Happy New Year!! And welcome to 2024! An exciting year for the Friday Film Club it will be with brand new films and themes, and some old favourites too. We start of this leap year, with a theme that ties into one of January’s biggest celebratory events – Veganuary! Yes, a whole month made to encourage you to abstain from consuming or using animal-based products. I know it doesn’t sound very appetising, but it’s extremely good for both you and the planet and you don’t even have to stick to it forever, just one month. Anyway, to coincide with this event, I have selected four films which put animals and animal welfare at the forefront. Animals so adorable, they’ll absorb all your emotions so you genuinely start to think about going off meat at least for a while.
We begin with an absolute classic, Animal Farm (1954). An animated adaptation based on the world-famous 1945 novel by George Orwell (of which we have numerous copies available to read within the Library!), directed by John Halas & Joy Batchelor. All the voices in this one are provided by the same actor, Maurice Denham (Our Man in Havana, Sunday Bloody Sunday). And rather surprisingly it was made in cooperation with the Office of Policy Coordination (a branch of the CIA), a British-American production used to combat communism at the time. Being animated however, it is slightly more kid friendly than its source material.
The story takes place at Manor Farm, which is constantly mismanaged by its drunken owner, Mr. Jones. Prize pig Old Major encourages the farm animals to oust Jones before his death. His successor Snowball leads the revolt, raiding the storehouse for food and chasing Jones away. They rename the farm Animal farm and destroy any tool of oppression, abandoning the barn they used to live in (all except one who harbours a secret…). The farm runs smoothly and all are at peace, until the Pigs declare themselves leaders. Little do they know, not one but two enemies lurk close by waiting to seize control.
Though used to represent and combat communism, at its heart there is a good story of animals rising up against their oppressors which is quite nice for at time. You’ll definitely find yourself rooting for the animals a lot more than the humans. This film also gives you a rather humours look at what an animal revolt might look like, if we were to continue treating them the way some of us already do. Critic reception was good, with C.A. Lejeune commenting, “I salute Animal Farm as a fine piece of work… [the production team] have made a film for the eye, ear, heart and mind”. The films impact was a lasting one, as it became a staple in classrooms across many English=speaking countries for decades. Watch the trailer by clicking the link below:
From one farm to another, the second entry of the month is Babe (1995). Directed by Chris Noonan (Miss Potter), it is an adaptation of Dick King-Smith’s 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig (available to read in the Library). The movie is narrated by Roscoe Lee Browne (Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Treasure Planet), with a cast (both physical and voice actors) featuring the likes of; James Cromwell (The Green Mile, The Queen), Magda Szubanski (Happy Feet), Christine Cavanagh (Jerry Maguire), Miriam Margolyes (Harry Potter, The Age of Innocence), and Hugo Weaving (The Matrix, The Lord of The Rings). The premise opens with Babe the piglet being used in a “guess the weight” contest at a county fair, subsequently the contest winner Arthur Hoggett (Cromwell) takes him home to his farm). While there, he is befriended by a Border-Collie named Fly (Margolyes) and her mate Rex (Weaving) and their puppies.
Disappointed when the Hoggetts buy an alarm clock (as he usually does the wake-up call), Ferdinand (a duck) persuades Babe to help him get rid of it, but in doing so the duo make a mess of the house. Rex forces Babe to stay away from both Ferdinand and the house thereafter, leaving the orphan isolated. After their puppies are sold however, Fly adopts him (much to the chagrin of Rex). When Babe narrowly avoids being eaten for Christmas dinner, he instinctively stops two thieves from stealing Hoggett’s sheep. It is from this moment on that Babe realises he wants to be a sheep-pig, herding the animals. But first he must prove to the Hoggett’s and the other animals that he has what it takes.
Babe was a critical and commercial success, nominated for no less than 7 Oscars (though winning just the 1 for Best Visual Effects). It had quite the effect in its homeland, leading to a rise in vegetarianism, especially among young people. Even actor James Cromwell himself became an ethical vegan after starring in the pic. In addition, it promoted a more sympathetic view of the intellectual and emotional capacities of animals. It received a sequel, Babe: Pig in the City, three years later. Experience Babe’s first meeting with some of the animals by clicking the link below:
Our final farm-based pick is the lovely Charlotte’s Web (2006), based on the 1952 E.B. White novel of the same name (available in the Library). It was directed by Gary Winnick (13 Going on 30, Letters to Juliet) and stars a young Dakota Fanning (Man on Fire, Twilight) in the lead role. She is joined by an incredible voice ensemble comprised of; Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman, Erin Brockovich), Steve Buscemi (The Big Lebowski, The Death of Stalin), John Cleese (Shrek 2, A Fish Called Wanda), Oprah Winfrey (The Color Purple, Selma) and newcomer Dominic Scott Kay (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Minority Report).
