All the stars in the sky
All the wishes that came true for children and I
Know its true because my
Wishing star is still shining right there in the sky
All my dreams came true cuz my heart was joy
If you truly believed you could be so much more
Make a wish, Hold it tight
Keep it safe with all your might
And one day, Out of the blue
All your wishes may come true
Took so long just to see
That my dreams as a child
Were still inside of me
Locked away all this time
And the key was right here in the heart of a child
When I looked through your eyes
I can see so much more
Still so many things
That are worth wishing for
Make a wish, Hold it tight
Keep it safe with all your might
And one day, Out of the blue
All your wishes may come true
When you wish on a star
And no matter who you are
On that day, Out of the blue
All your wishes may come true
-- Make a wish from the movie sound track
There are times when I wonder if the souls of writers venture down to earth to check on the supposedly big-screen adaptation of their books. I wonder if they turn in their graves when they realize what a hash most of the film makers manage to do of their immortal works (refer Pride and Prejudice). I had read Charlotte’s Web (a classic by E. B. White) as a kid, and like all things viewed in hindsight, I am fiercely protective of my childhood memories. So while on a flight to Hong-Kong, while flipping channels, I came across this movie, I was all prepared to protect one of my favorite books against a director/writer who might have made a mish-mash out of it. Also, I was at a phase where the mere mention of Dakota Fanning evoked a groan. So here were two double strikes against the movie. Are you wondering yet what happened? Read on!!!
Charlotte’s Web, ironically is about an unassuming pig; runt of the litter, who was rescued from being slaughtered by young Fern(Dakota Fanning). She names him Wilbur(voice of Dominic Scott Kay), feeds him with a baby bottle, wheels him in a doll pram and reads stories to him. and later, at the behest of her father, sends him to live in the barn of the farmer next door. Wilbur, bewildered at being separated from Fern, other than daily afternoon visits, tries to befriend other animals in his new barn ( 2 horses, 2 cows, 5 sheep, 2 geese, 2 crows and a crabby rat), but fails miserably. And then, in an ordinary barn, an ordinary pig meets an ordinary spider, and they click extraordinarily. Wilbur finally finds a kindred soul in Charlotte(voiced by Julia Roberts). However, his joy at finding a friend is short-lived, because he finds out that that before Winter ends, he is fated for the slaughterhouse. Charlotte, however, promises to save him, and she always keeps her word, she tells him. She must have been an advertising honcho in some previous birth, for she begins to spin words in her web, commencing with ’’Some Pig, ’’ and the humans, coming from all over the country concur. In fact more than the humans, all the other animals too accept the sweet piglet, and they all pitch in to keep the novelty around Wilbur, and ultimately Wilbur, alive. The movie ends in a bitter-sweet climax, which leaves the viewer smiling with misty eyes, or in my case, sobbing and laughing.
The movie is competently directed by Gary Winick, and the script writers have done a breathtaking job in keeping true to the essence of the original story. The movie is done mostly in live action. And that is all I can think about the Techie aspect :) But I do wonder how different the movie would have been had it been a full-on animation. The sound track is awesome, what with songs by Amy Grant, Bob Carlisle, etc. Two songs which deserve a special mention are "Ordinary Miracle" and "Make a wish". Coming to the vocal cast, it is as varied as it is impressive: Oprah Winfrey’s goose, Robert Redford’s horse Ike and John Cleese’s cantankerous sheep Samuel are outstanding. Yet Steve Buscemi as Templeton the rat, whose forays into the slop bucket ("one stop slopping") is the ROFL stuff and his antics are matched only by two ravens troubled by a scarecrow who refuses to move. "It’s been an hour now and that scary guy hasn’t moved."" lament the ravens!!!! And, lemme not forget Julia Roberts, who somehow makes Charlotte sound grave and yet sensuous, and Dominic, the ten year old, who perfectly voices Wilbur’s bewilderment, faith, and joy!!!
Wilbur’s courage and friendship, and his ability to see the beauty that is in Charlotte, inspires her to great deeds on behalf of Wilbur. These traits earn both Wilbur and Charlotte the admiration of the other animals in the barn. It shows that one person, or pig, or spider, or rat, can make a difference. The first step is to recognize that which is beautiful in others. That first step was taken by Fern, who saw the value in Wilbur, which no one else saw, and from Wilbur to Charlotte, and so on and so forth. But the question remains, why an animation this time again? Whats so different in this movie from say, Dreamer, the last one I reviewed? An animation is an animation is an animation, right? Nope!!!! It talks about an elementary truth about life, DEATH. We are all born to die, in fact each day that we live, we are hurtling at breakneck speed towards death. Mortality, and cycle of life, is an under current from the opening credits to the last scene. "We’re born, we live a little while, and then we die, " Charlotte explains to Wilbur, and that line, so simple and yet so powerful, is a perfect example of how and why this story is not just for kids.
This is a movie which toughens your soul while softening your heart. While accepting death, or because of this acceptance, it reminds you, gently, that life is short, friendship is priceless, and words can, and do make a difference. Ultimately, the world, and the people in it look back at you in the way you perceive them. The movie is special in that it takes pleasure in the ordinary rather than the exceptional, and teaches us to be alert to the magic and beauty of everyday routine, mundane life. This Christmas, lets celebrate life, for we have seen how short it might be. Lets live a lot in whatever time we have left on this earth. Lets forgive, forget and be happy!!!!
Oh, and as for my thoughts earlier in the review, E. B. White must have heaved a sigh of relief at the treatment meted out to his story by the director. All must be fine in the literary heavens!!!!
P.S. This review will have to suffice as a X-Mas gift for all my friends or foes or those in between :) Merry X-Mas and a Happy New Year to you all!!!