Babe (film)
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motion picture |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Founder | Chris Noonan, George Miller (writers and producers) |
| Headquarters | Robertson, New South Wales , Australia |
| Products | Comedy-drama motion picture |
Babe is a 1995 comedy-drama motion picture directed by Chris Noonan and penned by Noonan alongside George Miller. The story is adapted from Dick King-Smith's 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig, centering on a pig who dreams of becoming a sheepdog. Narration throughout the film is provided by Roscoe Lee Browne, and the production blends live animals with animatronic puppetry.
Shot in 1994 in Robertson, New South Wales, Australia, the film premiered in the United States and Canada on August 4, 1995. It was met with both critical acclaim and commercial success, securing seven nominations at the Academy Awards, including categories for Best Director and Best Picture.
With a production cost of $30 million, Babe amassed $254.1 million globally. A follow-up, Babe: Pig in the City (1998), brought back several original cast members but did not achieve the same level of critical or financial success.
Plot
Following his participation in a "guess the weight" contest at a county fair, an orphaned pig named Babe is taken to Arthur Hoggett's farm. There, he becomes accepted by Fly, a Border Collie, her partner Rex, and their puppies, while also forming a friendship with Ferdinand, a duck who crows each morning to avoid becoming prey.
When the Hoggetts acquire an alarm clock, Ferdinand convinces Babe to help disable it, inadvertently waking Duchess, the household cat. Rex warns Babe to steer clear of both the house and Ferdinand. Observing Fly's sadness after her puppies are sold, Babe allows her to adopt him as one of her own. During Christmas dinner, Hoggett spares Babe from being eaten, hoping he will win a prize at the upcoming county fair; however, Ferdinand's love interest Rosanna is served instead, causing Ferdinand to run away.
Babe uncovers a plot involving sheep rustlers targeting Hoggett's flock and alerts Fly and Hoggett in time to prevent the theft. Impressed by Babe’s ability to sort hens by color, Hoggett tests him on sheep herding. Encouraged by an elderly ewe named Maa, Babe gently persuades the sheep to follow him, but Rex perceives this as disrespect and attacks both Fly and Hoggett. As a result, Rex is restrained and sedated, leaving Babe responsible for herding duties.
One morning, Babe drives off feral dogs attacking the sheep; unfortunately, Maa sustains fatal injuries. Although Hoggett initially blames Babe, he changes his mind after Esme reports similar attacks nearby. While Esme is away, Hoggett enters Babe in a local sheep-herding contest. After an incident with Duchess that reveals pigs are consumed by humans, Babe runs away but returns once Hoggett restores his confidence.
During the competition, judges and spectators mock Hoggett for using a pig rather than a dog. Rex consults with the sheep and returns with a secret password that enables Babe to herd them flawlessly. Amid widespread praise, Babe achieves a perfect score. Hoggett commends him with the traditional sheepdog phrase: "That'll do, Pig. That'll do."
Cast
- James Cromwell as Arthur Hoggett
- Magda Szubanski as Esme Hoggett
- Zoe Burton portraying the Hoggetts' daughter
- Paul Goddard as son-in-law to the Hoggetts
- Wade Hayward as grandson of the Hoggetts
- Brittany Byrnes as granddaughter of the Hoggetts
- Mary Acres playing Valda
- Janet Foye, Pamela Hawkins, and Karen Gough as Country Women
- John Doyle and Mike Harris serving as TV Commentators
- John Erwin providing voice for TV Commentator
- Doris Grau voicing Country Woman
- Marshall Napier as Chairman of Judges
Voices
- Christine Cavanaugh provided the voice for Babe
- Danny Mann portrayed Ferdinand
- Miriam Margolyes voiced Fly
- Hugo Weaving took on the role of Rex
- Miriam Flynn was the voice of Maa
- Russi Taylor played Duchess
- Michael Edward-Stevens voiced The Horse
- Charles Bartlett lent his voice to The Cow
- Evelyn Krape performed as an unnamed Ewe
- Paul Livingston provided the voice of Rooster
- Roscoe Lee Browne served as the Narrator
The puppies’ voices were performed by Ross Bagley, Gemini Barnett, Rachel Davey, Debi Derryberry, Jazzmine Dillingham, Courtland Mead, and Kevin Woods.
