| Charlotte's Web (Widescreen Edition) | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 97 reviews)
Sales Rank: 3080
Category: DVD
Actors: Julia Roberts, Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Oprah Winfrey, Cedric The Entertainer
Director: Gary Winick
Publisher: Paramount
Studio: Paramount
Brand: PARAMOUNT PICTURES
Label: Paramount
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: G (General Audience)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 96 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 342754
UPC: 097363427544
EAN: 0097363427544
ASIN: B000NA6CPE
Release Date: April 3, 2007
Theatrical Release Date: December 15, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The classic story of loyalty trust and sacrifice comes to life in this live-action adaptation. Fern (Dakota Fanning) is one of only two living beings who sees that Wilbur is a special animal as she raises him the runt of the litter into a terrific and radiant pig. As Wilbur moves into a new barn he begins a second profound friendship with the most unlikely of creatures a spider named Charlotte and their bond inspires the animals around them to come together as a family. When the word gets out that Wilbur's days are numbered it seems that only a miracle will save his life. A determined Charlotte who sees miracles in the ordinary spins words into her web in an effort to convince the farmer that Wilbur is "some pig" and worth saving.System Requirements:Run Time: 96 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre:CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating:G UPC:097363427544 Manufacturer No:342754
Amazon.com
E.B. White's classic tale gets a Babe-like makeover in Charlotte's Web, a delightful and well-made film that is sure to become a family classic. Directed by Gary Winick (13 Going on 30), the new version eschews the musical numbers of the 1973 cartoon and mixes CGI with live-action animals. Dakota Fanning brings the right amount of chutzpah to Fern, the young farm girl who rescues a runt, Wilbur, from death and visits him every day at her Uncle Homer's farm. But it's Wilbur's friendship with Charlotte the spider (voiced by Julia Roberts) that ultimately saves him from the "smoke house" (a kid-friendly alternative term to the slaughterhouse), for Charlotte's talent for weaving praiseworthy words about Wilbur into her web turns the Zuckerman farm into a tourist attraction. The more tragic elements of the book are handled sensitively by Winick, working from a script by Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich), and Roberts' soothing, maternal voice (who knew it would work so well?) makes it all go down easy. It turns out to be just one of many perfect celebrity voice-casting choices, for the farm animals, voiced by an all-star cast including Oprah Winfrey (the goose), Robert Redford (the horse), Steve Buscemi (Templeton the rat), and John Cleese (the sheep), lend plenty of sharp humor. But it's two corn-hungry crows, voiced by Thomas Haden Church (Sideways) and OutKast's Andre "3000" Benjamin who steal the show. (Ages 4 and older) -- Ellen A. Kim Beyond Charlotte?s Web 
Other Children's Book Adaptations on DVD | 
Charlotte?s Web by E. B. White | 
The Original 1973 Charlotte?s Web Cartoon | Stills from Charlotte?s Web (click for larger image)
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| Customer Reviews: Read 92 more reviews...
 "Some movie"..... September 30, 2008
The story of Charlotte's Web embodies many of the highest virtues all people, and evidently all animals, aspire to: honesty, loyalty, commitment and humilty to name a few. Perhaps because of this, an assemblage of great talent gathered to make this film. The voice talent includes Julia Roberts, Steve Buscemi, Robert Redford, and Oprah Winfrey. The human cast includes Dakota Fanning, Beau Bridges, and narrator Sam Shepherd. Add to that the animation and special effects teams that created a seamless blend of live action and animation. It deviates in some ways from the book, so if you grew up with it, be prepared for that, and for a bit of barnyard humor. The book is also a wonderful gift for a child. If Charlotte had searched for the right word to describe this film, it just might have been "exquisite". This is a film every child in the universe should see.
 It's like `Babe', just not as good... September 29, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I made a bold claim a few weeks back when I reviewed the supremely adorable `Babe' and said that it was better than `Charlottes Web'. Now that I finally got around to watching `Charlottes Web' yet again I have to say that I stand by that claim. This film is really cute (not please that my statement was not in regards to the hugely successful and priceless children's book, but made towards the film adaptation) but it can't hold up to `Babe's wonderful ability to engage from start to finish without hesitation.
