Babe (1995)
We’re all vegetarians now, right?
*oink* *oink* *oink* *squeal* *squeeeal* *oink* *oink* *snort* *squeeal* *oink* *oink* *oink* *squeal* *squeal* *oink* *oink* *oink* *snort* *oink* *squeal* *oink* *oink* *oink* *snort* *snort* *oink* *squeal* *oink* *squeal* *snort* *oink* *squeeeeeal* *oink* *squeal* *oink* *oink* !
Translated into English for our non-porcine readers: “Welcome back to ILTBTA! What better way to forget about our country barreling towards economic collapse and yet another mass shooting than by watching the 90-minute children’s movie that somehow got nominated for Best Picture, Babe. Our titular protagonist is a pig who, in trying to find its place in the world, unites a farm’s fauna in a non-prejudicial quest to become a sheepdog. Will Babe succeed, or will this children’s movie teach a hard lesson about failure? Read on to find out!”
Previews
What, if anything, did we know about this coming attraction before we watched it?
Ellen: I think I thought “that’ll do, pig” was from Charlotte’s Web, so… ??
Tyler: I know I saw this movie as a kid (almost certainly on VHS), but only have the foggiest memories of it. I’m sure if I could ask my five-year-old self if he enjoyed it, he’d enthusiastically agree solely because of the talking animals. I’d reply by telling him he probably just watched his first of many Best Picture nominees and that he’ll need to remember his opinion of it because decades later he’ll start an internet newsletter with his girlfriend (and now wife!) in which they’ll write about it to their legions of fans on this thing called Substack. He’d nod and go back to playing with his dog Holly. Anyway … where were we? Ah that’s right, Babe.
Plots & Feelings
This one’s pretty self-explanatory.
Short Version (courtesy of IMDb): Babe, a pig raised by sheepdogs on a rural English farm, learns to herd sheep with a little help from Farmer Hoggett.
Long Version (modified from Wikipedia and formatted to fit your screen):
A thick, leather-bound storybook and fantastical music welcome us into the credits, where we pan past the heavily pig-themed walls of a charming cottage. Our fearless narrator immediately brings us crashing down to pig factory farming, where a young piglet is crying because his mom has just been taken away to so-called “pig paradise.” While alone in the corner, the piglet is scooped up in a burlap sack! We and the pig are whisked away to a county fair, where farmer Arthur Hoggett is convinced to try to guess its weight. He hefts the lil guy, says “that’ll do,” and enters his guess. Later, as Mrs. Esme Hoggett polishes her jam and jelly trophies and Arthur works on a handcrafted doll house, the call arrives: they’ve won the pig! Our hero is placed in the barn, where he is deeply confused, but an excitable litter of Border Collie puppies are absolutely entranced by him. Their mother, Fly, allows the piglet to sleep with her pups, to the stern disapproval of her mate Rex. She inquires as to his name, and they decide to call him what his mother called all of the pigs: Babe1.
Ellen: The whimsy whiplash from the book to the factory worked on me. When the mom was taken away and replaced with an automatic feeding device, I nearly cried.
Tyler: Same! Though I’m admittedly a sucker for anything sad having to do with animals. And anything happy having to do with animals, as evidenced by the borderline-squeal I let out at the sight of those puppies.
The next morning, after being awoken by the crowing of Ferdinand the duck, who is determined to remain useful, the dogs rush inside the house for breakfast. Babe isn’t allowed, because that’s “the way things are.” He wanders off and both learns what sheep are and meets his first: Maa, who is coughing up a storm2. She warns him all about those mean old wolves, aka dogs. The Hoggetts buy an alarm clock, and Ferdinand is horrified that this mechanical rooster will usurp him, leaving him vulnerable to being eaten. He enlists the guileless Babe’s help in stealing the clock, and hijinks ensue, resulting in paint all over the Hoggett’s house and cat, Duchess. Rex calls an animal meeting and demands that Babe and Ferdinand never again interact and that all animals do as they’re Supposed to. The time comes for the puppies to be sold, and while Rex is stoic, Fly is clearly distraught. That night, Babe snuggles up to her and asks if he can call her “Mom.”
Tyler: My gosh the emotional one-two punch of Fly watching her puppies get sold and Babe asking to call her Mom.
One question consumes the farm: will Christmas dinner be duck or pork? The Hoggett’s son, wife, and two brat children arrive for the holiday as a discordant “Jingle Bells” plays in the background. Under the guise of hoping to win Best Ham at the fair next year, Arthur convinces Esme to have duck. The animals look on in horror, but it’s not Ferdie, as Babe calls him! It’s poor Rosanna, and Ferdie decides he’s had enough and flies the coop. Babe opens the gate for him, but soon realizes something is amiss. He goes out to the sheep fields to discover two men and an evil dog named Sniff are stealing the flock! On Christmas Day, no less! Babe sprints home to tell Fly and Rex, who in turn alert Arthur. They’re too late to save them all, but without Babe’s help, they’d all be gone. Arthur pets Fly with a “good dog”, and after a moment, Babe too with “good pig!” The people and animals all enjoy the evening watching the fireworks.
