The James Logan Courier

By Diamond Floyd, Courier Staff Writer

Charlotte's Web — it's a story that people of all ages know and love. The recent release of the new film had fans (like me!) anticipating it with high hopes. With a star like Dakota Fanning, and voice talents from Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Buscemi, and Dominic Scott Kay, the movie should really be a crowd-pleaser.

Based on the best-selling childrens' novel written by E.B. White, the film tells the story of a little girl named Fern (Fanning) who saves a runt pig from an untimely death and develops the unlikeliest of frienships. Because of her concerned parents, Fern is then forced to send Wilbur across the street to live on her uncle Zukerman's farm. Wilbur (Kay) is, at first, an unwanted stranger in the barn, but soon makes a friend high up on a rafter, a spider named Charlotte A. Cavatica (Roberts).

Later on, Wilbur finds out the real reason why Zukerman wants him on the farm. Templeton (Buscemi) the farm rat tells Wilbur how "people don't like pigs. People like pork." Charlotte then takes initiative and promises Wilbur she will save his life. She writes positive little messages like "Some Pig" and "Radiant" on her web, and Zukerman and his family thinks it's a miracle. Soon, the little trick becomes the talk of the town, with people coming from all over the county to see the miracle pig. The "miraculous" events lead to Wilbur's entrance in the county fair, and so on and so forth.

This is a great family movie, and a bit of a tearjerker, for those of you who knows what happens to our dear friend Charlotte. Even for those who just want to see "the feel-good movie of the year"
kind of thing, this is the movie for you.