Charlotte's Web (1973) User Reviews

Gentle tale of life and friendship

[MartianOctocretr5 · 8/10 · 6 September 2006]

This is a truly wonderful children's movie. It tells the story of some barnyard animals who interact one summer, but gently, and on a level a child can understand, also analyzes some deep truths about life itself.

The story introduces us to a variety of animals (who possess the ability to talk when humans are absent) with unique personalities. One is a frightened pig named Wilbur (voiced by Henry Gibson) who learns his days are numbered in a pig's cruel fate. Another is the scheming and selfish rat Templeton (Paul Lynde in a great comic relief role). Finally, there's Charlotte the spider (Debby Reynolds) who uses the only tool she has at her disposal to try to rescue her friend Wilbur. There are a variety of other amusing creatures in the barnyard, voiced humorously by wonderful actors who are fun to identify as the movie progresses.

Humans have an external role in the action. By that I mean they're on the outside looking in (although there are some subplots about the human characters). Many things that are done by the animals are for the humans' benefit. I love Pamela Ferdin's voice for Wilbur's owner, Fern. Human characters change, like the animals do, in parallel stories that emphasize the story's morals about life. Rex Allen's cool country voice, so familiar from Disney nature movies, is perfect for the narration.

Several of the songs are great, too. The haunting title song is as "lovely and lyrical" as the web it's describing. "Mother Earth and Father Time" beautifully describes the story's main theme. Templeton's mad feast of garbage while singing "At the Fair" is lots of fun.

This is "some terrific, radiant, humble" movie that presents the best of old school cartoon animation. A sweet story of friendship, love, loyalty, and other positive elements. It's being remade as a live action movie, and I'm not certain how that'll translate from animation; but this original version is recommended for fine family viewing.

Not as good as the book, but easy to like

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 21 September 2009]

The book by EB White is a marvellous timeless classic of a book, full of memorable characters and a sweet story. This 1973 animation is a very likable adaptation, and fairly faithful to the book. Of course there are problems- the animation occasionally isn't that great though there are some truly lovely moments, and one or two songs were out of place. Speaking of the songs though, a vast majority of them are lovely, definitely not the Shermann Brothers' best work but not their worst either. The characters are still appealing, Wilbur is adorable, and Fern is very appealing, but for me the scene stealer was Templeton, very funny he was at times. The voice work was fine too, Pamelyn Ferdin was lovely as Fern, and Debbie Reynolds is perfect as Charlotte, a really warm and loving spider that you can't help but love. My final verdict, is that although the book is better, this is still a likable, sweet and well meaning animated adaptation. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Screenplay adaptation remains true to the book

[jmank · 7/10 · 15 July 2002]

This animated version of the E.B. White children's classic is short on spectacular animation but long on heart and boasts a wonderful cast of voice talents. Earl Hamner, Jr., of "The Waltons" fame, creates a seamless plot which retains the true flavor of the book while cleverly rearranging the order of events and giving some of the better lines to different characters. The story of Wilbur, the runt pig saved by Fern Arable and later shipped to her Uncle Zuckerman's farm, only to discover that he's slated for the butcher's knife, is lively and fun. Charlotte, the wise and well-spoken spider played wonderfully by Debbie Reynolds, devises a scheme to save Wilbur's life. Henry Gibson is right on as the naive and nervous but generally happy Wilbur. Agnes Moorhead shines as the haughty and stuttering goose: "I'm no flibberty-ibbity gibbet!" Paul Lynde easily steals the show as Templeton, the smarmy barn rat; his late-night gorge-fest at the fair is a hilarious highlight of the movie. The songs written for the movie are a bit on the syrupy side, but Debbie Reynolds' sweet singing voice and some clever, funny lyrics make them bearable to adults.

It's not that bad...

[swansong-2 · 6 November 1999]

So far, I've seen two completely different points of view in the comments for this movie. One was so-so, the other thought it was completely awful. Well, I would like to add a third: I thought it was charming.

"Charlotte's Web" is my absolutely favourite story, and one of the most treasured books in my personal library. This movie, while far from perfect, does stay very true to the original story (which, in case Negative Nellie may have missed, Disney does NOT do -- even though I love Disney, too).

