User reviews

This is a truly wonderful children's movie. It tells the story of some barnyard animals who interact one summer, but gently, and on a level a child can understand, also analyzes some deep truths about life itself.

The story introduces us to a variety of animals (who possess the ability to talk when humans are absent) with unique personalities. One is a frightened pig named Wilbur (voiced by Henry Gibson) who learns his days are numbered in a pig's cruel fate. Another is the scheming and selfish rat Templeton (Paul Lynde in a great comic relief role). Finally, there's Charlotte the spider (Debby Reynolds) who uses the only tool she has at her disposal to try to rescue her friend Wilbur. There are a variety of other amusing creatures in the barnyard, voiced humorously by wonderful actors who are fun to identify as the movie progresses.

Humans have an external role in the action. By that I mean they're on the outside looking in (although there are some subplots about the human characters). Many things that are done by the animals are for the humans' benefit. I love Pamela Ferdin's voice for Wilbur's owner, Fern. Human characters change, like the animals do, in parallel stories that emphasize the story's morals about life. Rex Allen's cool country voice, so familiar from Disney nature movies, is perfect for the narration.

Several of the songs are great, too. The haunting title song is as "lovely and lyrical" as the web it's describing. "Mother Earth and Father Time" beautifully describes the story's main theme. Templeton's mad feast of garbage while singing "At the Fair" is lots of fun.

This is "some terrific, radiant, humble" movie that presents the best of old school cartoon animation. A sweet story of friendship, love, loyalty, and other positive elements. It's being remade as a live action movie, and I'm not certain how that'll translate from animation; but this original version is recommended for fine family viewing.

This animated version of the E.B. White children's classic is short on spectacular animation but long on heart and boasts a wonderful cast of voice talents. Earl Hamner, Jr., of "The Waltons" fame, creates a seamless plot which retains the true flavor of the book while cleverly rearranging the order of events and giving some of the better lines to different characters. The story of Wilbur, the runt pig saved by Fern Arable and later shipped to her Uncle Zuckerman's farm, only to discover that he's slated for the butcher's knife, is lively and fun. Charlotte, the wise and well-spoken spider played wonderfully by Debbie Reynolds, devises a scheme to save Wilbur's life. Henry Gibson is right on as the naive and nervous but generally happy Wilbur. Agnes Moorhead shines as the haughty and stuttering goose: "I'm no flibberty-ibbity gibbet!" Paul Lynde easily steals the show as Templeton, the smarmy barn rat; his late-night gorge-fest at the fair is a hilarious highlight of the movie. The songs written for the movie are a bit on the syrupy side, but Debbie Reynolds' sweet singing voice and some clever, funny lyrics make them bearable to adults.

So far, I've seen two completely different points of view in the comments for this movie. One was so-so, the other thought it was completely awful. Well, I would like to add a third: I thought it was charming.

"Charlotte's Web" is my absolutely favourite story, and one of the most treasured books in my personal library. This movie, while far from perfect, does stay very true to the original story (which, in case Negative Nellie may have missed, Disney does NOT do -- even though I love Disney, too).

It's true the animation isn't the best, but you have to realize that "Charlotte's Web" was made in 1973, WAAAAAY before the computer-animated wonders of the '80's and '90's. The animation in the '70's was still stuck in the Saturday-morning-cartoon format, where, instead of animating every single cel, the animators would animate every third or fifth cel. It saved time, money, and you still got animation -- just not very sophisticated animation. Disney and Max Fleischer were really the only ones that were trying to push animation beyond the extremely confined limits it was once stuck in. So you can't really fault the movie for that, it was a common fault 20 years ago to get stuck in a rut. (It's still happening today, or hasn't anyone watched "Godzilla", "Armageddon", or "Starship Troopers"? Just because the animation is more advanced doesn't mean that it isn't becoming redundant).

Other than the animation, "Charlotte's Web", taken from a purely entertainment level, is really not that bad. I still enjoy watching this movie, and the voice actors actually closely match the voices I've made in my head for the characters in the book over the years. Especially Templeton. His scene when he comes back from his night of gorging at the fair cracks me up. "In case you haven't noticed, there are over 8,000 eggs in that tiny little sac." "This HAS been a night!" HA!

