enjoy it more than adults will.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
02/08/07
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Cute and sweet, and if it lacks great wit or magic, at least it has the courage to remain faithful to the gentle sadness and ‘realism’ of the original material.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
02/07/07
Angie Errigo
Angie Errigo
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The writers and director get the balance right, never tipping over into either sentiment or preachiness.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
12/30/06
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/23/09
Alicia Potter
Alicia Potter
Boston Phoenix

This Charlotte's Web is a live-action remake, à la Babe. And while the live action distinguishes it from its cartoon predecessor of 1973, it makes it bear entirely too much resemblance to the Babe series.

Full Review Source: ReelzChannel.com | comment Comment
08/23/08
Heather Huntington
Heather Huntington
ReelzChannel.com

There's enough of White's original spirit that survives the Hollywoodization to keep the little girls happy.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
09/22/07
Jim Slotek
Jim Slotek
Jam! Movies

Steve Buscemi's invigorating vocal characterization of Templeton the rat is the only high point in this sleep-inducing live action-animated revamp of the 1973 animated classic based on E.B White's 1952 children's book.

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
02/19/07
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

Manages to snuff the spark that has made Charlotte's Web so beloved over the years.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
02/06/07
Katey Rich
Katey Rich
Film Journal International
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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