This adaptation gives the beloved children's story a live-action makeover and enlists some very big names to sell the large cast of characters. Everyone from Dakota Fanning to Oprah Winfrey make an appearance in this film, and for the most part they all do their fair share of wonderful to make this a memorable and enjoyable experience. It misses some of the childlike splendor that was so prevalent in `Babe' by casting Fanning as Fern, but I'll get to that in a minute.
We all know the story, so let's just get right into the films pros and cons.
Pros would have to be the extensive cast of voice actors who all really breathe life into their characters. Steve Buscemi is perfect as Templeton, and John Cleese is instantly vibrant and engrossing as Samuel the Sheep. Kathy Bates and Reba McEntire, while not instantly recognizable, ham it up as Bitsy and Betsy, and Robert Redford is wonderfully cast as Ike, the Horse suffering from arachnophobia. Thomas Haden Church and Andre 3000 steal the show as the Crows Brooks and Elwyn, even if they are barely in the film. I wasn't too impressed with Cedric or Oprah (I had no idea that was her) but I think that has more to do with the fact that the geese looked really fake to me. Dominic Scott Kay is perfect as Wilber, but no one can top the magnificence that was Julia Roberts as Charlotte. Seriously, she was perfect, and if they gave away awards for voice acting then she deserves them all, for it was her warm a maternal tone that really made the film so soft and cuddly.
The story itself is also a major plus, for it is so sweet and genuine and morally reflective of everything that we try and instill in our own children. The film is also undeniable beautiful to watch, each and every scene as pretty as the books colorful pages.
The cons to me really come in two forms. The first is Fanning. I love her, honestly, and have campaigned against all who have bashed her in the past for being too mature for her age. She really has managed to bring in such strength and honesty to her performances in films like `I Am Sam' and `Man on Fire' that her maturity as an actress is really needed and welcome. She also has been able to reel that back and deliver a supremely childlike performance in `War of the Worlds' that I was baffled with all the criticism she was receiving as a young actress. I must say though, that here she is far too mature for her character. When she tries to pull off her youth it comes off forced and out of place. She couldn't find the balance that she found in `War of the Worlds' to make this remotely believable. The first scene alone, with her father and Wilber, was painful to watch.
My second con here is in the form of Wilber himself. I just didn't get it. I mean, everyone else was so lovable and funny and exciting and witty and Wilber was just kind of boring. Here Charlotte is writing all these wonderful things about him and I found myself wondering why he really deserved it. He was sweet, sure, but no where near `terrific' or even `some pig'.
Sarah McLachlan sings over the closing credits about an `ordinary miracle' (such a pretty voice for such a pretty song) but in my opinion the film could have used a little less ordinary and little more extraordinary.
That said, the film is still cute and charming and is sure to keep children satisfied, and there is enough humor to keep us parents interested as well. It's a win-win kind of film, but if your kids are determined to watch a movie about a pig, I'd be more inclined to put on `Babe'.
Fairly Faithful Adaptation of the Classic September 22, 2008
Oh, this film! The good parts: it looks picture perfect, whole passages are taken from the book, Dakota Fanning is a perfect Fern, the CGI work is astounding, and the actors pretty much look like what I imagined the characters to be. But oh, my, did we really need farting jokes? MUST every modern kids' movie have jokes about flatulence and urination? Sometimes I get the impression kids' movie scripts are written by fifth-grade boys. Also, little things bothered me, like the fainting horse. Wilbur's the only one who faints in the books; why pull the attention away from him? The "henpecked" goose was also old hat.
My big gripe with the film are the two crows trying to catch Templeton and the reason I have only given it four stars. I can't believe any modern movie would put such ugly stereotypical characters onscreen. Are these crows not just as offensive to people of color as Amos'n'Andy and Stepin Fetchit? Very distasteful. If the crows were gone I could put up with the other things, but I find they make this film unwatchable during their scenes.
Erin August 9, 2008
This is a great movie for Family's or Children.The kids will like it.Why wouldn't they after all this is a talking pig.
Thanks Erin
Ah the memories. June 30, 2008
Charlotte's Web starring Dakota Fanning is a sweet adapation of the classic E.B. White's children book of the same name. Some of the scenes are a bit slow but otherwise than that, this family film is pretty enjoyable. Fanning always gives a touching performance but who really steals the show is Templeton voiced brilliantly by Steve Buscemi. I highly recommend this feel-good movie even though the ending is so sad, poor Charlotte! Enjoy.
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