Reviews of Charlotte's Web, The Pursuit of Happyness
1:32 p.m. Friday, December 15, 2006
Charlotte's Web
The 1952 classic Charlotte's Web by author E.B. White has delighted young and old for many years. A good number of these projects based on beloved books are flops and do little to generate excitement from fans of the books.
That trend ends here with this particular big screen adaptation.
If you've been living under a rock all of your life and aren't familiar with the story of Charlotte's Web here it is: Fern (Dakota Fanning) is a passionate, stubborn little girl who falls in love with and believes in the runt of a litter swines, a little pig named Wilbur (voiced by Dominic Scott Kay). It's highly unlikely that the little pig will even make it past the winter without ending up as the main course on the dinner table. Thanks to Fern along with a wise and caring spider named Charlotte (voiced by Julia
Roberts) Wilbur's life is spared and an extraordinary friendship is born between the three.
Charlotte's Web is a wonderful, magical movie that brings to life a book that I love to this day. The movie is carried from the talent and sincere charm of its star Dakota Fanning who continues to prove what a natural, and gifted actress she is. Fanning's so passionate and believable with all the character's she's played in past films, and she always seems to raise her work as an actress regardless of material. At some point this actress who's acted with the biggest names in Hollywood in past movies will pick up an Oscar.
The rest of the voice work in the movie is a who's who in the entertainment industry such stars as Oprah Winfrey, John Cleese, Steve Buscemi, Robert Redford, Kathy Bates and Reba McEntire are just some of the names you might recognize throughout the film.
I was delighted with Charlotte's Web and it's a great holiday treat for families everywhere. The movie is rated G. The kids will embrace this movie, and hopefully it will encourage them to pick up the book and experience the story in a different way. I encourage parents to take your little ones for a great family experience at movie theater.
The Pursuit of Happyness
Will Smith continues to evolve into a terrific actor who can pull of a sentimental believable performance, while making return trips to the high octane in-your-face action flicks that makes hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide. Smith is back with what I think is his best performance in The Pursuit of Happiness which is based on an inspirational true story.
Smith plays Chris Gardner an intelligent, determined salesman who's hit a bad streak of luck in his personal life and in his career. Knowing he has what it takes to make it in the business world, Garner meets a stockbroker and decides to enter that career field. Soon he enters a six-month internship that carries with it no salary. After announcing his new career path, his wife walks out on him, and soon they're evicted from their apartment. That leaves Garner and his son moving from shelter to shelter and eventually living life on the street.
The Pursuit of Happyness is an inspirational story that's energized by an incredible and convincing performance from Will Smith. His performance has already garnered him a Golden Globe nomination, and I would be surprised if doesn't get his second Oscar nomination as well. I was also surprised with the talent showed by Smith's son Jaden Christopher Syre Smith who does a credible job in his big screen debut. I guess with parents like the ones he has I shouldn't have been surprised because talent obviously runs in the family.
It's hard not to be inspired or even choked up by this incredible story that was first featured in a segment on 20/20. This is also a movie that's suitable to take you children too, especially if they're 10 years or older, because the film has such a great message to it.
Will Smith has done it again, proving his critic's wrong and showing that he's a helluva good actor who is just now beginning to tap into a career that continues to grow. I liked and was moved by The Pursuit of Happyness and I believe you will be as well.
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