BABE
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Copyright 1995 Mark R. Leeper
Capsule: BABE is reminiscent of CHARLOTTE'S
WEB, but more on the level of E. B. White's book
than the weak film adaptation. This is one of
those rare family films that may be better
appreciated by adults than by children. If you
wouldn't be caught dead going to a film about the
adventures of a talking pig, you will miss one of
the most enjoyable films of the year. Rating: +2
(-4 to +4).
These days you hear the terms "children's film" and "family film" used interchangeably. The film industry may intentionally blur the distinction so that some adult will drop in to see their children's films. They do not want to admit that even a "Rainbow Brite" film or MY PRETTY PONY might not be enjoyable or even appropriate for any adult with more neurons than fingers. But the result is that good family films that have plenty to offer adults are seen only by children and the parents who bring them. Very often my wife and I find ourselves in a theater the only adults not accompanied by children. And it is a pity. This week I have seen WATERWORLD, CLUELESS, and BABE. Of the three films, the one with the biggest laughs, the most impressive special effects, and the best story was BABE. The story should be enjoyable for anyone in a wide range of ages. That range goes from adult down to any child old enough to realize and accept the reality that today's cute farm animal and tomorrow's dinner may be one and the same.
The story opens with the young pig, still nursing, telling us about the wonderful "pig paradise" where pigs go when the big trucks come and carry them away. Already we have a wry little dig at religion and this family film is just moments old. The runt of the litter is given away to a small carnival where he is to be both the subject and the prize in a "guess the weight of the pig" contest.
The contest winner is Farmer Hoggett (played by James Cromwell),a pensive and quiet farmer who sees something special in this particular pig. His wife Esme (Magda Szubanski) sees something special in the pig also, a nice holiday dinner. In this world all the farm animals talk to each other; they just don't talk to humans. Babe, as the pig comes to be called, falls in with and is provisionally adopted by two Border collie sheep dogs. Fly, the mother collie, has just sadly watched her new pups given to strangers and she feels like adopting something new to care for. This is not a film to sugar-coat sad facts of life for farm animals. While the film does not dwell on these aspects or let them spoil the fresh and funny comedy, the film is honest enough to show that farm life can be painful for animals. Fly needs Babe as much as Babe needs Fly and we hear it in her voice. Eventually Babe will follow Fly and her mate Rex into the sheep-herding task. Comic relief is provided by Ferdinand, a street-smart and wise-quacking duck with a propensity for causing trouble. While some of his humor and mischief may be inspired by Donald Duck, he still is an original character and his mischief motivated by a very real fear of ending on the Hoggett dinner table. One convention is carried over from cartoons--the duck has many of the funny lines.
The visual effect of talking animals is not done by cartooning the mouths as is so often done, and not by filming animals chewing peanut- butter-like gum as was done with Francis and Mr. Ed. Instead animatronics from the Jim Henson shop are used to have lip-movement fit the words and to provide facial expression. A careful eye can tell the real animal from the mechanical one--some of the time--but there are certainly some scenes that should leave even expert effects spotters wondering how they were done. The screenplay was written by George Miller (known for the "Mad Max" films) and Chris Noone. Noone directed and Miller produced, working on this project for seven years. Miller and Noone have a good feel for where to economize in the production. The only familiar face in the film is James Cromwell and he has usually been a minor actor. No big name actors voice the animals, though Roscoe Lee Brown narrates. The score is by Nigel Westlake who simply reworked classical themes sometimes to great effect.
Hearing what BABE was about, I probably would not have wanted to see it. Even hearing positive reviews did not convince me. But the one or two film clips I saw were such a pleasure to watch that I was convinced. And certainly there was a great deal more to enjoy than what the clips showed. I rate this a +2 on the -4 to +4 scale.
Mark R. Leeper
mark.leeper@att.com
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