Published: December 18, 2006 09:13 am      

‘Charlotte's Web’ weaves its way into area theaters

ADA — Finally! A family movie that will appeal to all members!

After reading the book and watching the animated movie as a child, I was naturally curious to see how the live action version of “Charlotte’s Web” would turn out. And it met all expectations I had.

For those unfamiliar with the farm tale, E.B. White’s “Charlotte’s Web” showcases the friendship built among a pig, a spider named Charlotte and a young girl named Fern.

As Fern (Dakota Fanning) discovers that her dad is about to do away with the runt of the group one evening, she steps in and demands he give the little pig a second thought. Bold and just a little headstrong, Fern manages to convince her father to let her keep him, which leads to special treatment for the pig, i.e. sleeping in her bed with her, being pushed around in a pram and earning the name Wilbur.

But naturally all things grow up, and Fern’s father decides that Wilbur is just too much to take care of, so they decide to send him to her uncle’s barn across the street.

This is where Wilbur is exposed to a variety of barnyard animals, which include two geese (Voiced by Oprah Winfrey and Cedric the Entertainer), two cows (Reba McEntire and Kathy Bates) and a few others. After receiving a rather cold reception from the animals, Wilbur finds a friend in Charlotte (Julia Roberts), a motherly spider with a soothing voice and excellent vocabulary.

The barn members soon warm up to Wilbur, but let him in on the frightening truth that most “spring pigs” never make it to winter, and instead make a trip to the smoke house. Terrified, Wilbur panics but Charlotte comes to the rescue and devises a plan which puts a positive spotlight on the little piggy, which just may save him from a tasty fate.

Dominic Scott Kay portrays the voice of Wilbur with a natural innocence that never seems forced or over the top, like so many kids movies these days. And while Fanning plays a pivotal role as Fern, her character slowly fades to the background towards the end, just like the book.

The real treat in this movie is all of the stars who contributed their voices to the animals. From Julia Roberts to John Cleese to Robert Redford, a better cast couldn’t have been provided. But I must admit that the director couldn’t have picked a better Templeton for this film, voiced by Steve Buscemi. He even looks like the computer generated rodent and steals many scenes in the movie.

Fans of the book and animated movie will not be disappointed with this version. It’s good to see that director Gary Winick didn’t try to modernize or dumb down “Charlotte’s Web” for a younger audience, an audience which may come to love a story that people have loved for decades.

“Charlotte’s Web” is rated G. Runtime is 97 minutes