Even
cynics cry once in a while. For instance, one of my surefire triggers for
waterworks is Charlotte’s Web, the
miraculous children’s book by E.B. White that was originally published in 1952.
A bittersweet story about friendship and mortality, Charlotte’s Web presents grown-up themes in a magical context, and
the ending of the story slays me today as much as it did when I first read the
book during childhood. I mention the power of White’s story to explain why I
cut this animated adaptation a lot of slack, even though the film contains
sentimental excesses that drift far afield from the melancholy textures of the
source material. Speaking in the broadest terms, the filmmakers present White’s
story intact—retaining even the most downbeat elements—so unnecessary filigrees
such as boisterous musical numbers are merely interruptions. The basic
narrative is so powerful that nothing can fully diminish its impact.
For those
unfamiliar with the tale, the hero of the story is a pig named Wilbur. He’s
born on a farm, but because he’s a runt, he’s plucked from the litter for quick
slaughter. The farmer’s daughter, a young girl named Fern, pleads for Wilbur’s
life and is given responsibility for raising him. As a result, he grows to
maturity with a gentle demeanor since all he’s ever known is TLC. Alas, Wilbur
gets sold to a neighboring farm, where he’s again lined up for slaughter. Yet
Wilbur’s sweet nature endears him to other animals on his new farm, including a
sophisticated brown spider named Charlotte A. Cavatica. Eager to protect her
new friend, Charlotte spins a web containing the words “some pig,” which
transforms Wilbur into a small-town celebrity. This special relationship
continues through to a heartbreaking finale that says volumes about the
cyclical nature of life. I’m biased, of course, but I would go so far as to say
that Charlotte’s Web is one of the
loveliest stories created by an American author in the 20th century.
Animation
was definitely the right means for making a screen version of Charlotte’s Web, since it’s hard to
imagine cozying up to a live-action arachnid. Alas, budget-conscious production
company Hanna-Barbera never aimed for the same level of visual beauty as the
folks at Disney, so this version of Charlotte’s
Web is perfunctory in terms of images and motion. The character designs are
fine, and the background settings get the job done, but the look of Charlotte’s Web is only slightly better
than that of a standard Saturday-morning cartoon from the ’70s. Furthermore,
the musical score is palatable at best. While songwriting brothers Richard B.
Sherman and Robert M. Sherman (of Mary
Poppins fame) fill their tunes with heart and playful language, their style
doesn’t fit with the humble elegance of White’s storytelling. (Similarly,
narrator Rex Allen’s aw-shucks line deliveries add a cornpone, Will
Rogers-influenced flavor that lowers the intelligence level of the material.)
Happily, the best elements of this movie are the most important—the vocal
performances. Henry Gibson, of all people, finds a kindhearted but not
sticky-sweet pocket for Wilbur’s speaking voice, capturing the character’s
innocence. Paul Lynde channels his queeny bitchery into the comic-relief role
of Templeton, a rat who serves as Charlotte’s de facto errand boy. And Debbie
Reynolds is just about perfect as Charlotte—amiable, sad, and wise all at once.
She also gets to sing the most delicate song the Shermans wrote for the peace,
a philosophical number called “Mother Earth and Father Time.”
Perhaps because
this movie was the means by which many people first discovered White’s luminous
story, the Hanna-Barbera version of Charlotte’s
Web has enjoyed a long life in the marketplace, even earning a
straight-to-video sequel, Charlotte’s Web
2: Wilbur’s Great Adventure, in 2003. (The sequel featured an all-new
story, because White never wrote a follow-up book.) A live-action version of Charlotte’s Web was released in 2006,
with an all-star cast including Julia Roberts and Robert Redford voicing animal
characters rendered with CGI.
Charlotte’s Web: GROOVY
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