Babe(1995)

I almost didn't watch this today because I said I was going to try to catch the World Cup Final, which I thought started at 3 PM, when it was 3 PM EST, so by the time I wanted to start it, the match was basically done. I therefore put this on to commemorate my last day of having a non-functional nose.

The first thing I compared this to was the Paddington series. This was basically the original Paddington, only with a much more melancholy core. It opens with a brutally realistic world setting for the pigs, and our protagonist Babe has to suffer an incredibly cruel realization about the world and their owner. Against the cheery and innocent tone that the story is told in, the contrast is even starker.

We do not know what Babe's inner dialogue was when he was trying to starve himself in his bout of depression, nor do we know what Arthur was thinking when he sang to Babe to get him to eat again. Was Arthur actually concerned for Babe's health, or was he only worried about his prospect of winning the competition? Did Babe question this sudden affection he is beings shown? We don't know any of this. We only see Babe buckle up, smile, charm, and off he goes. I wrote before that even the darkest and most mature installment of the Paddington series read like fanciful fairytale to me in 2026. But Babel felt real, and through impeccable direction, witty dialogue, and an incredible ensemble performance (talking about the animals), it never became cynical and managed to make this bitter pill pleasant to swallow.

Preston was SAT for this film. The animals he was interested in included the cat, the dogs, the ducks, the chickens, and the pig. He did not care about the sheep. Also I can definitely see how this film would inspire a militant PETA, and for a second was worried if this would affect my own enjoyment of pork dishes in the future. After a few moments of reflection I now feel secure that it would not--my cognitive dissonance skill level especially as it relates to eating animal products is too high. Out of respect I won't eat pork today, but I suspect that is only because I plan to fast through dinner and don't have pork in the fridge right now.