Charlotte weaves web for movies once again

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By Robert Denerstein, Scripps Howard | Saturday, December 23, 2006 |

PARAMOUNT PICTURES Dakota Fanning plays Fern in the new drama Charlotte’s Web, directed by Gary Winick.

Director Gary Winick spent 21/2 years talking to animals in Australia — and didn’t always enjoy the conversation.

Still, the animals were a necessary part of filming a live-action version of “Charlotte’s Web.” The movie, which begins opening in theaters this weekend, will reintroduce audiences to Wilbur the pig and Charlotte the spider, characters who have been charming young readers since E.B. White first published “Charlotte’s Web” in 1952.

“Working with the animals is cute for about 15 minutes and then it becomes frustrating beyond belief,” said Winick in a recent phone interview. “Sometimes it took days to get a single shot. To play Wilbur, we used 47 pigs.”

There’s a show business axiom: “Never work with children or animals.” Winick did both.

In addition to directing Dakota Fanning, who plays the girl who initially saves Wilbur from the slaughter, he directed Dominic Scott Kay, who was 91/2 when he provided Wilbur’s voice.

The kids? No problem. The animals? A whole other story.

“The animals are all real. It took a 11/2 million feet of film to get a 9,000-foot film. We had to get those animals to appear to act. All that we changed were the mouths. (Computer animators make it appear the animals are talking.)”

When Hanna Barbera released an animated version of White’s story in 1993, it featured voice work from Debbie Reynolds, Paul Lynde and Danny Bonaduce. The new edition represents an upgrade: Julia Roberts, Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Oprah Winfrey, Cedric the Entertainer, Kathy Bates and Robert Redford are among the actors providing voices.

“Getting them was as easy as asking, ’Do you want to be in “Charlotte’s Web”?’ I have a relationship with Robert Redford from Sundance,” said Winick. “I left his office one day after working on another project. I thought, ’Wow, he’s got the right qualities for Ike.’ I asked him. It was that easy.”

In “Charlotte’s Web,” Redford moves from “The Horse Whisperer” to a different part of the equestrian equation. Ike is one of the horses in the barn where Wilbur lives.

Winick says the key role of Charlotte, Wilbur’s best friend and protector, was the most difficult to cast.

“She’s the dramatic spine. ... She’s this maternal, comforting and gentle spider who also has dignity and strength. Julia has those qualities, and her voice (sonically) is so soothing. She’s responsible for making it so that we can cry for the spider — which looks completely real, almost creepy and grotesque — when she dies.”

Those familiar with the story know that Charlotte eventually dies; Winick says he wasn’t pressured to soften the material.

“There was pressure to modernize the story in a way, to make it accessible to a wider audience. That meant adding more comedy. When you add more comedy you dilute some of the other stuff. I had to try to stay true to the book. I knew people would look at the movie based on whether it stands up to the book.

“The book is quite magical and lyrical. E.B. White told the story through the animals’ point of view and with the miracle of the web. (Charlotte spells out messages to humans with her webs.) The book is about the value of friendship and how precious life is. That’s why it stands the test of time.”

These days, it’s not unusual for A-list stars to lend their voices to animated efforts, but it may strike some viewers as odd that the indie-oriented Winick put his energies into guiding a major holiday release to the screen.

“I’m so passionate about “Charlotte’s Web” because it’s an intimate story of friendship,” said Winick.

Passion may be a necessary ingredient for filmmaking, but it doesn’t make things easy.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I had to give up everything else, and it felt like we’d never see the light at the end of the tunnel. But the great thing about a big-budget film is that I was able to surround myself with the best people. They kept saying, ’Don’t worry. When all the elements come together, it will look like one movie.“’

Now Winick’s eager to work on a smaller scale. Would he ever try something like Charlotte again?

“No,” he says without hesitation.

And, no, he has no aversion to spiders.

“For me, it’s snakes. I got lucky. I didn’t have to work with snakes.”