Common Sense Note
Parents need to know Charlotte's Web is unusually respectful of its much-loved source (E.B. White's classic novel) and its young audience. While the movie does refer to the farmer's plan to kill Wilbur for Christmas dinner, the pivotal (and most potentially upsetting) moment is the death of a central character, which is followed by appropriate mourning and recovery by her barnyard friends. Some of the animal characters are initially unfriendly to a new arrival, and Templeton the rat scavenges objects and talks about being selfish and sneaky. Crows attack him, with their point-of-view shots suggesting the danger he's in. There's also some name-calling. Loyalty, acceptance, and faith in your friends are important themes of this emotionally powerful movie.
Sexual
Content
Charlotte gives birth (no mention of how she ended up having babies).
Violence
Minor slapstick and sense of threat when crows chase rat; minor disturbance when rat's rotten egg explodes; allusions to Wilbur's imminent fate as Christmas dinner (use of the word "bacon" and ominous shots of the "cure house"); a central character dies (peacefully), and the others mourn their loss.
Language
Some name-calling ("stupid," "hideous"); "bloody."
Social
Behavior
Loyalty, acceptance, and faith in your friends are important themes of this emotionally powerful movie. Also dedicating yourself to what you believe in and helping others at all costs. Acknowledges the realities of life on a farm (i.e. pigs are frequently eaten).
Consumerism
Not applicable
Drugs / Tobacco /
Alcohol
Not applicable