The songs seem a little out of place at times, but on the whole, I still find this movie very enjoyable. It's not deep, it's not profound, it's a piece of mindless fluff, with some very nice performances from the voice actors and a lot of very cute moments. It's children's fare, folks, so just take it as such, and it's a lot easier to take. I liked it. So there.

An adaption of the book of the same title, this animation musical has a lot to recommend it... and a few things to detract from its enjoyment. The songs are varied and catchy, the animation is acceptable - not exactly what I'd call beautiful, but not clunky and cheap either.

The characters are what make or break the story and while Wilber, our star pig, starts out as a bit whiny (not without due cause, however!), he grows up over the course of the movie. And growing up is probably the best way to describe the theme of this film. Several characters grow up in different ways, including minor/background characters. It is an excellent look at the passage of time and how it affects different creatures/people - hopefully for the better, but not always.

There are several silly, humorous moments and overall the story is a romp, but the serious points can hit hard. In my personal opinion, it's a fun movie, but not 10 stars - there are definite points where it feels like a musical number is simply filler to make the movie longer and a few places that make me scratch my head at a plot point. But overall, a kid would probably love this and there's really not much objectionable about it.

I'd rate this movie as acceptable for ages 6 and up, but there are a few scary themes - especially death - which may bring children to tears or prompt questions. The emotions in the end are probably bitter- sweet rather than purely upbeat, so I'd advice parental discretion.

I found the movie to be slow paced and corny but I couldn't help adoring it for what it is. The animation is really impressive for a Hanna Barbara film. The songs are pretty good and the music used compliment the tone of the film. The characters are simple but sweet especially Wilbur and Charlotte. Definitely a movie for kids to love, as well as a movie for fans of the book or even anyone who wants to watch a movie for hearts and smiles.

This, and maybe one other film, are the only films I've seen that made me cry...and I don't usually cry when watching films; I'm aware too much of how they are made. It's a wonderful translation of the story in the since that all the warmth is there. When fall comes along it FEELS like fall (same as in the animated version of Ray Bradbury's The Halloween Tree). Debbie Reynolds' voice is beautiful for Charlotte and fit the animated character's blue/gray smiling face. I'd dare say the story comes across better than some of Disney's most recent stuff (though I'd still have to bow down to Beauty and The Beast, one of my all-time faves). As far as animation goes, Charlotte's Web proves once again that it's all about story; the most beautiful animation in the world can't save a lousy story...no matter what. And I highly doubt that the new live action version coming out will be half as charming as this animated classic. I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong...but I doubt it.

Charlotte's Web is perhaps considered acclaimed writer E. B. White best children's book for its timeless themes on death, change and innocence. Naturally, its popularity would spawn a film adaptation, which came in the form of a 1973 animated musical drama produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. Initially released to modest critical and commercial success, the film garnered a massive cult following over the years and eventually spawned its own sequel and another adaptation in 2006, albeit one in live-action. As for the film on its own, while it might not hold a candle to the original book, it still proved to stand well on its own.

The film focuses on a farm-raised pig named Wilbur who makes friends with an intelligent spider named Charlotte who saves him from being slaughtered. Without comparing the film too much to its original source material, the overall tone is mostly consistently dramatic and doesn't shy away in informing the dangers of farm life to Wilbur himself. As such, the plot knows to keep the momentum up in allowing Charlotte to do what she can to cheer Wilbur up in times of gloom, especially without being around his adopted caretaker Fern Arable. Of course, the tone is a bit more toned down for kids since it does strain away a bit from more harshness in favor of schmaltzy relationships between Wilbur and the other farm animals. Nevertheless, for every watered down antic taking place in the story, there is just enough heartbreak and tenderness in seeing a once lonely pig in need of a friend soon become Homer Zuckerman's famous pig. In respecting the original book as much as possible, albeit with some creative liberties, the filmmakers did their homework well enough to leave somewhat of an impact.

