Babe (1995)
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An orphaned piglet with a unique ambition finds himself in a world where he must prove his worth to a skeptical farm.
The story
Following his usage in a "guess the weight" contest at an agricultural show, orphaned piglet Babe is brought home to the farm of the contest winner, Arthur Hoggett. There, he is taken in by Border Collie Fly, her irascible husband Rex and their puppies and befriends a duck named Ferdinand, who wakes people by crowing like a rooster every morning so he will be considered useful and be spared from being eaten. The story follows Babe as he navigates his new life on the farm and faces the challenges of being a pig in a world of farm animals.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being rescued from an agricultural show, Babe the piglet is adopted by the Hoggetts. He befriends a duck named Ferdinand and a Border Collie named Fly. When the Hoggetts' farm faces various challenges, including a theft of sheep and a conflict between Fly and her husband Rex, Babe steps up to help. After a series of mishaps, including a misunderstanding involving a pack of feral dogs, Babe is tasked with herding the sheep. Despite initial ridicule from the other farm animals and the public, Babe eventually succeeds in a sheepdog trial, earning a perfect score and the respect of the farm. The film concludes with Hoggett telling Babe, "That'll do, Pig. That'll do."
- First release year
- 1995
- Runtime (minutes)
- 92
- Production countries
- Australia; United States; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Chris Noonan
- Writers
- George Miller · screenplay; Chris Noonan · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- James Cromwell · Farmer Arthur Hoggett; Magda Szubanski · Esme Hoggett; Zoe Burton · the Hoggetts' daughter; Paul Goddard · the Hoggetts' son-in-law; Wade Hayward · the Hoggetts' grandson; Brittany Byrnes · the Hoggetts' granddaughter; Mary Acres · Valda; Janet Foye · some country women; Pamela Hawkins · some country women; Karen Gough · some country women; John Doyle · television commentator; Mike Harris · television commentator
- Genres
- comedy-drama; children's
- Themes
- determination; non-traditional roles; animal rights
- Tone and mood
- whimsical; heartwarming
- Setting
- A farm in the rural countryside.
- Premise and plot tags
- animal protagonist; farm life; coming-of-age
- Source material / true-story basis
- Dick King-Smith's 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig
- Franchise connections
- Babe
- Reception
- The film was a critical and commercial success, praised for its heart and special effects. It was also noted for its impact on the public's perception of animal capabilities and the growth of vegetarianism.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 83 · scale: 100 · review count: 16
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Visual Effects · win; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actor · nomination; Academy Award · Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published · nomination; Academy Award · Best Art Direction · nomination; Academy Award · Best Film Editing · nomination; APRA Music Award · Best Film Score · win
- Production trivia
- The film was initially banned in Malaysia due to the presence of a pig.; The main animal characters are a mix of real animals and animatronic puppets.; The film is divided into six chapters to mimic the feel of the original novel.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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