It's a shame there are other similar bits throughout the film, because it's first visual gag is kind of dark and definitely priceless. After Fran vows to save Wilbur, Winick cuts immediately to a shot of bacon frying in a pan. The sheep in Homer's farm are also amusing, as their leader Samuel (voice of John Cleese) fruitless attempts to stop the flock from copying everyone. Also present in intervals are two crows (voices of Thomas Haden Church and André Benjamin) that really want corn but always seem to encounter the same scary man in every cornfield they come across.

The humor is only there as appeal to a much younger crowd, and there's enough going on beyond it to balance. While everything happens in the barn, Fern's mother visits Dr. Dorian (Beau Bridges) to discuss her daughter's obsession with Wilbur and the animals and her idea that they can talk. The doctor informs her that the imaginative stories are a childhood phase and that she will, sadly (the important choice of phrasing), grow out of it. Fern does mature out of her friendship with the pig, an element present in the original story but expanded upon here, but even though it's appreciated, the important part of the tale remains Wilbur's relationship with Charlotte. From her, he learns such maxims as "Once a promise is made, it needs to be kept" and that there's no use in worrying. They're basic morals, sure, but it's still nice to hear them flat out every now and then. Ten-year-old Dominic Scott Kay provides the voice of Wilbur and makes him sound like a curious young boy. Julia Roberts supplies Charlotte with a gentle voice, which is necessary as attempt to make an authentic-looking computer generated spider cute comes across a little too creepy.

The film is narrated by Sam Shepard, a fact that brought a smile to my face, and other familiars like Robert Redford, Oprah Winfrey, and Kathy Bates provide additional voices. Charlotte's Web is not without flaws, but it's getting rare to see values like friendship, loyalty, and sacrifice taught in children's fare. I may be setting myself up for ridicule, but those are certainly lessons any child could stand to learn and see in practice.