As for the characters, thanks in part to their performers, most of them play a key role in the story no matter how minor it may be. In addition to Wilbur's development as a growing pig, Henry Gibson provides him with a genuine array of sadness and discomfort needed to gain empathy in such a terrific lad. Also, Debbie Reynolds adds a lot of warmth and comfort in Charlotte, almost like a mother figure to Wilbur as much as she is a dear friend willing to do what she can for him. Other notable standouts include Paul Lynde as the nasally raunchy rat Templeton, Agnes Moorehead as the brash yet encouraging Goose, Pamelyn Ferdin as the wholesome Fern, and Bob Holt as the pridefully hopeful Zuckerman himself. Admittedly, some characters don't leave quite as much of an impact as one would think, such as Wilbur's gosling friend Jeffrey and Fern's parents, as their basic roles are merely left over once the characters arrive at the fair. Sometimes, in order to sell characters transitioning from pages to pictures, a strong cast can do the trick almost like no problem at all.

Now although Hanna-Barbera has never had a strong reputation for their animation quality, the work done in this film is quite well done. The backgrounds and environments paint the farm areas with lush splendor and colorful palettes, complete with strong layouts and compositions delivered far beyond the studio's television output. Some notable song sequences include some gorgeously crafted effects work that feel as haunting as they do experimental. Perhaps the one step back in the presentation would have to be the character designs, as they feel more like the stock Disney archetypes typically associated with the studio's outcome at this point in time. Thankfully, the character animation is expressive and lively enough to gain some enjoyment from, and seeing the work of animation veterans like Dick Lundy, Hal Ambro, Irv Spence and more is still a nice touch. While definitely not the most visually spectacular feature of this era, it should go without saying that films like this demonstrate why the people at Hanna-Barbera were far more talented than meets the eye.

With all of this said and done, perhaps the biggest downside in the whole feature are the songs done by the Sherman brothers. While none of them are outright terrible, most of them aren't all that memorable enough to warrant singing along to and the lyrics in general feel like they could have just been spoken altogether. While pieces like There Must Be Something More and Chin Up establish Wilbur's relationships with good minded people in his life, others like I Can Talk and We've Got Lots in Common fall flat in how pointless they are. That being said, a few here and there are catchy enough on their own like Zuckerman's Famous Pig and the hysterically laughable A Veritable Smorgasbord, partially thanks to Paul Lynde's energy. However, in addition to the chillingly subtle works of Deep in the Dark and the chorus rendition of Charlotte's Web, Debbie Reynolds makes Mother Earth and Father Time into a genuine tearjerker that could almost be used as a lullaby out of context. Some songs might leave a bad taste in people's mouths while others might leave you with something to take home.

So while Hanna-Barbera's adaptation of Charlotte's Web might lack the strength and vitality of White's original book, its earnest dramatic tone, likable characters, well-cast voices and charming visual accompaniment make it work well enough on its own accord. Unless you're a die hard E. B. White fan, I would recommend this to a general audience who is at the very least curious about this film's mere existence alone. 50 years since its release, it's definitely far from the worst adaptation of an E. B. White story, and the factor of it standing strong for the most part should be noted wholeheartedly.

When Farmer Zuckerman was going to "do away with" the runt of his pig's litter, his daughter tearfully convinces him to allow her the responsibility of raising "Wilbur". Wilbur turns into the barnyard joy, and eventually wins not only first prize at the fair, but because of the wisdom of the old spider, Charlotte, becomes a famed attraction.

This classic children's story deals with the life cycle and explains, through the farm animals' eyes, that birth, life and eventual death are all natural, and nothing to fear. After a life of work, Charlotte dies, but all are reminded of her "magic" when her little baby spiders hatch and go on into the world to live their lives.

Debbie Reynold lends her voice to Charlotte, and several beautiful songs envelop this delightful story. This one is right up there with animated Disney Classics, a film every child should enjoy, one of the very best in its class.

This film didn't completely capture the magic of the beloved E.B. White book I remembered from childhood, but it's head and shoulders above most of the animated fare of its time. The beautiful and poignant book suffers a little under the ham-handed treatment of Earl Hamner Jr. and the obligatory songs, fine as far as songs go, should mostly be gone.

All in all, this is a thoroughly enjoyable film, overflowing with the voices of some of the best talent of its time, some of the best animation Hanna Barbera ever did, and a story that never gets old.

