“Babe” turns 25 on August 4, and the sweet, endearing family drama from Down Under, about an orphan pig winning a sheepherding competition, revolutionized the talking animal movie in 1995. The underdog also became a surprising box office hit and Oscar contender for Universal.
“Babe” earned $64 million domestically and $254 million worldwide, and grabbed seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director (for Chris Noonan), Best Adapted Screenplay (Miller & Noonan), and Best Supporting Actor (for James Cromwell as avuncular Farmer Hoggett). Yet its lone prize was for Best Visual Effects, beating Universal’s heavily favored “Apollo 13.”
Thanks to the landmark collaboration between VFX studio Rhythm & Hues (overlaying CG animation over live-action animal footage), and more advanced animatronics from London-based Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, and Australia’s John Cox’s Creature Shop and Robotech, “Babe” altered the landscape of the industry. “We weren’t just changing technology, we were changing filmmaking,” said Oscar-winning...
“Babe” earned $64 million domestically and $254 million worldwide, and grabbed seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director (for Chris Noonan), Best Adapted Screenplay (Miller & Noonan), and Best Supporting Actor (for James Cromwell as avuncular Farmer Hoggett). Yet its lone prize was for Best Visual Effects, beating Universal’s heavily favored “Apollo 13.”
Thanks to the landmark collaboration between VFX studio Rhythm & Hues (overlaying CG animation over live-action animal footage), and more advanced animatronics from London-based Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, and Australia’s John Cox’s Creature Shop and Robotech, “Babe” altered the landscape of the industry. “We weren’t just changing technology, we were changing filmmaking,” said Oscar-winning...
- 8/2/2020
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Acclaimed film historian and author Lee Gambin will have you cowering in your Ford Pinto curled up with his monumental tome Nope, Nothing Wrong Here: The Making of Cujo, an exhaustive guide to Lewis Teague's 1983 big screen adaptation of Stephen King's bestselling novel Cujo. The book is a meticulously-researched, lovingly-assembled collection featuring thirty exclusive candid interviews and over two hundred never-before-seen production stills.
The author traces the film’s production from troubled start (the firing of original director Peter Medak and replacement by Teague) through the film’s legacy today as one of the most successful and well-regarded onscreen visions of King’s work. Gambin’s academic approach and reverence for the topic makes it essential reading for discerning fans, academics, and cinema history enthusiasts who will revel in his astute scene-by-scene analysis and in-depth behind-the-scenes coverage.
Stuntman Gary Morgan
Gambin, whose career involves insightful writing on nature-gone-amok...
The author traces the film’s production from troubled start (the firing of original director Peter Medak and replacement by Teague) through the film’s legacy today as one of the most successful and well-regarded onscreen visions of King’s work. Gambin’s academic approach and reverence for the topic makes it essential reading for discerning fans, academics, and cinema history enthusiasts who will revel in his astute scene-by-scene analysis and in-depth behind-the-scenes coverage.
Stuntman Gary Morgan
Gambin, whose career involves insightful writing on nature-gone-amok...
- 5/15/2017
- by ChildrenoftheCornMovie
- ChildrenoftheCornMovie.com
"That'll do, pig. That'll do."
It's been 20 years since the world fell in love with the sheep-herding pig at the center of the film "Babe," which opened August 4, 1995. The movie was hailed as a kids' movie that delighted viewers of all ages -- it was the rare children's film nominated for a Best Picture Oscar -- as well as an advance in effects magic that launched a wave of live-action, talking-animal flicks.
It's hard to imagine that the G-rated classic came from George Miller, the same filmmaker behind the ultra-violent, hard-r "Mad Max" franchise. That's one of many things you may not know about "Babe," here are 19 more:
1. In 1986, producer/co-screenwriter Miller became interested in the story during a long plane flight from Sydney to London, where the woman seated next to him was laughing uproariously at Dick King-Smith's book, "The Sheep-Pig." Upon landing, he found the book in...
It's been 20 years since the world fell in love with the sheep-herding pig at the center of the film "Babe," which opened August 4, 1995. The movie was hailed as a kids' movie that delighted viewers of all ages -- it was the rare children's film nominated for a Best Picture Oscar -- as well as an advance in effects magic that launched a wave of live-action, talking-animal flicks.
It's hard to imagine that the G-rated classic came from George Miller, the same filmmaker behind the ultra-violent, hard-r "Mad Max" franchise. That's one of many things you may not know about "Babe," here are 19 more:
1. In 1986, producer/co-screenwriter Miller became interested in the story during a long plane flight from Sydney to London, where the woman seated next to him was laughing uproariously at Dick King-Smith's book, "The Sheep-Pig." Upon landing, he found the book in...
