Charlotte's Web (1973 Version) --- Based on the famous novel by E.B. White

I recently added one of the beloved films of my childhood to my current movie collection. Charlotte's Web was one of those films, which when I was younger, I could sit down and watch repeatedly, maybe even 7 straight days, because I enjoyed it so much. The story was simple enough to follow, the musical numbers were great to sing along to, and best of all, the movie starred many different types of speaking animals. It became a quick classic to me, and now years later, I finally own a copy of it for myself. Sure I am little old for the genre, but this is one of those films that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. At just over 94 minutes, it is long enough to be keep the attention of the older crowd, and interesting enough to entertain even the youngest of viewers. When the main characters are a pig, a rat, and a spider, you have three animals that everyone can picture in real life, and when you make them "fun" it just increases the level of pleasure with this story.

The 1973 film version of Charlotte's Web, is based on the famous children's novel written by E.B. White. The book is really a story about survival and perseverance taking the form of a pig as the central character. Wilbur the pig was born as the runt of a litter, and has been having difficulty feeding. This leads the farmer to set in motion events that will end Wilbur's life and make it easier for all of the larger/stronger pigs to get their mothers attention. The farmer's daughter Fern steps in claiming that everyone, and every animal, deserves a fair chance to live, and offers her services to take care of the pig and name him. Her father agrees, thinking that it will teach her a lesson more so than the fact that he is doing this little pig a favor. So, she takes him in, loves him, and raises him until he is too large to remain in the home. Wilbur is then taken to another neighboring farm, where he will be raised and readied for slaughter. Too soon, Wilbur hears what is going to happen to him. Frightened for his life, he has no idea what will happen next, and that is when Charlotte the spider comes into his life.

Charlotte takes a fast liking to Wilbur, and also wants to help save his life, much the way Fern had done earlier. In order to do this, she has to convince the farmers that Wilbur is more than just your average pig. In order to do that, she hatches a plan to utilize her web to spin messages that denote just how special that Wilbur is. The story plays out as we get to see if she is successful in her goals, while other sub-plots play out with several other animals on the farm. This is where we are introduced to many other interesting characters including Templeton the Rat and a gander that takes a liking to Wilbur and wants to be just like him. Nearly all of the characters become very likable as the story progresses, and even the farmer who would have killed Wilbur is just shown as a man doing his job rather than someone evil. I think that this sets a tone for the film, and helps create a stronger story that relies more on the struggle to prove that pigs are more than just food, and that they can be part of a family just as much as anyone else.

Throughout the story, we are treated to the voice of Rex Allen, who has been the narrator for many Disney movies such as The Incredible Journey. He provides a great settling voice that carries the story between scenes of humor and excitement, and even scenes that are full of sadness. I think that this truly is one of those great children's stories, and even though it is a cartoon, it sends not only great messages to its viewers, but presents an entertaining depiction of barnyard animals interacting with spiders. There are many scenes that I found hilarious when I was younger involving the snippy Templeton, and watching it again recently just reiterated how much I enjoyed the film. Much like many other cartoons from the time, there are many parts dedicated to singing, which not only helps the story evolve, but lets us in on the emotions of the characters. This adds just one more element to what is already a strong story, and completes one of the best children's movies I have ever seen. In my opinion this is a must have in any families viewing library, and it is one that will have a permanent residence in mine.