Arthur saddles up the next day to tend to the sheep, calling out for Rex, Fly, … and Pig! We see the sheepdogs do their thing, and Babe remarks at how fast they are. Fly explains it’s about attitude, not speed. When Babe gets his chance, he tries that, but Maa scolds him, saying a nice young pig like him just needs to ask and shouldn’t resort to wolf tactics. Rex is completely insulted by even seeing Babe try, and he attacks Fly when she tries to talk to him and bites Arthur! Rex ends up chained in the yard and sedated, since Arthur won’t let the vet do anything more drastic. With the proverbial top dog out of commission and Fly injured, Babe steps up! As he progresses, Arthur becomes more impressed and starts building a training course. Fly explains that the National Grand Challenge Sheepdog Trials are a huge honor to participate in, and Rex was one of the best until he lost his hearing and nearly drowned trying to save a flock in a flood.
One morning, Babe is champing at the bit to get going, so he heads to the fields by himself, only to find that three wild dogs are attacking the sheep! He headbutts and scares them off, but Maa is gravely injured. When Arthur appears and sees Babe has blood on his snout, he believes he must put Babe down for the crime. Fly rushes out to the field, overcoming her prejudice to talk to the sheep like equals, and they in turn deign to talk to her in the same way, all for the sake of clearing Babe’s name. She runs back to the farm, barking up a storm, causing Arthur to pause for long enough that Esme informs him about the wild dogs and how their neighbor lost six lambs.
Ellen: Arthur, are you stupid?? Seriously, how would Babe have even done that.
Tyler: But the ~drama~
Mrs. Hoggett goes on a trip with the Women’s Guild, and when Esme’s away, the Pig gets to stay! During an absolute downpour, Arthur lets Babe inside along with Fly. The sheepdog trials are two days away, and Arther faxes in Babe’s entry form, conveniently avoiding mentioning that he is a Pig. Duchess is not pleased to see Babe in the house, but her boss is not present, and she’s thrown out by Arthur for scratching Babe! The next night, everyone is nearly dozing with the TV on as the power goes off. While Arthur goes to check the breakers, Duchess returns, playing mind games3 with Babe by telling him the truth: humans eat pigs! He demands that Fly tell him if it’s true, and she confirms. The next day, Babe runs away! Even Rex helps look for him, eventually finding him curled up by the cemetery, refusing to eat or drink. The vet says Babe must hydrate or die-drate, and Arthur sings to him and does a jig to try and cheer him up. It works, and they have just enough time to get out to the competition!
Ellen: It’s a cute touch that while Babe and the dogs refer to Arthur as The Boss, Duchess calls him “the Boss’s husband.”
Tyler: Agreed! Also, I can’t believe that even in this fictional world there’s a National Sheepdog Association with televised events. Shouldn’t there be a fourth-tier football club for these locals to cheer on instead?
They rush out to the competition grounds, where the organizers have agreed to let Arthur go last as a favor and for plot reasons. Babe waltzes up to the sheep he’ll be herding, but they refuse to acknowledge him! Rex is on the case, however, and the competition fields must not be far from the farm, because he runs back to Arthur’s sheep to beg for help. He shows humility and respect to the sheep for once in his life and agrees to treat them better, and they in turn present Rex with the secret password for Babe to use. Meanwhile, the judges can’t find any rule that says competing animals HAVE to be dogs4, so Arthur and Babe are allowed to compete. Remember how I said the TV was on at the Hoggett’s when the power went out? Well it kicks back on, and it’s showing the televised competition so all of our animal pals can watch. So can Mrs. Hoggett on her trip, where she has fainted from embarrassment of seeing Arthur lead Babe into the arena. The clock starts, and Rex bounds in at the last second to tell Babe the password. Once invoked, the sheep follow Babe through the course like they’re performing wooly dressage, to the stunned silence of the crowd. They absolutely erupt when the final gate closes, and he gets 100s across the board! Babe sits next to Arthur, who looks down and says, "That'll do, Pig. That'll do."
Ellen: Take this with a grain of salt, but the Wikipedia summary informed me that “that’ll do” is the standard command to sheep dogs when they’re done!
Tyler: I trust Wikipedia with my life.
Tyler: The audience's random slow clap was so 90s and stupid, as was the over the top laughing and jeering of Arthur. Although it did help make the payoff from the stunned silence bit after they finished even better.
Intermission
Even though ILTBTA is free, please indulge us further and enjoy this quick “advertisement.”
This installment of ILTBTA is brought to you by … Mrs. Esme Hoggett’s Award-Winning Jams & Jellies!
Is there anything better than rewarding yourself with a thick slice of country loaf, topped with fresh-churned butter? There is: further topping that butter with delicious, tangy jam! And you work hard, so you deserve the best jelly in the county: Mrs. Hoggett’s.
Try the full line of nine first-place winners! Lest you think they’re only for bread and biscuits, did you know they also pair wonderfully with pork? With hams, sides of bacon, and as an accoutrement to beautiful chops, kidney, and liver?
Mention ILTBTA to receive a free tasting at the next County Fair!
With a name like Hoggett, it has to be the best!
