Babe (1995)

When I was in primary school, my mother would take me to a local library on the way home from school.  It was a modest library, but with beautiful grounds overlooking the water, soft manicured lawns for skipping around in bare feet, ponds, fish, dragonflies, weeping willows and a sundial that fascinated me due to its being placed in the shade and therefore completely lacking in functionality.  The slope of the library's location meant that it spread over two levels.  The upper level was the main, adult library, and the lower level, to my delight, was purely for kids and completely separate from the (what I then considered to be) boring, adult section.
So I would roam the children's library without complaint, choosing books to add to my regular rotation for reading.  If a book became a favourite, it would be borrowed pretty much whenever I had the opportunity, and at times I would take it as a personal affront if someone else had the nerve to borrow it before me.
My criteria for being interested enough to read a book for the first time was pretty simple: if there was an animal on the cover, I was likely to be interested.  That is how I found "The Sheep-Pig" by Dick King-Smith.  I can still remember picking it up and reading the blurb on the back for the first time.  I was particularly drawn to this one as it mentioned sheep dog trials, and it quickly became one of my regular reads.

Having grown up with the book, I was naturally intrigued but tentative when I heard a film was being made.  I felt protective of the narrative, and the fact that they'd changed the title did not sit well with me.  If they were going to change that, for no reason that I could tell, what else would they change?  As it turned out, the sheep password, which I had memorised from the book (Just in case.  I hoped one day to be able to talk to animals like Doctor Doolittle), was also completely wrong.  Unfortunately I can no long remember what the original was, but I still maintain my outrage from my childhood over that one. 

Despite my hesitancy, this film is a pleasure.  James Cromwell is perfect.  So absolutely perfect, it makes me joyful.  I quickly forgave the changes mentioned above, and reveled in the other little touches throughout the film (Singing field mice!).  It's a beautiful, simple film and it will never lose its charm.

Final Thought:  Were the opportunity ever to arise, I would snap up a chance to work with the animal trainers for this movie.  It's really quite amazing what they did.  Hint hint, Universe.

Up Next:  Back To The Future (1985)