So somebody thought they'd make a kiddie film about a pig who goes off to the farm.

WRONG!

This is one of the most original and heartwarming films I've ever seen. Forget about the special effects that make it look like the animals are really talking. Big deal, that's just icing.

What is so incredible is the perspective that the film is shown from. Almost everything is from the animal's point of view. Reality, being what you make it, is very different for these animals. For example, Christmas is declared to be carnage, when one of the ducks is killed and eaten by the farmer and his family. The alarm clock is referred to as the mechanical rooster.

Babe works because Babe is very innocent in a world that seems to have lost all innocence. Babe is trusting and kind in a time when being trusting is dangerous and being kind seems to be out of fashion. Perhaps we would all like to be like Babe, but are afraid to let down our guard.

From the film-making point of view, this is just wonderful photography -- soft tones and soft light. From the narrative point of view, this is a fairy tale with narration to move us along. Everything works. I haven't seen a fairy tale done this well since The Princess Bride.