- 8/4/2015
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
A box-office hit in its native Australia, Red Dog is the tale of the legendary pooch who embodied the country's outback spirit – and has a made a star of its canine lead, Koko
Australia's hottest movie star fixes me with his soulful brown eyes and greets me with a firm lick on the hand. Then, with a clack-clack of claws on the wooden floor of his airy home, Koko shows me through to the kitchen. For the next 20 minutes, the six-year-old star of Red Dog embarks on an impressive charm offensive, gazing up charismatically and fixing a gimlet eye on the bowl of cashew nuts placed before us.
Koko, a red cloud kelpie, has been the surprise breakout talent of 2011 in Australia. The underdog project to adapt Louis de Bernières's book about a real dog that breathed life into a desolate mining town, took $21.3m (£13.4m) at the Australian box office last year,...
Australia's hottest movie star fixes me with his soulful brown eyes and greets me with a firm lick on the hand. Then, with a clack-clack of claws on the wooden floor of his airy home, Koko shows me through to the kitchen. For the next 20 minutes, the six-year-old star of Red Dog embarks on an impressive charm offensive, gazing up charismatically and fixing a gimlet eye on the bowl of cashew nuts placed before us.
Koko, a red cloud kelpie, has been the surprise breakout talent of 2011 in Australia. The underdog project to adapt Louis de Bernières's book about a real dog that breathed life into a desolate mining town, took $21.3m (£13.4m) at the Australian box office last year,...
- 2/10/2012
- by Patrick Barkham
- The Guardian - Film News
There is a moment during the suspenseful climax of White Dog, director Sam Fuller’s last American-made film (out on Criterion Collection DVD December 2), in which the character played by Paul Winfield unsheathes his gun and levels it at the eponymous canine, which has been trained by white racists to attack and kill black people. The filmmaker shoots from a low angle—Winfield pointing his loaded weapon directly into the camera.
As the shot dollies forward toward Winfield and finally focuses on the gun in his hand, the lens keeps zooming in even further until it appears that the muzzle of the weapon is about to fill the frame—and then something unexpected happens. Instead of aiming a firearm directly at the viewing audience, Fuller drops his sights about an inch lower and fills the widescreen frame with the finger on the trigger, leaving us staring intently at a muscle...
As the shot dollies forward toward Winfield and finally focuses on the gun in his hand, the lens keeps zooming in even further until it appears that the muzzle of the weapon is about to fill the frame—and then something unexpected happens. Instead of aiming a firearm directly at the viewing audience, Fuller drops his sights about an inch lower and fills the widescreen frame with the finger on the trigger, leaving us staring intently at a muscle...
- 11/25/2008
- Fangoria
This is a wolf in pig's clothing. "Babe: Pig in the City" -- while waddling along in the guise of a family film -- is down to its shank, a grizzled depiction of a vicious and hideous world. Dark-toned and laden with oppressively grimy aesthetics, it's more akin to the sort of snide-and-sour offering one encounters at independent film festivals or Left Bank art houses, not what one expects given the film's sweet pedigree. Undoubtedly, Universal will slice some hefty boxoffice grosses over the holiday weekend based on the giddy expectations that recall this sequel's proud lineage, but word-of-mouth will be decidedly "Oscar Mayer" -- this porker is headed quickly to the slaughterhouse. Sensible parents with tots will be particularly nettled by the film's cruel and sadistic depictions such as animals squirming in death throes, etc.
While those folk who shop at Piggly Wiggly may be turned off by its dark and nasty ingredients, "Pig in the City" may find its best pastures overseas. With its pessimistic underpinnings, addled plotting and abstract meanderings, it's the sort of surreal cinematic slab that might be selected as a first-weekend competition entrant at Cannes.
Narratively, "Pig in the City" is a pig-out-of-water yarn. Old man Hoggett (James Cromwell) has been laid up and is in danger of losing ye olde farme. It's up to his spunky wife Esme (Magda Szubanski) to take hold of the reins and save it from foreclosure. The only course of action is to go to the city and capitalize on Babe's recent fame and garner an appearance fee at a big-time fair. Unhappily, air travel, being what it is today, botches things up and Esme and Babe never make it to the fair on time. They're left stranded in the big, bad city and take refuge in a seedy Bates-like hotel infested with all sorts of weird and dysfunctional creatures. Undeniably, the sweet-natured Babe and the stout Mrs. Hoggett are a sympathetic duo and we certainly want them to experience no harm. It's in these initial city scenes as Babe and Mrs. Hoggett counter The City Slickers' hostilities with their down-home brand of kindness that "Babe" really jells. Babe's naive and helpful ways are not only endearing, they are inspiring, and given the awfulness of the situations, quite funny.
