Film Review

Studios weave a ‘Web’ of ‘Happyness’ this Christmas

Many films will be released this Christmas season, but very few will be as equally delightful in quality and message as “Charlotte’s Web” and “The Pursuit of Happyness.”

Both films are well acted, directed and written and focus on relationships, unwavering hope in the face of impossible situations and overcoming great odds. “Charlotte’s Web” (Paramount Pictures) takes a sweeter and gentler route to its message, while “The Pursuit of Happyness” (Columbia) offers a moving version of a difficult road traveled.

The same old story: A good decision

The heartwarming nature of the film — which follows E.B. White’s novel very closely — is the greatest strength of “Charlotte’s Web.” The costumes and settings come directly out of the illustrations in the book, creating an authentic and enjoyable experience for audiences of all ages.

As young children are introduced to the tale for the first time, parents watch a novel from their childhood play out on the screen.

Dakota Fanning stars as Fern, the young girl that adopts a runt pig she names Wilbur. Wilbur, voiced by Dominic Scott Kay, eventually moves into Fern’s uncle’s barn where he befriends a host of animals.

Most especially, Wilbur meets Charlotte A. Cavatica — a play on the scientific name for a spider — voiced by Julia Roberts. When Wilbur realizes that he will most likely become Christmas dinner by winter, Charlotte devises a plan to keep him alive. She writes words of praise for Wilbur in her web.

Charlotte sacrifices a great deal of her energy and ultimately her life in her attempt to save Wilbur. The bond of friendship between Charlotte and Wilbur brings the importance and benefits of sacrifice and commitment into focus.

The technical aspects of the film are sharp. The viewer will see conversations between the animals that are so smooth that it becomes hard to believe it isn’t real.

Even Charlotte — a large brown spider — is realistically portrayed, yet feminine and beautiful. The voices of the animals — including Robert Redford, Oprah Winfrey, Reba McEntire, Kathy Bates and Steve Buschemi — fit well with the animal characters they portray. Some of the dialogue, however, sounds as if it is being read instead of acted.

“Charlotte’s Web” is a true film version of a classic book and audiences will be grateful.

Defining ‘Happyness’

Will Smith has come a long way from being crowned “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” “The Pursuit of Happyness” is proof of it.

He combines good acting and his likeability to portray Chris Gardner, a high school graduate with dreams of a better life. Chris follows those dreams by taking an unpaid internship at a successful stock brokerage.

“The Pursuit of Happyness” could have easily been a mediocre film. Parts of the script are contrived and the film runs a bit long, but Smith pulls the weight of the film up to greatness in his portrayal of Gardner. It seems like a crazy, albeit true, story, but Smith makes the dramatically determined character of Gardner believable.

Midway through the internship Gardner loses all his savings to back taxes and he and his son Christopher — played impressively well by Jayden Christopher Syre Smith, Smith’s real life son — are forced onto the streets and searching for a way to make it through the final two months of Gardner’s internship.

Peppered equally with comic relief and genuinely heartbreaking moments, “The Pursuit of Happyness” has all the ingredients of a good film. Entertaining throughout and ultimately inspiring, it has strong messages about family, dreams and hard work.

The single moral misgiving in the film lies in that Gardner’s initial “Pursuit of Happyness” is really a pursuit of money. The largest obstacle in Gardner’s life was a lack of money and that is what initially motivates him.

It becomes clear throughout the duration of the film that he finds true happiness in his relationship with his son and the realization of his own potential.

“Charlotte’s Web” and “The Pursuit of Happyness” are both strong contenders for a fun, yet morally sound family film. They share similar themes of belief in oneself and the benefit of sacrifice for others. The films seem to be a genuinely chosen Christmas gifts from Hollywood for families.

Rebecca Bostic is a regular contributor to The Catholic Sun. Comments are welcome. Send e-mail to letters@catholicsun.org.