It's true the animation isn't the best, but you have to realize that "Charlotte's Web" was made in 1973, WAAAAAY before the computer-animated wonders of the '80's and '90's. The animation in the '70's was still stuck in the Saturday-morning-cartoon format, where, instead of animating every single cel, the animators would animate every third or fifth cel. It saved time, money, and you still got animation -- just not very sophisticated animation. Disney and Max Fleischer were really the only ones that were trying to push animation beyond the extremely confined limits it was once stuck in. So you can't really fault the movie for that, it was a common fault 20 years ago to get stuck in a rut. (It's still happening today, or hasn't anyone watched "Godzilla", "Armageddon", or "Starship Troopers"? Just because the animation is more advanced doesn't mean that it isn't becoming redundant).

Other than the animation, "Charlotte's Web", taken from a purely entertainment level, is really not that bad. I still enjoy watching this movie, and the voice actors actually closely match the voices I've made in my head for the characters in the book over the years. Especially Templeton. His scene when he comes back from his night of gorging at the fair cracks me up. "In case you haven't noticed, there are over 8,000 eggs in that tiny little sac." "This HAS been a night!" HA!

The songs seem a little out of place at times, but on the whole, I still find this movie very enjoyable. It's not deep, it's not profound, it's a piece of mindless fluff, with some very nice performances from the voice actors and a lot of very cute moments. It's children's fare, folks, so just take it as such, and it's a lot easier to take. I liked it. So there.

It's not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer, but Charlotte's Web was both. It was amazing.

[ironhorse_iv · 7/10 · 10 December 2016]

Salutations everybody! 'Charlotte's Web' is considered a classic masterpiece of children's literature, enjoyable to adults as well as children. Written by author E. B. White, the novel, first published in 1952, has gained widespread acclaim and fame to the point that it earned a Newbery Honor award, and has sold more than 45 million copies worldwide. I agree with the fans and the critics with all of the praise. The story about a gentle gray spider, pledging to save a young pig from death was a very powerful and emotional readt; so it's deserve everything, it got. However, it did have a few flaws, within the story structure. First off, I really didn't like, the author allowed the farmer's daughter, Fern Arable to semi understand, what the animals were saying to each other, as it was confusing. Can she hear them or not? If so, why can't everybody, else? The novel does bring the debate that this was all psychological, as she was romanticize and anthropomorphize the animals, as a way to combat the guilt of seeing, her family slaughter these creatures; however I found the idea, not really needed for the story. It took too much focus away from the relationship between Charlotte and Wilbur. It felt a bit distracting. Plus, it open a plot-hole so jarring that it was hard to close. Another is how people in this world, are more interested in the pig than the magic spider in this world? It didn't make sense. Honestly, if this was the real-life, both creature would be destroy, because of people believing it to be work of witchcraft. Despite those nitpicking, I thought, the 1973's animation movie is nearly a perfect adaptation of the source material, unlike the 2003's sequel with the same name. However, it does share the same flaws, as stated above earlier. Nevertheless, I do wish the movie could had kept the swinging rope metaphor and a few other things from the book. It felt a bit missing. The reason, why, is because I didn't think the narrator, Rex Allen does a good job. He was telling us, everything, we already knew, rather than showing us, anything new. Plus, I like how the pacing of narrative dialogue reflections the motion of the swing. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad movie, because it doesn't have that, but the pacing is a bit off, at places. Released to theaters by Paramount Pictures, the film instead, is connect by a series of songs written by the fame Sherman Brothers. While, most of the songs are great like 'There Must Be Something More', 'Chin Up', "A Veritable Smorgasbord' & 'Zuckerman's Famous Pig'. I do understand, why E.B White didn't like the music. It does felt a bit too 'Disneyfication', with the story being interrupted every few minutes, so that somebody can sing a jolly song. In my opinion, songs like 'I Can Talk' & 'We've Got Lots in Common' don't really needed to be there, as it doesn't add much to the story. Another thing wrong with this film is the animation. The animation by Hanna-Barbera Productions really does pales next to even the lesser Disney animation films at the time, both in coloring and detail. There were a lot of lazy reused recycle hand drawn cels shots, throughout this movie. A good example of this, is the goose's eggs hatching scene that they used twice. Then, there is the fact that some of the continuity, doesn't add up, like items disappearing and appear, between shots, and text coming out of nowhere. Then, there was the fact that some of the characters give dull robotic emotional, when they should been more life-like. A good example of this is when Fern Arable visit the farm, only to find out, that the animals do talk. She doesn't seem, one bit, surprise that, she can hear them. Another animation problem was the fact that the animators had problem, presenting size clearly. A good example of this, is Wilbur. He goes from a very small runt, to an overweight piglet, and back to a small creature in a span of a few minutes in some shots. Nevertheless, the animation wasn't the only problem. I saw a few minor setbacks to the voicing department. I really couldn't stand Henry Gibson as Wilbur. His voice was all wrong. He sounds too much of an annoying, whining, uber-dependent adult than a young kid. Also, I didn't like the fact that Wilbur's over anxiety cause Charlotte's death by overworking her, and not allowing her to eat. He felt a bit too disturbing in some of the sentimentality and over needy. In my opinion, I think, the 2006's live-action remake of the same name, got it right, with making it seem like Wilbur's voice is coming from a child who was more self-determine and willing to pitch in, more. Even if it's sounds too similar to the main voice acting from 1995's 'Babe'. Another character that didn't sound right was Fern voiced by Pamelyn Ferdin. She sounds like a commanding mom, rather than a kid. It was a bit off-putting. Despite that, most of the rest of the cast was perfect in their roles. Debbie Reynolds as Charlotte was radiant and versatile. While, Paul Lynde as Templeton was fun to listen too, even if his character is bit dirty, gluttonous, & selfish. Still, I didn't like how Charlotte trick Templeton into going near a cat simply because he did not feel like attending a meeting about Wilbur. That felt a bit extreme. Overall: Despite all its flaws, it's a movie well worth sharing with your family, because of its enduring messages about friendship and love. It's worth looking at the web for.

