MovieChat Forums > Charlotte's Web (1973) Discussion > personal opinion...

personal opinion...

posted 19 years ago by gawightman
12 replies | jump to latest

Im not sure if Ive seen this as a kid. I remember it because my brother did a school play for back in 1983 or so, when I was also young. But now with a daughter Im forced to watch it 3 times a day. The thing is, it makes me cringe because all Wilber does is bitch and moan and want people to help him. Without eer doing anything in return for anyone.

He initially doesnt give templeton his food out of friendship, he just states hes not going to eat it cause he is lonely so the rat can have it.

Even when he protects charlotte from the red head, that may also be just out of self preservation since Charlotte is the one trying to save his life.

As a film that touts a strong message of love and friendship, he doesnt really offer up anything, even when the little spiders go to leave him, he starts whining again, like all the other animals were never there for him throughout the film.

Maybe im overly cynical, and maybe the book is a little different, but the film bugs me in that way. No problem with the rest of it, just wilber.

..."I dont wanna die, I wanna stay here in my warm manure pile". That was probably the funniest thing i ever heard. But hearing him whimper that 4 or 5 times whenever I sit through it, argh.

The other movies that i have to watch repetitively never seem to grate on my nerves as much.

[–] XGlamorXGhoulX 19 years ago

I completely agree with you! My nephew has taken to watching this movie daily and I find Wilbur to be a completely unlikable character. He whines throughout the entire movie and never seems to give much thought to the other characters, only to saving himself. I don't know if he is always portrayed this way, but in this film version I find him incessantly annoying!

[–] walt3210-1 19 years ago

He's kind of supposed to be that way, I think. I do think he was protecting Charlotte to protect her, rather than thinking of himself, but indeed, Wilbur is a very whiny and selfish character. The reason I think he was actually protecting Charlotte in that one scene is due to the way he acts towards Charlotte at the end of her life. At that point, he is saved for sure, and is still very upset that she will soon pass away.

Granted, this is selfish too, but it's a very human behavior to cry for a lost friend. He's weak, pathetic, selfish, but not necessarily bad. At the very end, you do see him make a stong effort to make Charlotte's children happy, and care for them. Wilbur desfinitely holds some nasty qualities, but I don't really see a reason to dislike the character. He's got a good heart.

And that, as they say, is that.

[–] mixedbutterfly7 18 years ago

I was about to post something about this too. When I was younger I loved the movie and granted I still do. But now that I am older, I've notice how much Wilbur complains and I find it SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO annoying

"Why thank you Ouiser...Nothin' like a good piece o' ass!"

[–] asimpleplan 18 years ago

The cartoon is true to the book, if that is any consolation. But...if you think about it, pigs usually whine a squeel. So the author was staying true to form. In the book, it hints also that Fern doesn't really give too much thought to Wilber after meeting a boy(friend). Actually, in his moment of glory upon receiving his medal, Fern asks her mother for money to go on the ferris wheel. In the end, as another poster already stated, not every main character in a book has to be likeable. Wilber is definately believable...just read any IMDB message board, and you'll run into 50 Wilber's per second.

[–] Larry-54 18 years ago

My personal opinion: E.B. White was a genius at characterization, and Wilbur is thus precisely as whiny as White wanted him to be. So yes, throughout the book, right up until the last page, Wilbur is *extremely* self-centered -- and may be White's representation of the human race, or at least of a lot of human children (including some who are decades old). But at the very end of the book, we see Wilbur finally learns to appreciate what a selfless creature Charlotte really was, and at the same time learns to understand and embrace the cycle of life, including of course death.

That is a *heck* of a lot of stuff to put into a children's book. Perhaps the reason it's the best-selling children's book of all time is that White did it so damn well.

PS: you are not going to get any voices for these roles better than Paul Lynde, Agnes Moorehead and Henry Gibson -- even if it does makes it sound a little like a "Bewitched" reunion. :-) Paul Lynde *is* Templeton; I wish Steve Buscemi luck trying to fill his shoes.

[–] photoguitarist2 18 years ago

Well, Since were not pigs & we as human's don't have to worry about being slaughtered for food. We don't have as much to whine about. But wilbur was a pig who just happened to find out his destiny from the ram at a young age. HMMM let me think. If I found out at age 10 that when I turn 30. I'm to be killed and made into to food. You bet your butt I'd be upset & get self centered. I'd be screaming that I don't want to die too.

Now who is self centered. Us watching it complaing that wilbur is selfish. Or those who choose to try to not see something from a diffrent point of view.

[–] gawightman 18 years ago

"If I found out at age 10 that when I turn 30. I'm to be killed and made into to food. You bet your butt I'd be upset & get self centered. I'd be screaming that I don't want to die too".

Then

"Now who is self centered. Us watching it complaing that wilbur is selfish. Or those who choose to try to not see something from a diffrent point of view".

So are you saying that I am self-centered for pointing out that Wilbur was self-centered? Pretty amusing.

Also, what different point of view are we talking about here?

A. Acutally being concerned with Wilburs safety everytime we eat pork, ham, bacon, etc.

B. Or the idea that its ok to take and take while giving nothing in return, so long as your life depends on it?

And im not talking about the book because ive havent read it in 20 years.

[–] formido 18 years ago

Good call, Larry. I was going to say the same thing. It couldn't have escaped White's notice that Wilbur was a whiner, which is precisely the point. He's what they call a dynamic character--by the end he's learned to empathize with someone else rather than always thinking of himself.

And, yeah, that voice cast was great. I actually just looked this film up because I wanted to know what sagacious person did to Charlotte. Every time I see this movie I think that Charlotte sounds the way I imagine it would be to talk to Marilyn vos Savant.

[–] SVDoctorD 18 years ago

I agree, I just saw this movie for the first time in 10 years and really did find Wilbur annoying and whiny. But Charlotte however was awesome. I thought the voice actor was perfect for her too.

[–] cwhappyhusband 18 years ago

I have to disagree. I'm watching this movie right now. In the scene (about 1/2 hour in) where the goslings hatch, one sees Wilbur and asks "Are you my mother?" Wilbur replies, "No, I'm not your mother, but I'll be your friend." He then proceeds to console the gosling's concerns about his size and emphasize their mutual good points in song. He may be whiny and self-centered in many parts of the movie, but he is abolutely selfless where the gosling is concerned.

[–] trina_disneyfanatic 18 years ago

At first when Wilbur arrives at the Zuckermans' farm, he is sad because he's had such a great friendship with Fern, and suddenly he's taken away from her and put in a new place where he doesn't know anybody. He keeps saying he wants someoneto play with him and be his friend. Then the Ram scares Wilbur by saying Farmer Zuckerman will kill him within a few months and then eat them. When he's saying he doesn't want to die, he's saying he doesn't want to be killed. Then Charlotte says, "Quiet, Wilbur! Do you want a friend?"..."I'll be your friend, and I'll try and save your life if I can." After Charlotte's eggs hatch, Wilbur's thinking he'll have lots of little best friends like Charlotte. Then they leave. So he thinks he'll be all alone again. Now, the movie seems to imply that Jeffrey isn't around anymore. Templeton really isn't anyone's freind. He'll help the others when it suits his purposes. The only one he seemed to really have much respect for at all was Charlotte. The sheep never really did make friends with him. So he thinks he'll be left without any friends if Charlotte's daughters leave.

[–] rwsmith29456 17 years ago

Most fathers have a similar story. Here it was 'Land Before Time'. I know I saw it at least twice a day for several years.