Spider Tale is a Pig Hit

CHARLOTTE’S WEB (U)

STARS: Dakota Fanning, and the voices of Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Buscemi, Kathy Bates, John Cleese, Thomas Haden Church, Robert Redford. DIRECTOR: Gary Winick.

AWHOLE new generation of vegetarians will be born this month with the release of a charming new version of E B White’s magical children’s story.

Remaining faithful to the book, the film is that rare beast – a well-crafted family film that appeals to all ages, and might even have a few parents sniffling over their popcorn.

It seamlessly melds live action and computer animated trickery to bring the animals to life a la Babe and Racing Stripes.

The technical wizardry never gets in the way of the emotions of the story – the touching friendship between a spider and a pig.

A little girl, Fern (Fanning), is horrified when she discovers her father is about to kill the runt of a newborn litter.

(c) 2007 Coventry Evening Telegraph. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.