But alas, this sequel focuses more on the maliciousness of the city characters as well as the inherent evil of the city (civilization) itself than it does on Babe's goodly, transcendent nature. Thematically, the power of one tiny individual to make the world a better place is lost in the film's overall ferociousness. As written by George Miller, Judy Morris and Mark Lamprell, the screenplay is not so much a scenario as it is a pessimistic smear of the dangers of city life. Narratively, it's merely assaultive as Babe and Mrs. Hoggett endure evil after evil. Structurally, the story is largely without tendons: it's a mere compendium of similar scenes -- Babe and Mrs. Hoggett enduring attack after attack. Eventually, this larder limps off to a pat and force-fed resolution, a happy-feel ending that is, well, just plain out of left field. Nonetheless, there is considerable skill in the writing: the dialogue is droll, deadpan and downright funny in a sparse kind of way. Unfortunately, it's going to be lost on much of its target audience, indicative of the enterprise's elevated, coffeehouse-noir sensibilities.
Still, "Babe" is filled with delightful moments in large part due to the charming animal cast, including not only pigs, but ducks, dogs, monkeys, kitties and cows. The voicework is terrific, particularly E.G. Daily's winning warbles as Babe and James Cosmo's wily deliveries as a monkey named Thelonius. Not only are these animals winning in their "performances" but they are integrated nicely into the story by the skilled and creative workings of the production team. In particular, costume designer Norma Moriceau's animal and human costumes are a constant delight chock full of personality and humor. Also a plus is cinematographer Andrew Lesnie's smartly composed groupings: back shots of Babe peering out at the big-bad world are wonderfully cute and comforting.
This time out, James Cromwell appears only briefly as a bookend as the sinewy Hoggett. That's a shame, for his gangly, practical-mannered performance in the original was a true highlight. As the determined Mrs. Hoggett, Szubanski brims with energy and chubby cheerfulness, while Mickey Rooney is well-cast as a comedic codger. Mary Stein's angular agility perks up her landlady part with some nifty comic touches.
While wildly appealing as a pet show, as a movie, "Babe: Pig in the City" is penned in by the lackadaisical story line as well as the film's grimy sensibilities. Despite the funny flourishes of the costumes and some sprightly animated figures and spunky visual effects, "Babe" is a pretty oppressive-feeling production. Under Miller's dark hand, the film's inventively expressionistic production design (Roger Ford) and baleful musical score (Nigel Westlake) only serve to further sodden this surprisingly dreary family outing.
BABE: PIG IN THE CITY
Universal Pictures
A Kennedy Miller film
Producers: George Miller, Doug Mitchell, Bill Miller
Director: George Miller
Screenwriters: George Miller, Judy Morris, Mark Lamprell
Additional unit director: Daphne Paris
Director of photography: Andrew Lesnie
Music: Nigel Westlake
Editors: Jay Friedkin, Margaret Sixel
Production designer: Roger Ford
Costume designer: Norma Moriceau
Executive producer: Barbara Gibbs
Visual effects and animation: Ryhthm & Hues, Mill Film, Animal Logic Film
Animatronics: Neal Scanlan Studio
Concept artist: Peter Pound
"That'll Do" written by Randy Newman, performed by Peter Gabriel
Animal action: Karl Lewis Miller
Casting: Alison Barrett, Nicki Barrett, Barbara Harris
Art director: Colin Gibson
Sound recordist: Ben Osmo
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Mrs. Hoggett: Magda Szubanski
Farmer Hoggett: James Cromwell
The Landlady: Mary Stein
Fugly Floom: Mickey Rooney
Voices:
Babe: E.G. Daily
Ferdinand: Danny Mann
Zootie: Glenne Headly
Bob: Steven Wright
Thelonius: James Cosmo
Easy: Nathan Kress, Myles Jeffrey
The Pitbull and the Doberman: Stanley Ralph Ross
The Pink Poodle: Russi Taylor
Flealick: Adam Goldberg
Nigel and Alan: Eddie Barth
The Sniffer Dog: Bill Capizzi
Fly: Miriam Margolyes
Rex: Hugo Weaving
The Narrator: Roscoe Lee Browne
Running time -- 88 minutes
MPAA rating: G...
While those folk who shop at Piggly Wiggly may be turned off by its dark and nasty ingredients, "Pig in the City" may find its best pastures overseas. With its pessimistic underpinnings, addled plotting and abstract meanderings, it's the sort of surreal cinematic slab that might be selected as a first-weekend competition entrant at Cannes.