A decent film in need of a remake

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 12 July 2006]

This film was made by Hanna-Barbera--therefore by default, it has, at best, second-rate animation. And it also features a lot of pretty forgettable songs. Together, these two problems prevent this film from being anything more than average. And it's really a shame, as the story by E. B. White is wonderful and the movie is pretty faithful to the original. In addition, the voice characterizations are just fine. While my complaints will not ruin the film for kids, most adults will understand my observations.

From what I have read on IMDb, a new version of the film is in post-production now! Let's hope they stay faithful to the script and bring up a more adult-friendly version!

Good Adaptation of E.B.White Children's Story

[DKosty123 · 7/10 · 15 September 2017]

This is actually a very good adaption of this one for the kids. If your a parent with young ones, look for this one to entertain the family. It has a lot going for it.

Earl Hamner (The Walton's) does a good job getting across the story. Debbie Reynolds and Paul Lyndes voices are delightful in the main characters roles. Henry Gibson (Laugh-In) voice is effective too.

The story is about the spinning of a web to call attention to an important life story point. The emotions here reach children in a very special way. As for adults, if you remember the voices that is what your going to enjoy. It seems strange to think of how many of these voices have left us. This brings them back to life briefly for us to remember and the little children will enjoy this one.

I Loved This Film

[burbank_jones · 9/10 · 18 September 2006]

This, and maybe one other film, are the only films I've seen that made me cry...and I don't usually cry when watching films; I'm aware too much of how they are made. It's a wonderful translation of the story in the since that all the warmth is there. When fall comes along it FEELS like fall (same as in the animated version of Ray Bradbury's The Halloween Tree). Debbie Reynolds' voice is beautiful for Charlotte and fit the animated character's blue/gray smiling face. I'd dare say the story comes across better than some of Disney's most recent stuff (though I'd still have to bow down to Beauty and The Beast, one of my all-time faves). As far as animation goes, Charlotte's Web proves once again that it's all about story; the most beautiful animation in the world can't save a lousy story...no matter what. And I highly doubt that the new live action version coming out will be half as charming as this animated classic. I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong...but I doubt it.

A great classic

[GSmith9072 · 7/10 · 20 August 2006]

One of my favorite films growing up, after re-watching this film I realized just how deep the messages really are and how phenomenal the tale really is. Of course, the film had a strong effect on me when I was younger. What's to say that hasn't already been said? This is a great film for youngsters in terms of teaching them about life, mortality and friendship. That and of course the antics of Templeton the rat and the goose for comic relief, for me, makes an exceptional children's film. The fantasy and real life aspect blend together beautifully. We aren't tempted to dwell on anything that pops out as artificial or concocted.

