Oh, yes, Babe is a beautiful movie -- one of my favorites. I give it a score of 9 out of 10. It’s a testament to the fact that children’s films needn’t pander to or talk down to their young audience. Many of the films I liked as a child -- this one, most of the Disney classics -- are still entertaining for me today because they are, first and foremost, films, and not just “kiddie” films. Then there are others that take the cynical position of “It’s for kids, so it doesn’t need to be logical, believable, and complex,” and consequently, those films don’t hold up so well. Not to offend anyone who loves it, but We’re Back! is a prime example of the latter kind of film, although I admit I liked it when I was going through my dinosaur obsession as a 6-year-old.
James Cromwell’s understated performance is brilliant; his Farmer Hoggett is very down-to-earth, but there is also a quiet dignity about him that really draws one’s attention -- much like there is with Babe, actually. I love the subtle way the movie shows Farmer Hoggett and “Pig” steadily gaining understanding and respect for each other, learning from each other, caring for each other, etc. The focus of the movie is really very much the love story between the farmer and his pig -- something that I’m sure sounds simply terrible and stupid , but I mean it in the best way possible. They develop a strong feeling of loyalty toward each other. Farmer Hoggett, Fly, Rex, and even Mrs. Hoggett all come to appreciate the beauty of what “Pig”/”Babe” can do, and recognize that the unconventional can be worth nurturing and celebrating. My favorite scene at the moment is Farmer Hoggett crooning “If I Had Words” and then jubilantly throwing himself into an impromptu dance, for no other reason than that he loves his pig and wants to make him feel appreciated and happy.
I have a few thoughts on the book, too, which I read some years after seeing the movie. The book and the movie are equally good in slightly different ways. The story is even more simply and concisely told in the book, lacking some of the characters that were so prominent in the film -- Rex and Ferdinand, for instance. The extra characters and plot threads add a bit more complexity to the film, but, perhaps surprisingly, I didn’t miss those characters when I was reading; it’s a simple, well-paced, well-focused tale.
It probably looks a little odd to be gushing so much over a film about a sheep-herding pig, of all things. Can’t say I care, though. Babe is a work of art.
"Courage is found in unlikely places." ~ The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien
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