During the Spring time, a little of pigs is born including one runt at the Arable farm. As John (John Stephenson) prepares to "do away" with the runt, his daughter Fern (Pamelyn Ferdin) objects saying he shouldn't be killed for simply being small with John agreeing to let Fern take care of him. Fern names the pig Wilbur (Henry Gibson) and the two form a strong bond as Wilbur continues to grow. Eventually the time comes for Wilbur to be sold despite Fern and Wilbur's objections otherwise with Wilbur now living at the farm of Fern's uncle Homer Zuckerman (Bob Holt). While initially despondent, Wilbur is encouraged to talk by a good hearted mother goose (Agnes Moorehead) and begins seeking a friend among the farm. Eventually Wilbur learns he is fated to be killed during the Winter to become bacon and ham leading to further despair. Wilbur is then approached by a spider named Charlotte A. Cavatica (Debbie Reynolds) who befriends Wilbur and tries to help save Wilbur's life.

Charlotte's Web is a 1973 animated film adaptation of E. B. White's 1952 Children's book of the same name. Attempts have been made been as far back as 1967 when husband and wife team of John and Faith Hubley were interested in the film rights and while White liked them, the project fell apart due to lack of financing. The rights eventually landed at Sagittarius Productions and while the film's creative team saw many come and go until Hanna-Barbera got involved through a two-picture deal with Charlotte's Web one of the film's to be produced. The film was cast with some familiar names including Debbie Reynolds who said she'd be willing to join the project without being paid. While critical reception was positive skewing (albeit with many saying the animation was only passable), the biggest critic of the film was White himself. Despite the film being fairly faithful to the novel, White voiced displeasure with tonal issues in the film such as the Sherman Brothers' musical numbers and the depiction of the State Fair in the final act of the film which White claimed was too fantastical in comparison to his more realistic take. Despite only being a modest performer in its day, Charlotte's Web much like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory found a second wind through TV airings and home video including becoming a top seller in 1994 on VHS. Charlotte's Web doesn't reach the level of other children's classics, but the strength in the writing retains the key themes from the novel.

The movie does a good job of setting up the emotional weight of the film especially in its first act where Fern and Wilbur bond and you care about the two. There's a very tough "slice-of-life" element to the story in spite of its lowkey fantastical nature which makes sense when you consider White mined his experiences from growing up on his family farm in Maine for certain events in the novel. While there is that looming shadow of the threat of Wilbur's death lingering over the story, it never becomes overwrought as levity is provided by Debbie Reynolds' Charlotte and Paul Lynde's Templeton. While Charlotte is a kind and altruistic character, she's also assertive and shows a limited tolerance for Wilbur's neuroses such as a recurring gag of Wilbur fainting. Paul Lynde is also good as Templeton and despite being a late addition to the film replacing Tony Randall, Lynde's iconic delivery fits Templeton's care-free self-interested character perfectly and leads to some amusing moments throughout. In terms of the Sherman Brothers' songs, I only partially agree with White on them. While songs such as "I Can Talk", "Chin Up" and "We've Got Lots in Common" don't provide much aside from tangents in the main story, some such as "There Must Be Something More", "Deep in the Dark", and "Charlotte's Web" do feel more tonally appropriate to this story. And while not strictly necessary I do like Lynde's energized "A Veritable Smorgasbord" coupled with the accompanying animation.

Charlotte's Web is a good film that's inches away from greatness. You can tell that the main issue at play is one of tonal consistency despite the movie being mostly faithful to the original novel's content. While not without issues, the film is nonetheless a solid family film with a good emotional core.

I just rented this for my kids (ages 4 & 6) and had completely forgotten that adults can enjoy it, too. I'm quite weary of the obnoxious Disney-fication of most kids movies these days. (Spare me any more simpering princess stories.) The story of the clever spider who tries to save a pig from becoming breakfast meat is a familiar one and can be appreciated by many. The voice talent here is so superb that the movie doesn't make you rue the day they decided to animate the book. The songs aren't overly saccharine and are actually quite catchy. The movie is worth it alone for Templeton's trip to the fair and "a fair is a veritable smorgasbord-orgasbord-orgasbord" song. Debbie Reynolds' Charlotte is warm and wise, Wilber is naive and friendly, and Templeton provides the perfect foil as a spoiled rat who's just in it for himself. Agnes Moorehead as the goose became a sort of comedic extra to make the little ones laugh in the face of the rather adult plot about life and death. Overall, it's a movie for the whole family.