The songs are actually very catchy, some of the lyrics are poetic and sweet. This is quite a rare children's film actually; one of the 'kiddie' films that doesn't depreciate the predators in the food chain while emphasizing respect and purpose for all beings. I found that very impressive for a light-hearted film like this. Despite the somewhat childish material, it has a more serious tone in terms of life then many other animated films. It's done in such a way without violence so the film is respectful and heartbreaking, but also cheerful. In other words, the sugar coatation is kept to minimum, but it's still a family film. Some viewers may be concerned with the character Wilbur and his unpleasant whiny attitude. Every character has its' flaws. I imagine that his character was done that way for a reason. Wilbur is a conflicted character. He of course is concerned about his fate and place in the farm food chain. I didn't give this movie a 10 because it isn't a perfect film, however the story is really special and the voice acting is excellent. The film is strong because the source material is so excellent.

Animated Movie Magic For All Ages!

[mdm-11 · 9/10 · 27 May 2005]

When Farmer Zuckerman was going to "do away with" the runt of his pig's litter, his daughter tearfully convinces him to allow her the responsibility of raising "Wilbur". Wilbur turns into the barnyard joy, and eventually wins not only first prize at the fair, but because of the wisdom of the old spider, Charlotte, becomes a famed attraction.

This classic children's story deals with the life cycle and explains, through the farm animals' eyes, that birth, life and eventual death are all natural, and nothing to fear. After a life of work, Charlotte dies, but all are reminded of her "magic" when her little baby spiders hatch and go on into the world to live their lives.

Debbie Reynold lends her voice to Charlotte, and several beautiful songs envelop this delightful story. This one is right up there with animated Disney Classics, a film every child should enjoy, one of the very best in its class.

Fun adaption of the classic book!

[Sherrill777 · 7/10 · 20 October 2017]

An adaption of the book of the same title, this animation musical has a lot to recommend it... and a few things to detract from its enjoyment. The songs are varied and catchy, the animation is acceptable - not exactly what I'd call beautiful, but not clunky and cheap either.

The characters are what make or break the story and while Wilber, our star pig, starts out as a bit whiny (not without due cause, however!), he grows up over the course of the movie. And growing up is probably the best way to describe the theme of this film. Several characters grow up in different ways, including minor/background characters. It is an excellent look at the passage of time and how it affects different creatures/people - hopefully for the better, but not always.

There are several silly, humorous moments and overall the story is a romp, but the serious points can hit hard. In my personal opinion, it's a fun movie, but not 10 stars - there are definite points where it feels like a musical number is simply filler to make the movie longer and a few places that make me scratch my head at a plot point. But overall, a kid would probably love this and there's really not much objectionable about it.

I'd rate this movie as acceptable for ages 6 and up, but there are a few scary themes - especially death - which may bring children to tears or prompt questions. The emotions in the end are probably bitter- sweet rather than purely upbeat, so I'd advice parental discretion.

Terrific!

[budmassey · 9/10 · 11 March 2001]

This film didn't completely capture the magic of the beloved E.B. White book I remembered from childhood, but it's head and shoulders above most of the animated fare of its time. The beautiful and poignant book suffers a little under the ham-handed treatment of Earl Hamner Jr. and the obligatory songs, fine as far as songs go, should mostly be gone.

All in all, this is a thoroughly enjoyable film, overflowing with the voices of some of the best talent of its time, some of the best animation Hanna Barbera ever did, and a story that never gets old.

An introduction to loss and death

[cricketbat · 6/10 · 9 April 2019]

I remember Charlotte's Web being a lot sadder. Or maybe it's more depressing when you watch it as a kid because it's an introduction to loss and death. The animation isn't polished and the musical numbers aren't that memorable, but this movie will always have a special place in my heart.

The worst animated move about a piglet!!!!

[stephenchase-63504 · 2/10 · 8 February 2021]

Wilbur deserved to die from a chopping off his head!! :(

great kids' movie; not obnoxious for adults

[smaugy · 29 June 2004]

I just rented this for my kids (ages 4 & 6) and had completely forgotten that adults can enjoy it, too. I'm quite weary of the obnoxious Disney-fication of most kids movies these days. (Spare me any more simpering princess stories.) The story of the clever spider who tries to save a pig from becoming breakfast meat is a familiar one and can be appreciated by many. The voice talent here is so superb that the movie doesn't make you rue the day they decided to animate the book. The songs aren't overly saccharine and are actually quite catchy. The movie is worth it alone for Templeton's trip to the fair and "a fair is a veritable smorgasbord-orgasbord-orgasbord" song. Debbie Reynolds' Charlotte is warm and wise, Wilber is naive and friendly, and Templeton provides the perfect foil as a spoiled rat who's just in it for himself. Agnes Moorehead as the goose became a sort of comedic extra to make the little ones laugh in the face of the rather adult plot about life and death. Overall, it's a movie for the whole family.

