Very obvious movie reviewing

Now that Tuesday's poem is in its second week (habit almost formed!), I think I'm going to add another recurring blog theme (though the time & date will not be set). It will share my obvious movie reviews, reviews that state only those details which any viewer could have noticed and probably did grasp, and it will cover movies that are probably undeserving of close inspection. I will also address movies that were made and released some time ago so that most people will have forgotten them. I do not have the film critic chops of an Anthony Lane, David Denby or A.O. Scott. I am not channeling the spirit of Pauline Kael. I have no film school credentials and I've watched a lot of low brow, low grade and low quality stuff (i.e. all of the straight to DVD Aladdin sequels come to mind).

Still, I have something to share and observations to note.

Today's review will cover Dakota Fanning's performance in the live action "Charlotte's Web"

Note: I have seen this movie twice - once in the theater at full price and one in the theater (this summer) at a $1.00 kid/summer price. Both times I disliked Dakota Fanning's interpretation of Fern.

Fern is a sweetheart, a real animal lover. You don't need a movie to tell you that. Just read the actual novel & you'll grasp Fern's tender heart. But in this live action film, Fanning gives Fern an edge. She sasses her father and kind of bosses him around. Instead of pleading for Wilbur's life, she basically tells her dad What's What and he caves. He looks almost scared of her bossiness, like he's not going to be able to handle her when she's a teenager.

I also did not like how quickly she morphed from Wilbur's Number One Fan to that violin-playing kid's girlfriend. I know the message is about growing up and moving on. Wilbur has to see that it's all part of the Circle of Life. Charlotte is dying, Fern is living. But I felt like Fanning's character just happily skipped off to the Ferris Wheel without a second glance at the pig pen. Not much depth in her backward glance. Also, she didn't put up a fuss about the yellow dress. I think she was happy to get out of her jeans and start flirting.

This is not the Fern I love from the book's cover, the animated movie (with its wonderful fair collage) or the book. Fern is not an edgy farm chick, she is a sweet girl who loves being in the barn.

So Ms. Fanning, while you may have shown depth in other films I did not see ("I Am Sam" is the only one I can think of), I did not like the tone you struck with Fern. I will not be seeing another one of your movies ... until it comes to the cheap summer movie program.