I watched this film when it first came out and was taken by it as a child. Many years later I'm rewatching it as an adult and this is a good children's movie. The only reason an adult would watch this is for nostalgia; children would watch for the lessons, animated characters and humor.

7/10.

This is a relatively low budget effort at animation. While the visual work is anything but exciting, the film is based on one of the all time greatest children's books. This gives it an immediate advantage, because it can bank on themes and ideas that have withstood the test of time. This movie is about Charlotte, the spider, and her friend Wilbur. Both have issues over which they have little control. Since they are both anthropomorphic, they speak English to each other. Wilbur is due for that fate that most farm animals face. Unless there is something unusual about him, he destined for the pork chop section of the grocery story. Charlotte realizes this and saves him by weaving something in her web. Other farm characters go across the stage, but it's about these two. For those who know the book, Charlotte carries a secret that is really important to understanding the overall effect of the story.

The book by EB White is a marvellous timeless classic of a book, full of memorable characters and a sweet story. This 1973 animation is a very likable adaptation, and fairly faithful to the book. Of course there are problems- the animation occasionally isn't that great though there are some truly lovely moments, and one or two songs were out of place. Speaking of the songs though, a vast majority of them are lovely, definitely not the Shermann Brothers' best work but not their worst either. The characters are still appealing, Wilbur is adorable, and Fern is very appealing, but for me the scene stealer was Templeton, very funny he was at times. The voice work was fine too, Pamelyn Ferdin was lovely as Fern, and Debbie Reynolds is perfect as Charlotte, a really warm and loving spider that you can't help but love. My final verdict, is that although the book is better, this is still a likable, sweet and well meaning animated adaptation. 8/10 Bethany Cox

As a child, I vividly remember watching and thoroughly enjoying the classic animated film Charlotte's Web (1973). Upon revisiting it recently, I still find it a heartwarming tale with a powerful message about acceptance and friendship. The animation style is charmingly old-fashioned, and the voice acting is top-notch, making it easy to get lost in the story.

However, I noticed some parts of the movie felt slow and dragged on longer than necessary. While the story is endearing, some characters feel underdeveloped and need more depth. It needed remedies with more focus on their individual stories and personalities.

Despite these minor flaws, I highly recommend Charlotte's Web to anyone who loves classic animated movies. The film's charm and message make it a timeless classic that will surely tug at your heartstrings. With its engaging story, lovable characters, and stunning animation, Charlotte's Web is an excellent addition to any animation lover's collection.

I think every kid has to see this movie. It's a charming and delightful little flick. I wish they would make more movies like this than all the fancy computer effect movies of today. I'm serious, I think this is more impressive as far as animation goes. Charlotte's Web is a great flick to watch. Even though I enjoyed the book more as a child, I still loved to watch this film. I would recommend it for children. It's a little cheesy at times. But it has good lessons and morals. Hence, why I say it's for kids. There are some catchy toons though. Even the adults might still get into it.

8/10

This delightful animated feature is by far the best film from the prolific animation studio that gave us The Flintstones and other series; I am an Hanna-Barbera fan myself. As for the original E. B. White book, I think I remember reading it (and studying it) in elementary school. But it kind of slipped off my mind-until now, that is.

You know, after listening to her, that Pamelyn Ferdin is simply darling as the voice of Fern Arable. Ferdin has the uncanny ability to sound both joyful and mournful in the same breath. And when she sang to Wilbur, it almost made me cry. So I love the dear little girl and little Jeffery-ffery, the gosling who thinks he's a pig because he likes Wilbur. So as to which version is better, this one or the new live-action film made in 2006, Well, I love both versions because I'm not one to take sides, you know. Also, I don't have a favorite scene because I love the whole film; I know I've said that many times.

I remember Charlotte's Web being a lot sadder. Or maybe it's more depressing when you watch it as a kid because it's an introduction to loss and death. The animation isn't polished and the musical numbers aren't that memorable, but this movie will always have a special place in my heart.