Simple but Endearing

[alicefan-98310 · 7/10 · 6 August 2019]

I found the movie to be slow paced and corny but I couldn't help adoring it for what it is. The animation is really impressive for a Hanna Barbara film. The songs are pretty good and the music used compliment the tone of the film. The characters are simple but sweet especially Wilbur and Charlotte. Definitely a movie for kids to love, as well as a movie for fans of the book or even anyone who wants to watch a movie for hearts and smiles.

Moving tale hard to damage...

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 18 May 2004]

Just-OK animated musical adapted from the beloved children's book by E.B. White. Barnyard pig is saved from slaughter by a quick-thinking spider. The kids of the piece no longer look rural as they did in the book's illustrations (they're pinkish-white, chubby-cheeked and city-fied) and the animals are thickly-drawn with big round eyes. Everyone looks well-fed, and really nothing is delicate or graceful except for the spider and her webs. The songs aren't too bad, but I did get tired of Henry Gibson's on-the-verge-of-tears line readings as Wilbur the Pig. Children should love it; I did when I was eight or nine--but today it looks a bit flat and inexpressive. Debbie Reynolds (talking for Charlotte) has a plaintive tear in her voice too, but she still gets to me. Get out the Kleenex. **1/2 from ****

The timeless tale of friendship, trust and love.

[ryanward-45039 · 7/10 · 7 December 2021]

Based on the beloved children's novel by E. B. White, this is the story of a little pig named Wilbur who was born a runt. Mr. Arable decides to kill him for dinner food, but his daughter Fern begs him to let him live. On greater maturity, Wilbur is sold to Fern's uncle, Homer. Zuckerman, in whose barnyard he's left yearning for friendship, but is snubbed by other barn animals. Wilbur is scared of the end of the season, because he knows that come that time, he will end up on the dinner table. He hatches a plan with Charlotte, a gentle and wise spider that lives in his pen, to ensure that this will never happen.

Many say that the book is better and in the case they're right, but this movie is easy to like, and if you were a kid growing up perhaps in the last decade of the last century, you were easily able to find this in your local video store, like I did. This movie had a moderate success at the box office but it was kind of overlooked until the early 1990's when the film had been re-released on home video and sales grew that apparently the film even would get a sequel and a live-action remake in the early 2000's.

Though it is a fair adaptation of the book, it does however become much like a Disney film with the characters able to sing and have likable personalities, as well as celebrities voicing the characters as well. Debbie Reynolds is perfect as Charlotte, a warm and loving spider that saves Wilbur, voiced by Henry Gibson who has several on-screen and voice-acting roles, including the Nazi from Blues Brothers, and the evil doctor from the Tom and Jerry movie, but I think this is his best work. Templeton the rat is voiced by always hilarious Paul Lynde best known for his Uncle Arthur from Bewitched. You also have the goose, the ram and the gosling Geoffrey that are the supporting farm animals, and you have the human characters including Fern, Mr. And Mrs. Arable, Fern's brother Avery and her boyfriend Henry Fussy, plus Homer Zuckerman and Lurvy who are pretty likable.

The songs in this were from the good old Sherman Brothers who gave us some of the best Disney songs from the 1960's and early 1970's and like I said they make this almost a Disney musical through the animation is from Hanna-Barbera, and you know that Hanna-Barbera don't have the best animation out there, but it still looks good for what they had to work with. Not the best animation or songs but they are very serviceable. The story is pretty much a straight-forward one but it does capture that will to live and be very thankful you have friends that will protect you when you are a animal that is known for becoming part of everyday meals.

But on the whole, Charlotte's Web is a great example of how you can adopt a kid's book and get the same exact message right. A few liberties are taken like the catchy songs by the Sherman Brothers, some okay animation from Hanna-Barbera and plenty of memorable characters. This is the first film adaptation of the book and the only one made when E. B. White was alive. He basically didn't like the adaptation, and not another adaptation of his work was released until 1999 when the live-action Stuart Little was released. I highly encourage you to check out Charlotte's Web if you haven't seen it already, but also read the book if you haven't done so.

