'Charlotte's Web' spins a lovely tale

One of the most beloved treasures of children's literature is E.B. White's endearing Charlotte's Web, a book that has been delighting kids and their parents since it was first published in 1952. Considering the popularity of the book, plus the overwhelming appeal of the 1973 animated film, this new "Charlotte's Web" was a challenging undertaking for director Gary Winick and his entire production team.

The good news: This live-action, CG-enhanced version is a charming, solid reinterpretation of White's book. Without question, an argument can be made concerning the values of animation versus live-action when it comes to retelling the story of young farm girl Fern Arable and her animal pals, particularly her beloved Wilbur, the endangered piglet. While some may think an animated version -- even the 1970s Hanna Barbera version -- may better serve a child's imagination, I think there's much to be said for this blended approach.

Winick and his production team didn't merely update that old film (which featured the voice talents of Debbie Reynolds, Agnes Moorehead, Paul Lynde and Charles Nelson Reilly). Instead, they have used contemporary technology and 21st Century dialogue to add those human touches to real barnyard beasts. But it's been done in a way that doesn't undercut the simple truths -- the beauty of pure friendship and ultimate salvation -- that lie at the core of White's book.

Charlotte's Web is definitely a great piece of literature, not just children's literature. Like all important literary efforts, White's book broadens our outlook on life and makes us realize the potential that can be attained by doing good works and learning life's most important lessons.

Our story unfolds in the sylvan setting of the Zuckerman farm. The sow on the farm gives birth to 11 little piglets and, of course, there is a runt. Young Fern (Dakota Fanning) is quick to rescue the tiny piggie from certain death, bonding with the porcine pal she names Wilbur and treats like a cross between favorite pet and beloved baby doll. She feeds him with a baby bottle, carts him around in a doll carriage and entertains Wilbur by reading stories to him.

However, when Wilbur goes to live in the barn nearby, he's quickly taught the reality of what the future holds for all spring pigs -- the fate lurking in the ominous smokehouse up the hill.

But Wilbur also strikes up a friendship with Charlotte, the wise and wily barn spider who weaves Wilbur's fate into her web. It is the essence of that friendship that is the central theme of White's book and this delightful family motion picture.

Though shot in Australia, the film feels like Maine, the story's original setting. The director is aided by some terrific voice talent, beginning with the pitch-perfect tone of Julia Roberts as the title character, Charlotte, the outcast spider. Other standouts include newcomer Dominic Scott Kay as the voice of Wilbur, Steve Buscemi as a wonderfully outrageous Templeton the rat, John Cleese as a sharp-tongued sheep, Oprah Winfrey and Cedric the Entertainer as two hilarious geese, and Robert Redford as a skittish horse.

The make-or-break issue with "Charlotte's Web" centers on the role of Fern. Fortunately, she is in good hands, thanks to another delightful and authentic performance by Dakota Fanning. The young actress never ceases to amaze us with her range of emotion and precision of delivery in virtually every role she tackles.

Fanning has been quoted in interviews as saying Charlotte's Web has always been not only her favorite book, but also her mother's. Perhaps that fondness of the treasured family classic added a special dimension to Fanning's performance. Whatever the case, she is dead-on in capturing the essence of the Fern that has always lived inside my brain since first reading White's book all those many years ago.

This is definitely a gently adapted homage to White's universal and enduring story, something that is even captured in Danny Elfman's lovely film score. While I certainly hope that all who see this film will go back and read the book, it's nice that Winick has created a film that will communicate White's images and messages to a new generation of children.