This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Blistering performances.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

This is the very first film given to me on VHS as a child. I adored it then and now. There are cute characters, memorable songs and absolute heartbreak. (For all ages.) It is a good adaptation of the book which I also recommend. Paul Lynde easily steals as Templeton the rat. Debbie Reynolds (Charlotte), Agnes Moorehead (Goose) and Henry Gibson (Wilbur) are also perfectly cast. A gosling who wants to be just like Wilbur always makes me smile. There are tears at the start, tears in the middle and a great flood at the end so parental supervision for young or sensitive children is essential. However there are many comical moments too and the songs by the Sherman Brothers are mostly jolly. "Mother Earth and Father Time" is a haunting lullaby. One of the best animated musicals out there. Just have tissues ready.

This follows the book so well... my 8 year old is entranced at is as I type.I would like to say that the Parental guide on this is WAY over the top!!! Templeton 'is like he is drunk after the county fair' because he hiccups or burps... seriously... maybe this is because he stuffed his face and nothing to do with alcohol consumption!!! I read this book at the age of 8... and I was never scared!!The actors that have lent their voices to this are beyond reproach... and just their voices bring back memories of yesteryear.I would recommend this movie to anyone that has read the book or studying it at school!

Every creature which God has made has a place on earth, and even the creepy crawlies have a purpose. So when a barn spider befriends a lonely pig, an odd couple is born which serves a purpose for both of their lives. This animated movie, often overlooked because it wasn't a Disney film, retains a special place in many people's heart because it is a movie with a heart, and even if we can't get inside the brain or hearts of the barn animals seen here, we can look at them in a different light than just something who oinks, clucks, snorts, moos or only comes out at night after the humans who might kill them go to bed."Charlotte's Web" is a beautiful story of Wilbur, the runt of a litter almost killed, nursed back to health by an innocent young girl, then returned to his pen in order to serve his purpose to man. That means becoming either a chop or side of ham, and while the other animals can have a purpose without being slaughtered, Wilbur fears his days are numbers. This is where Charlotte comes in, the small spider who begins to chit-chat with him until she is ready to reveal who she is. Charlotte likes Wilbur and agrees to help him avoid the slaughterhouse. So one day when the owners come out, they are stunned to see Wilbur standing underneath the web with the words "Some Pig" written in it. Of course, these rather dumb humans instantly believe that he wrote it, and an instant celebrity is born."Laugh-In's" Henry Gibson provides the voice of the sweet Wilbur with plucky Debbie Reynolds a delightful Charlotte. They are surrounded by well known actors as their barn-yard friends, including Agnes Moorehead as a grouchy goose, Paul Lynde as the constantly hungry rat Templeton, and Dave Madden as the very serious ram. Reynolds goes back to the type of gregarious teen role she had played at MGM, singing the uplifting "Chin Up", and dueting with Gibson on "We've Got Lots In Common" where they affirm their friendship. Things get more profound as time decreases for the aging Charlotte, Reynolds bringing on tears in "Mother Earth and Father Time". To alleviate the sadness coming on, Lynde gets a country fair production number, milking every moment for laughs with his song of gluttony. Wilbur himself gets a big production number, sung to him as if he was one of Jerry Herman's big Broadway heroines, Dolly or Mame.The Sherman Brothers who created some wonderful songs for Disney do the same thing here for this, although the beautiful title song did not get an Oscar Nomination. I always envisioned this being a big Broadway musical and longed to see Reynolds on stage as narrator and singing that song, but all I ended up with was a 2006 remake that lacks the heart of this animated version.

From the studio that made very bad 1970's TV animation, came this unexpected surprise hit of 1972. The animation is good for a Hanna-Barbera production, but certainly not even close to Disney. It has a penciled-in quality very similar to 101 Dalmatians, but the motion is not as smooth. No shadows and a slightly 2D look to it. But give this little film a chance: Great voice-overs by Debbie Reynolds (Charlotte the spider), Henry Gibson (Wilbur the pig), Paul Lynde (Templeton the rat),and others. A fine musical score by The Sherman Brothers of "Mary Poppins" fame, a screenplay by Earl Hamner Jr. and great narration by Rex Allen. The animation works best on the barnyard animals and the action does not drag. It is a "fast" 93 minutes. Charlotte the Spider is very well imagined with big blue eyes and long eyelashes! There are two reasons that this isn't rated higher by me: 1.The transfer has washed-out skin tones and scratches & dirt. 2.The story centers about helping Wilbur not end up as dinner at the Fall Harvest, which may upset very young children. Charlotte spins words into her magical wondrous webs, to keep Wilbur alive, while singing about "Mother Earth and Father Time." A charming and wonderful animated film. The best scene (with another cute song) shows Templeton "Where a rat can glut" on scraps at the county fair! Easily the best film Hanna-Barbera ever made.