Amazon.com essential video: The surprise hit of 1995, this splendidly entertaining family film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including best picture, director, and screenplay, and deservedly won the Oscar for its subtly ingenious visual effects. Babe is all about the title character, a heroic little pig who's been taken in by the friendly farmer Hoggett (Oscar nominee James Cromwell), who senses that he and the pig share "a common destiny." Babe, a popular mischief-maker the Australian farm, is adopted by the resident border collie and raised as a puppy, befriended by Ferdinand the duck (who thinks he's a rooster), and saves the day as a champion "sheep-pig." Filled with a supporting cast of talking barnyard animals and a chorus of singing mice (courtesy of computer enhancements and clever animatronics), this frequently hilarious, visually imaginative movie has already taken its place as a family classic with timeless appeal. --Jeff Shannon
Great for kids! Very cute story and great for kids! If you are an animal lover, this is the movie for you!
Love the movie, not the previews... First and foremost: Babe is one of my favorite movies. If you haven't seen it, you're missing out. But this movie has "coming attractions", previews that cannot be skipped. Granted, they're only a few minutes long. But you have to watch them each and every time you play the disk. No skipping to the title menu. If there were other versions available, I'd buy them. Hey studios: Ineffective marketing tool. Next time I'll research before I buy, and won't buy a movie with forced previews.
I just love this movie I just love this movie -- if I have to watch tv with the kids, this is my choice. It gives models for great virtues:
+ innocence + trust + defending the weak + good manners + patience
the little mice that sing and talk at the opening/closing of each "Chapter" are hilarious.
The movie has no dark and scary parts -- my kids are still too little to handle much suspense. It is a gentle and sweet kids' (and adults') movie and I get a big kick out of it.
If I had words..... If you can suspend your disbelief and cynicism for an hour or two..., then you may leave this movie feeling that despite all of our flaws that there is something good, true and dare I say it noble in all of us.
You can read the other review for a synopsis of the film, but for me two scenes come to mind that reveal the true magic of this wonderful film
When James Cromwell as Farmer Hoggett sings and dances for the sick little pig, a truly human and tender gesture of affection for Babe, I find myself choking up with emotion (that's not a tear, that's a speck of dust in my eye).
Similarly when the Farmer Hoggett places his faith and trust in Babe to be able to perform in the sheep trial, when despite all the laughter and ridicule he stands firm, until the trial is over and the gate is closed, that moment my friends is pure bliss and transcendence.
Perhaps it is become there are few characters as masculine or manly as an Australian farmer, but beneath his gruff exterior there lies a human being, and this film shows that sometimes despite what the world tells us, our humanity can only be found in our most human of moments.
Cheers!
Our Favorite! This is one of our all time favorite movies and we were happy to find it on DVD!
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