Wiki-Wiki-Whaaat?
Love a good Wikipedia rabbit hole in search of some fun facts? Us too.
Babe’s Wikipedia page has some interesting facts and anecdotes that we recommend you read through, but here are a few of our favorites:
Babe is based on the children’s novel The Sheep-Pig by Dick King-Smith, released in 1983. According to the now-deceased author’s website, King-Smith’s first children’s book was published when he was 56 years old, and he went on to write over 130 of them!
Ellen: A moral in and of itself: never too late to live your dreams!
Babe was co-written and produced by filmmaker George Miller, who’s best known for directing and co-writing every movie in the Mad Max franchise. Miller has directed a wide-range of other movies, too, from The Witches of Eastwick, Happy Feet, and the Babe sequel Babe: Pig in the City.
The character Babe was voiced by Christine Cavanaugh, a voice actress best known for voicing Chuckie Finster on the Nickelodeon classic Rugrats. When contract negotiations broke down for her to return for the Babe sequel, the role was offered to her Rugrats co-star E.G. Daily, who voiced Tommy Pickles.
James Cromwell, who played Arthur Hoggett, was already a vegetarian for twenty years before Babe, but took his animal rights activism one step further afterwards by becoming a vegan. He has since frequently spoken about animal rights issues, as well as other progressive causes. Last year, he gained some attention for supergluing his hand to a Starbucks counter in Manhattan to protest the surcharge they applied to plant-based milks.
At 6’7”, Cromwell is the tallest actor ever nominated for an Academy Award. His son, John, who’s actually an inch taller, has portrayed a younger version of Cromwell on three different occasions: 2012’s Memorial Day, an episode of American Horror Story: Asylum, and an episode of Betrayal.
Ellen: A niche Oscars fun fact if ever there was one.
Tyler: Exactly the kind of information we strive to share here at “Wiki-Wiki-Whaaat?”
According to an interview with Entertainment Weekly at the time, the film production could only use each piglet-actor for three weeks at a time because the Large White Yorkshire pig grows very rapidly. This resulted in 46 different pigs getting screen time in the final cut. There was also an animatronic pig used for certain scenes. Animal trainers used ear- and belly-scratches, as well as dog food, as rewards for the pigs.
Visual effects for the talking animals were done by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop and Rhythm & Hues Studios, the latter of which we first met in Life of Pi’s “Wiki-Wiki-Whaaat?”
Tyler: Rhythm & Hues remains such a good name that I remembered their work when their name popped up in the opening credits!
Oscar NomNomNomz
Since we all know a movie is nothing without the food and drink it incorporates.
It’s now time to award the Oscar for Best Snacktor in a Supporting Role5. And the nomnomnominees are:
One of Mrs. Hoggett's award winning jams
Carrots from the Hoggett garden
Unidentifiable pig slop
And the Oscar goes to … carrots from the Hoggett garden! Unfortunately, Basil has stolen and eaten the carrots since they’re a favorite treat of hers, so we will accept this award on their behalf.
Fill In The Blank
How did we really feel about The Academy nominating this?
Ellen: I’d like to give the Academy a prize at the county fair! This movie is so dang charming and downright impressive. I was pulled in by the story from the first bullet and was immediately invested in Babe and how he would navigate the farm dynamics. The humans besides Arthur are admittedly over-the-top in their boorishness and lack of compassion, like it hits the “who are the real animals, ehh??” beat pretty hard, but it’s also for children, so I’ll allow it. I’m taken aback by how good all of the effects look nearly 30 years later, and it earned every inch of that Best Visual Effects Oscar. You love to see a classic that holds up!
Tyler: I’d like to look approvingly at The Academy and say “That’ll do.” I admit that coming into this I was extremely skeptical of this movie getting nominated for Best Picture. Surely there was a more serious, more adult, movie that was deserving? And yet here I am eating crow because I get it now. Much like some animated movies nowadays, Babe is a proper good movie for children and adults alike. I totally agree with everything you wrote so I won’t repeat it all, but I’ll add that I’m extra appreciative that The Academy chose to switch things up a bit genre-wise.
Let The Credits Roll
Thanks for reading! Some quick housekeeping as you exit the theatre:
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Post-Credits Scene
Get a sneak peek at the next ILTBTA installment.
In honor of our move to the DC area at the end of the month, our next ILTBTA movie will be the DC-based Broadcast News. Released in 1987 and starring Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks, and WIlliam Hurt, Broadcast News is a rom-com-dram set in a DC television network studio. It is available to rent in all of the usual places.
Until then, that’ll do!
P.S. A happy early Mother’s Day to all of the moms (and expectant mothers!) out there in the ILTBTA world!
And now I can finally stop calling him “the piglet”!
Much like your authors.
Sounds like my ex-wife!
Air Bud came out in 1997, so I’m now fully convinced they stole the whole rulebook-animal-loophole from Babe.
Results tabulated and certified by the accountants at Ernst & Yum™.
"Tyler: Same! Though I’m admittedly a sucker for anything sad having to do with animals."
Would advise bringing at least four boxes of tissues if you go see Guardians of the Galaxy 3!