Directed by Produced by Screenplay by Based On Starring: Charlotte's Web
Directed by Produced by Screenplay by Based On Starring: Charlotte's Web
December
15, 2006 (United
States)
Running time 97 minutes
Language English
Budget $85 million[1]
Box office $144,877,632
Plot
One spring, on a farm in Somerset County, Maine, Fern Arable
(Dakota Fanning) finds her father about to kill the runt of a litter of
newborn pigs. She successfully begs him to spare its life. He gives
it to her, who names him Wilbur and raises him as her pet. To her
regret, when he grows into an adult pig, she is forced to take him
to the Zuckerman farm, where he is to be prepared as dinner in
due time.
Charlotte A. Cavatica (Julia Roberts), a spider, lives in the space
above Wilbur's sty in the Zuckermans' barn; she befriends him and
decides to help prevent him from being eaten. With the help of the
other barn animals, including a rat named Templeton (Steve
Buscemi), she convinces the Zuckerman family that Wilbur is
actually quite special, by spelling out descriptions of him in her
web: "Some pig", "Terrific", "Radiant", and "Humble". She gives
her full name, revealing her as a barn spider, an orb-weaver spider
with the scientific name Araneus cavaticus.
The Arables, Zuckermans, Wilbur, Charlotte, and Templeton go to
a fair, where Wilbur is entered in a contest. While there, Charlotte
produces an egg sac. She cannot return home because she is
dying. Wilbur tearfully says goodbye to her but manages to take
her egg sac home, where hundreds of offspring emerge. Most of
the young spiders soon leave, but three, named Joy, Aranea, and
Nellie, stay and become Wilbur's friends.
Cast
Live-action actors
Dakota Fanning as Fern Arable
Kevin Anderson as John Arable
Beau Bridges as Dr. Dorian
Louis Corbett as Avery Arable
Essie Davis as Mrs. Arable, Fern's mother
Siobhan Fallon Hogan as Edith Zuckerman
Gary Basaraba as Homer Zuckerman
Nate Mooney as Lurvy
Voice actors
• Dominic Scott Kay as Wilbur the Pig
• Julia Roberts as Charlotte A. Cavatica, the Spider
• Steve Buscemi as Templeton the Rat
• John Cleese as Samuel the Sheep
• Oprah Winfrey as Gussie the Goose
• Cedric the Entertainer as Golly the Gander
• Kathy Bates as Bitsy the Cow
• Reba McEntire as Betsy the Cow
• Robert Redford as Ike the Horse
• Thomas Haden Church as Brooks the Crow
• André Benjamin as Elwyn the Crow
• Abraham Benrubi as Uncle, a large Pig
• Sam Shepard as Narrator