It’s time for The Anniversary Brothers Podcast. This month it’s on Babe for its 25th anniversary.
Babe is a family film directed by Chris Noonan, who also co-wrote the movie with Mad Max mastermind George Miller. The movie is based on the novel The Sheep-Pig by Dick King-Smith. It was released in theaters on August 4, 1995. The movie stars Christine Cavanaugh as Babe, a pig who learns to herd sheep for his master, Farmer Hoggett, played by James Cromwell. Other roles include Magda Szubanski as Mrs. Hoggett, Miriam Margolyes and Hugo Weaving as sheepdogs Fly and Rex, Danny Mann as Ferdinand the duck, Miriam Flynn as Maa the sheep, and Russi Taylor as the Hoggetts’ cat. Roscoe Lee Browne provides his voice as narrator.
Babe was a critical and financial success, making $254 million worldwide. Babe would go on to earn seven Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (for Cromwell), Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, and Best Editing. It won for Visual Effects.
Aaron and Josh talk about the performances, the movie’s use of CGI and animatronics, and the nature of stories with talking animals. The brothers also discuss if the movie should have been rated PG instead of G and whether or not audiences would be receptive to the film today.
For a podcast on another talking animal movie, listen to Josh and Aaron discuss the original Lion King.
