Written by: George Miller & Chris Noonan
Starring: James Cromwell, Magda Szubanski, Zoe Burton, Paul Goddard, Wade Hayward
Rating: [4/5]
Life on the farm typically has a distinct charm to it, as it represents hard and honest work in the deliverance of the basic necessities we need in life. After all, that’s where the majority of food comes from. It makes sense why a certain romanticism exists when looking upon the purity of said lifestyle, but that mostly lies in the humans, where Babe shows us how different it looks in the eyes of the animals. Beautifully honest and heartwarming, this beautiful film demonstrates exactly why it has such staying power.
While attending a local fair, farmer Arthur Hoggett (James Cronwell) wins a contest and receives a little pig, which he names Babe (Christine Cavanaugh). As the pig arrives on the farm, he learns about the way of life for these animals, what activities he cannot engage in, and the harsh realities that befall an animal like him.
When looking upon the pantheon of films heavily featuring talking animals, Babe has maintained its place there since 1995. Until recently, I had never seen the film, and after experiencing the richness of its story, it makes complete sense why the adoration for this movie remains strong for nearly 3 decades now. Its greatness does not lie solely in the beauty of its story but also in the incredibly impressive technical elements to present this story utilizing real animals and puppetry to deliver in spectacular fashion.
There’s a beautiful simplicity to this story where the lead human character, Arthur, does not speak many words, but when he does, it carries significance. He simply puts in his work as a farmer, but that comes with the reality of what it means to have animals. They each serve a particular purpose. Hoggett has his border collies Fly (Miriam Margolyes) and Rex (Hugo Weaving), who round up the sheep and cows that provide milk for the home. Some have useful purposes that require them to remain alive, but then you have a pig, whose main purpose for living on the farm centers on providing a future meal for the family. A bleak existence but one this film handles with a matter-of-factness that matches the reality.
Babe does nothing to necessarily sugarcoat this reality for these animals, but we also receive their perspective of how they feel about it as well. Our little pig arrives at this farm as a young piglet and has plenty to learn from those around him. In essence, he serves as the audience surrogate in the way we see farm life through his eyes. However, Babe does not want to necessarily follow the path of a typical pig. This rubs Rex the wrong way, as he believes in the order of things on the farm. Every animal serves a particular purpose, but Babe just does what he feels is right and consequently melts the hearts of every animal and human within this story.
At the core of this tale, kindness from Babe serves as the catalyst for so much of the good that happens. His interactions with Fly carry this warmth, especially when the border collie must contend with the fact her puppies were sold away. A natural element of living on a farm as a dog, but instead of doing what a good dog does and just dealing with it, the dynamic she builds with Babe evolves into essentially taking him in as one of her own, and it carries so much power. This would not happen without our titular character showing not only compassion for her but also asking the very question of Fly potentially becoming his mother. This little pig warms the heart of every character, even one as grumpy as Rex and someone as matter-of-fact as Arthur.
While the story contains bountiful sweetness, the greatest success of this film lies in the technical elements impressing every step of the way. Operating as a perfect mix of CGI, puppetry, and animal training, Babe makes the concept of watching these animals speak and interact with each other so captivating. I found myself taken aback at the techniques in the plan to capture so much of this movie in-camera with these animals. While the scenes utilizing puppets looked quite obvious, the detail in those figures does more than enough to sell the concept of one animal talking to another. A wonderful job all around by this team that helps this film stand the test of time.
Impossible to dislike, Babe works on all levels as it tells a heartwarming but also ruthless story of what it means to live on a farm as an animal. The innocence of the titular character helps shield from the realities, but this film’s insistence on not sugarcoating what everyone knows will befall these animals takes guts. That’s especially the case when the protagonist of the film lives solely for the purpose of serving as a future holiday meal for the human family. Such an incredible treat and rightfully beloved by many.
Films with Josh 