7.5/10.

A nice little kid's flick

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 8/10 · 2 November 2004]

I think every kid has to see this movie. It's a charming and delightful little flick. I wish they would make more movies like this than all the fancy computer effect movies of today. I'm serious, I think this is more impressive as far as animation goes. Charlotte's Web is a great flick to watch. Even though I enjoyed the book more as a child, I still loved to watch this film. I would recommend it for children. It's a little cheesy at times. But it has good lessons and morals. Hence, why I say it's for kids. There are some catchy toons though. Even the adults might still get into it.

8/10

Just curious...

[fncysunshine · 7/10 · 21 July 2005]

Henry Fussy was the boy we see Fern looking in practicing music in the beginning,in which wilbur jumps through the window and is frightened by fussy's mother........ he has glasses and dressy attire....Correct?...but yet Henry Fussy return later from visiting a relative

and no longer wears glasses, i wonder what happened i can understand changing clothes, but they didn't have contacts for children at that time...is that just a fluke? And his mother controlled his every move...he still loves with her, why has he not went back to the same controlling situation, am i missing something or did the script just want a more attractive no geeky boy for Fern?

Who knew that a spider could bring on tears?

[mark.waltz · 8/10 · 19 August 2014]

Every creature which God has made has a place on earth, and even the creepy crawlies have a purpose. So when a barn spider befriends a lonely pig, an odd couple is born which serves a purpose for both of their lives. This animated movie, often overlooked because it wasn't a Disney film, retains a special place in many people's heart because it is a movie with a heart, and even if we can't get inside the brain or hearts of the barn animals seen here, we can look at them in a different light than just something who oinks, clucks, snorts, moos or only comes out at night after the humans who might kill them go to bed.

"Charlotte's Web" is a beautiful story of Wilbur, the runt of a litter almost killed, nursed back to health by an innocent young girl, then returned to his pen in order to serve his purpose to man. That means becoming either a chop or side of ham, and while the other animals can have a purpose without being slaughtered, Wilbur fears his days are numbers. This is where Charlotte comes in, the small spider who begins to chit-chat with him until she is ready to reveal who she is. Charlotte likes Wilbur and agrees to help him avoid the slaughterhouse. So one day when the owners come out, they are stunned to see Wilbur standing underneath the web with the words "Some Pig" written in it. Of course, these rather dumb humans instantly believe that he wrote it, and an instant celebrity is born.

"Laugh-In's" Henry Gibson provides the voice of the sweet Wilbur with plucky Debbie Reynolds a delightful Charlotte. They are surrounded by well known actors as their barn-yard friends, including Agnes Moorehead as a grouchy goose, Paul Lynde as the constantly hungry rat Templeton, and Dave Madden as the very serious ram. Reynolds goes back to the type of gregarious teen role she had played at MGM, singing the uplifting "Chin Up", and dueting with Gibson on "We've Got Lots In Common" where they affirm their friendship. Things get more profound as time decreases for the aging Charlotte, Reynolds bringing on tears in "Mother Earth and Father Time". To alleviate the sadness coming on, Lynde gets a country fair production number, milking every moment for laughs with his song of gluttony. Wilbur himself gets a big production number, sung to him as if he was one of Jerry Herman's big Broadway heroines, Dolly or Mame.

The Sherman Brothers who created some wonderful songs for Disney do the same thing here for this, although the beautiful title song did not get an Oscar Nomination. I always envisioned this being a big Broadway musical and longed to see Reynolds on stage as narrator and singing that song, but all I ended up with was a 2006 remake that lacks the heart of this animated version.

a crafty cartoon!