Beginning in springtime, it follows young Fern Arable (Fanning) on a farm in Somerset County, Maine (US). Fern discovers her father John about to kill one of a litter of new-born pigs, but successfully pleads with her him to spare the piglet, who she names Wilbur (Scott Kay) and cares for him deeply. She also takes him with her to school, which unsurprisingly lands her in trouble. Once he has matured however, she finds she must give him up to her Uncle Homer’s (Beau Bridges) barnyard; and with Fern stopped from seeing him, Wilbur feels abandoned.
Yearning for companionship, the other barn animals continue to ignore Wilbur. Fortunately, a friendly spider named Charlotte (Roberts) takes him under her wing. When told by the other animals that he will be dinner by Christmas, Charlotte and a Rat named Templeton (Buscemi) hatch a plan to help Wilbur escape, leading to a whole new adventure. Charlotte’s Web was a modest success, receiving mostly positive reviews and seen as a mostly faithful adaptation of its source material. Critic Michael Medved gave it three and a half stars out of four, describing it as “glowing with goodness”, while Owen Gleiberman (Entertainment Weekly) praised director Winnick for putting “the book, in all its glorious tall-tale reverence, right up on screen”. Dakota Fanning’s performance also received rapturous applause from critics and audiences alike. It continued its success by winning the 2006 Critic’s Choice Award for Best Live-Action Family Film. Meet the animals of this farm by watching the clip in the link below:
With our final entry of the month, we switch our focus to a creature of the water, in family drama Free Willy (1993). Directed by Simon Wincer (The Phantom, Crocodile Dundee 3), it is the story of an Orca (Killer Whale) held captivity, mirroring the real-life story of the whale used to portray Willy. It stars the relatively unknown Jason James Richter as lead character Jesse, alongside: Lori Petty (Point Break, A League of Their Own), Jayne Atkinson, Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Thelma & Louise) and Michael Ironside (Top Gun, The Next Karate Kid).
On the Pacific Northwest coastline, a pod of killer whales is peacefully swimming. The pod is tracked down by a group of whalers (people who capture, and kill or sell whales of any kind), who succeed in separating once of the young orcas from his family, he is subsequently sold to the Northwest Adventure Park. A few months later in Portland, Oregon (U.S.), a 12-year-old orphan named Jesse is roaming the streets with some friends (fellow orphans) begging for money and stealing food (after his mum had abandoned him 6 years prior). To evade a police pursuit, he & Perry (one of the orphans) break into a building that so happens to be the Park’s observation area, where Jesse notices Willy before being caught by the cops. Handed off to social services, Jesse is quickly relocated to live with foster parents Annie (Atkinson) & Glen (Madsen) Greenwood, despite his desire to be reunited with his mother one day. Additionally, to avoid having to do time at a juvenile detention centre, Jesse gains retribution for his indiscretions by cleaning and painting the observation area of the Adventure Park. Through, he quickly forms a bond with Willy through playing his harmonica, while also befriending Randolph (the caretaker) and trainer Rae (Petty).
When his probation is up, Jesse missing Willy, sneaks in to see him but accidently falls in the tank, saved from nearly drowning by Willy bringing him to the surface. Impressed that Jesse is the only human Willy responds to, he is given a summer job at the park training Willy, under the pretence of getting him ready for a performance so he can become valuable to the park’s owners. But danger lurks for both Willy & Jesse if he fails to perform. Can the new-found friends help each other survive? Free Willy was well liked and won quite a few awards, it has become something of a cult classic and even spawned a small franchise including: 2 sequels, an animated tv series and a failed reboot. Its an endearing film about the true friendship man and animals can have, but also spreads a powerful message about how some animals can be terribly misunderstood and the ethical dilemmas of keeping animals in captivity (e.g. in Zoos, Aquariums etc.). Enjoy the epic trailer by clicking the link below:
Overall, if these features don’t make you think twice about consuming/using animal products and the way you treat the Earth’s creatures, I don’t know what will. All four films showcase animals you can’t help but like and root for to survive, so why not root for real-life animals to do the same? You don’t have to commit to a lifetime, just try it for the rest of the month and see how you feel. We have plenty of Vegan cookbooks available for your perusal in the Library chock full of delicious recipes, we also of course have all four films available on e-stream to watch anytime, anywhere. Get your year of to a healthier start, here’s to a fantastic 2024!
Not sure how to access e-stream? Then simply click on the link below…
Bradford College Planet Estream.
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