Earlier this month, Dick King-Smith died. I read dozens of books by this prolific author, but it all started with The Sheep Pig, the book that inspired George Miller’s acclaimed 1995 movie Babe. I adored that movie but never saw the sequel until this year. While it’s not quite the classic that the original is, Miller’s Babe: Pig in the City is a sweet follow-up.
Babe
(E. G. Daily) is a champion sheep pig, but his glory is short-lived, as
he accidentally does something that leaves his beloved boss, Arthur
Hoggett (James Cromwell), incapacitated. The farmer doesn’t blame the
pig, but Babe feels terrible, especially since, with Hoggett unable to
work the farm, it is in danger of going into foreclosure. His boisterous
wife Esme (Magda Szubanski) decides to accept an offer to make an
appearance with Babe at a county fair, but a transportation kerfuffle
leaves her stranded in the city with the pig. And then the trouble
really begins…
The original Babe is such a quiet, simple
story, beautifully executed, and much of its charm lies in Cromwell’s
understated performance as the farmer of few words but deep thoughts.
Though Hoggett’s injury drives the plot, Cromwell’s role in this movie
is scarcely more than a cameo. Moreover, instead of the bucolic beauty
of Hoggett Farm, we’ve got a chaotic city to contend with, and there are
several scenes that go on much longer than necessary just for the sake
of slapstick. But Babe is still the same lovable pig he was in the first
film, and this movie is all about weathering mistakes and
disappointments for the sake of a noble goal.
The love and
respect that Babe has for Farmer Hoggett are never in question. At the
same time, as he gets to know a ragtag crew of dogs, cats and simians
hiding out in the hotel run by a kind-hearted animal lover (Mary Stein),
the considerate nature that made him so popular with the sheep serves
him yet again. Despite his determination to help his boss, he puts
himself at risk for the sake of others, even those that are unkind to
him. Meanwhile, Esme fights her own battle to reclaim her honor and her
husband’s pig. While her role is once again largely comical – and a
couple of her scenes are quite absurd – her determination to retrieve
Babe at any cost to her dignity is admirable, especially considering the
reluctance to look foolish that she displayed in the first movie.
While
I prefer the farm setting, the look of the film is still lovely, and
the Celtic-flavored score is stirring. The movie also boasts a
magnificent Oscar-nominated theme song. Written by Randy Newman and performed by Peter Gabriel, it extols the virtues of courage and kindness and incorporates Babe’s iconic concluding line: “That’ll do, Pig. That’ll do.” If you’re looking for a pleasant family film, this movie will do.
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