Voices for the sheep characters included Jane Alden, Kimberly Bailey, Patrika Darbo, Michelle Davison, Julie Forsyth, Maeve Germaine, Rosanna Huffman, Carlyle King, Tina Lifford, Genni Nevinson, Linda Phillips, Paige Pollack, and Kerry Walker.
Additional vocal contributions came from Barbara Harris, Jacqueline Brennan, Doug Burch, Tony Hughes, Linda Janssen, Daamen Krall, Charlie MacLean, Justin Monjo, Antonia Murphy, Neil Ross, and Scott Vernon.
Production
Babe is a film adaptation of Dick King-Smith's 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig, narrating the journey of a pig with ambitions to become a sheepdog. The production utilized a blend of real Large White piglets and animatronic models alongside Border Collies to portray the main animal characters. Due to the breed’s rapid growth rate, a total of 46 piglets were employed throughout filming in addition to mechanical models for certain effects.
The narrative is divided into six chapters to evoke a storybook atmosphere. After initial test screenings, mouse characters were introduced to vocalize chapter titles aloud, assisting younger viewers in following the story.
Following seven years in development, principal photography was conducted in Robertson, New South Wales, Australia. Visual effects showcasing talking animals were created by Rhythm & Hues Studios, Animal Logic, and Jim Henson's Creature Shop.
Reports indicated creative friction between producer George Miller and director Chris Noonan during production. Noonan later voiced dissatisfaction regarding credit allocation; however, Miller refuted these allegations.
James Cromwell nearly turned down the role of Arthur Hoggett due to its limited dialogue but was convinced by friend Charles Keating to accept it. Cromwell’s compensation was approximately $50,000; despite the film’s success, his request for a salary increase was declined. He has acknowledged that Babe played a pivotal role in advancing his career.
Music
The musical score for Babe was composed by Nigel Westlake and performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. The soundtrack incorporates elements of 19th-century French classical music frequently woven into Westlake’s compositions. The theme song "If I Had Words", with lyrics by Jonathan Hodge and sung by Hoggett near the conclusion of the film, is adapted from the final movement of Saint-Saëns' Organ Symphony and recurs throughout the score. The soundtrack also features short excerpts from works by Edvard Grieg, Léo Delibes, Richard Rodgers, Gabriel Fauré, and Georges Bizet.
Reception
Babe achieved significant commercial success worldwide: earning A$36.7 million (US$29 million) domestically in Australia; US$64 million across North America; US$34 million in the United Kingdom; and surpassing US$254 million globally. It stands as the second highest-grossing Australian film within its home market after Crocodile Dundee. Critically lauded, it garnered seven Academy Awards nominations—including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (James Cromwell), and Best Adapted Screenplay—and secured a win for Best Visual Effects. At the 1996 APRA Music Awards, Westlake received Best Film Score honors. In 2006, the American Film Institute placed Babe at number 80 on its list of America's Most Inspiring Movies. Additionally, the February 2020 edition of New York Magazine recognized it among "The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars."
On review aggregator sites, Babe holds a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 122 reviews with an average score of 8.4/10. The critical consensus praises it as an exceptional family film that blends heartfelt storytelling with superior special effects craftsmanship. On Metacritic, it earned a score of 83 from 16 critics indicating "universal acclaim."
Initially banned in Malaysia due to cultural concerns surrounding pigs, this prohibition was later lifted with the film released directly to video there. Upon its U.S. debut, animal rights activists drew attention outside cinemas to real-world pig welfare issues. The movie notably contributed to increased vegetarianism—particularly among younger audiences—by fostering empathy towards animals’ cognitive and social abilities. James Cromwell adopted an ethical vegetarian lifestyle after portraying Farmer Hoggett and subsequently organized a vegetarian holiday dinner for homeless individuals to challenge conventional meat-centric holiday traditions.
Accolades
Sequel
The follow-up film, Babe: Pig in the City, was launched in 1998 by Universal Pictures. Directed by George Miller (filmmaker), who also contributed as a writer and producer on the first movie, it brought back actors Magda Szubanski and James Cromwell. The sequel's production budget reached $90 million, which was three times higher than the original's $30 million. However, it earned $69 million at the box office, falling short of the initial film's $254 million revenue. Critical reception was also less enthusiastic, with many reviewers deeming it "not quite as good as the original".
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