[emilie8605 · 7/10 · 26 November 2003]

charlotte's web is full of entertainment for everyone. the movie is appealing to the younger generation, but my generation probably watches this is secret. (**SPOILER**) so i was thinking about when charlotte tells wilbur at the fair that she is going to die, she says this all calm and rational...is that a little not normal for the spider to be cool and confident with the fact that she is going to die after saving the life of a runt? well that element had me thinking about what the children thought. maybe a theme is that death is ok? so if you are looking for a cute cartoon that has all the barnyard animals hooting and hollering, charlotte's web is the movie for you! (C C-)

Very touching movie about a special friendship for all ages that will warm your heart and possibly make you cry

[Catherine_Grace_Zeh · 10/10 · 18 January 2006]

CHARLOTTE'S WEB, in my opinion, is a very touching movie about a special friendship for all ages that will warm your heart and possibly make you cry. I really loved the things that Charlotte (voice of Debbie Reynolds) did for Wilbur (voice of Henry Gibson). If I could have, I would have helped saved Wilbur myself. The only problem is how I would hide him, though. The music was good, everyone was cast perfectly, and the direction was flawless. In conclusion, I highly recommend this very touching movie about a special friendship for all ages to anyone who hasn't seen it. You're in for a real treat and a good time, so go to the video store, rent it or buy it, kick back with someone close to you, and watch it. I guarantee you you'll thoroughly enjoy it.

Great for young ones even today

[blott2319-1 · 6/10 · 23 December 2021]

There's no denying that Charlotte's Web has a target audience, and that target is young children. Everything in the film is quite simple and wholesome. Wilbur is a very childlike protagonist, and that means that often things have to be over-explained to him as you would to a child. I bet this would drive me crazy if not for the fact that I saw it first when I was a kid myself. In fact, I think this movie might have been responsible for teaching me about death, because I never experienced anyone close to me dying when I was young. Watching it now, I can't say I was impressed by the story. It's kind of laughable how the people act, and I could easily nitpick the logic of certain things. But it still hit some nostalgia buttons and I could see how this type of story was effective for kids like me back in the day.

One of the biggest highlights in the film, that still holds up to this day, is the vocal cast. Using people like Henry Gibson, Paul Lynde, and Agnes Moorehead gave the farm animals distinctive and fun personalities. There are a bunch of familiar voices from that era that show up in this film, and they make this more than a cheap Disney wannabe. I also enjoy some of the music. While there are a few duds that have the same sleepy qualities as a lullaby, I would gladly add tunes like Chin Up and A Veritable Smorgasbord to a Spotify playlist. I doubt I will ever seek out Charlotte's Web again, though. It's a charming movie and one that I think should hold up for young kids even to this day. However, as a grown man with no kids of my own, I am content in the fact that Charlotte's Web played a part in my development as a child and I can leave it to my memories.

Charlotte's Web

[jboothmillard · 5/10 · 7 February 2008]

I remember seeing this cartoon based on the book by E.B. White many times as a kid, and I can still remember most of the dialogue and the basic story. From Hanna-Barbera (animators of cartoons like Tom and Jerry and The Flintstones), it may not have the same style of animation, it's pretty similar to that of Animal Farm, but it's certainly a good family film. Basically Wilbur the pig was born a runt, but when little girl Fern Arable (Pamelyn Ferdin) pleaded her Dad, Avery (Danny Bonaduce) not to kill him, she looked after him till he was big enough to be sold and taken away. At his new farm, Wilbur (Wedding Crashers' Henry Gibson) learns to talk, meets The Goose (Agnes Moorehead), Templeton the rat (Paul Lynde) and the Ram (Dave Madden). Eventually he finds out that he is meant to be killed to make bacon or whatever, but he meets new friend Charlotte A. Cavatica (Singin' in the Rain's Debbie Reynolds) a wise and singing spider who catches flies for their blood, and can spin great intricate webs. She plans to fool Wilbur's owner, Mr. Homer Zuckerman (Bob Holt) and everyone else to make them believe Wilbur is special, by spinning various words into her web. These words include: "Some Pig", "Terrific", "Radiant" and "Humble". Eventually, with all the popularity of Wilbur, he, Charlotte and also Templeton (who's only interest is food) go to a county fair where Zuckerman has a chance to win a prize. Charlotte meanwhile is not only spinning the webs, but has also made her cocoon for some babies to hatch. Wilbur does win a medal, and Zuckerman says he will let him live, but Charlotte dies (from exhaustion) and Wilbur has to take her nest back home to hatch. When they do hatch, they all fly away, except three runts who stay with him on the farm. Narrated by Rex Allen, and also starring Joan Gerber as Mrs. Zuckerman and Mrs. Fussy, Don Messick as Jeffrey and William B. White as Henry Fussy. With songs by The Sherman Brothers (who did songs for The Jungle Book and Mary Poppins), and a show stealing rat, his eating night at the fair is his highlight, this is a fun family film, and I wouldn't mind seeing it again. Worth watching!