Narratively, "Pig in the City" is a pig-out-of-water yarn. Old man Hoggett (James Cromwell) has been laid up and is in danger of losing ye olde farme. It's up to his spunky wife Esme (Magda Szubanski) to take hold of the reins and save it from foreclosure. The only course of action is to go to the city and capitalize on Babe's recent fame and garner an appearance fee at a big-time fair. Unhappily, air travel, being what it is today, botches things up and Esme and Babe never make it to the fair on time. They're left stranded in the big, bad city and take refuge in a seedy Bates-like hotel infested with all sorts of weird and dysfunctional creatures. Undeniably, the sweet-natured Babe and the stout Mrs. Hoggett are a sympathetic duo and we certainly want them to experience no harm. It's in these initial city scenes as Babe and Mrs. Hoggett counter The City Slickers' hostilities with their down-home brand of kindness that "Babe" really jells. Babe's naive and helpful ways are not only endearing, they are inspiring, and given the awfulness of the situations, quite funny.
But alas, this sequel focuses more on the maliciousness of the city characters as well as the inherent evil of the city (civilization) itself than it does on Babe's goodly, transcendent nature. Thematically, the power of one tiny individual to make the world a better place is lost in the film's overall ferociousness. As written by George Miller, Judy Morris and Mark Lamprell, the screenplay is not so much a scenario as it is a pessimistic smear of the dangers of city life. Narratively, it's merely assaultive as Babe and Mrs. Hoggett endure evil after evil. Structurally, the story is largely without tendons: it's a mere compendium of similar scenes -- Babe and Mrs. Hoggett enduring attack after attack. Eventually, this larder limps off to a pat and force-fed resolution, a happy-feel ending that is, well, just plain out of left field. Nonetheless, there is considerable skill in the writing: the dialogue is droll, deadpan and downright funny in a sparse kind of way. Unfortunately, it's going to be lost on much of its target audience, indicative of the enterprise's elevated, coffeehouse-noir sensibilities.
Still, "Babe" is filled with delightful moments in large part due to the charming animal cast, including not only pigs, but ducks, dogs, monkeys, kitties and cows. The voicework is terrific, particularly E.G. Daily's winning warbles as Babe and James Cosmo's wily deliveries as a monkey named Thelonius. Not only are these animals winning in their "performances" but they are integrated nicely into the story by the skilled and creative workings of the production team. In particular, costume designer Norma Moriceau's animal and human costumes are a constant delight chock full of personality and humor. Also a plus is cinematographer Andrew Lesnie's smartly composed groupings: back shots of Babe peering out at the big-bad world are wonderfully cute and comforting.
This time out, James Cromwell appears only briefly as a bookend as the sinewy Hoggett. That's a shame, for his gangly, practical-mannered performance in the original was a true highlight. As the determined Mrs. Hoggett, Szubanski brims with energy and chubby cheerfulness, while Mickey Rooney is well-cast as a comedic codger. Mary Stein's angular agility perks up her landlady part with some nifty comic touches.
While wildly appealing as a pet show, as a movie, "Babe: Pig in the City" is penned in by the lackadaisical story line as well as the film's grimy sensibilities. Despite the funny flourishes of the costumes and some sprightly animated figures and spunky visual effects, "Babe" is a pretty oppressive-feeling production. Under Miller's dark hand, the film's inventively expressionistic production design (Roger Ford) and baleful musical score (Nigel Westlake) only serve to further sodden this surprisingly dreary family outing.
BABE: PIG IN THE CITY
Universal Pictures
A Kennedy Miller film
Producers: George Miller, Doug Mitchell, Bill Miller
Director: George Miller
Screenwriters: George Miller, Judy Morris, Mark Lamprell
Additional unit director: Daphne Paris
Director of photography: Andrew Lesnie
Music: Nigel Westlake
Editors: Jay Friedkin, Margaret Sixel
Production designer: Roger Ford
Costume designer: Norma Moriceau
Executive producer: Barbara Gibbs
Visual effects and animation: Ryhthm & Hues, Mill Film, Animal Logic Film
Animatronics: Neal Scanlan Studio
Concept artist: Peter Pound
"That'll Do" written by Randy Newman, performed by Peter Gabriel
Animal action: Karl Lewis Miller
Casting: Alison Barrett, Nicki Barrett, Barbara Harris
Art director: Colin Gibson
Sound recordist: Ben Osmo
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Mrs. Hoggett: Magda Szubanski
Farmer Hoggett: James Cromwell
The Landlady: Mary Stein
Fugly Floom: Mickey Rooney
Voices:
Babe: E.G. Daily
Ferdinand: Danny Mann
Zootie: Glenne Headly
Bob: Steven Wright
Thelonius: James Cosmo
Easy: Nathan Kress, Myles Jeffrey
The Pitbull and the Doberman: Stanley Ralph Ross
The Pink Poodle: Russi Taylor
Flealick: Adam Goldberg
Nigel and Alan: Eddie Barth
The Sniffer Dog: Bill Capizzi
Fly: Miriam Margolyes
Rex: Hugo Weaving
The Narrator: Roscoe Lee Browne
Running time -- 88 minutes
MPAA rating: G...
- 11/25/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.