Sacrificial spider

Retelling of Charlotte's Web has much to say to children—and adults—about friendship and compassion | John Dawson

At first Wilbur is nothing but a runty spring pig. By the end of Charlotte's Web, we see him not just as Some Pig—he's terrific. He's humble. And through the compassion of a little girl named Fern and the devoted friendship of a spider named Charlotte, he can taste the first snow of winter rather than the flames of the smokehouse.

Modern filmmakers might be tempted to hijack E.B. White's beloved book, Charlotte's Web, and rework it into a screed against turning cute animals into bacon, or against modern farming, or whatever. But director Gary Winick refuses to take the newest theatrical release of Charlotte's Web in a politicized direction.

And by keeping it simple, Winick allows the subtle truths of White's tale to shine through. Throughout, Winick employs minimal CGI animation to supplement live action to give the film the same soft, picturesque feel of Garth Williams' original illustrations.

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December 16, 2006, Vol. 21, No. 48

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