I took our children to see Charlotte’s Web yesterday, and I have to tell you I was thoroughly entertained the entire time; all of us were. I debated about taking my older three (6, 9, 10) to see The Nativity Story, but I’d read a couple of reviews by mothers who said it had earned its PG rating and had a few scenes they had to cover their child’s eyes through. One mom said she regretted taking her 7-year-old to see it and wished she’d waited for the DVD. (But I’m still hoping to see this movie on the Big Screen.)

So I opted for Charlotte’s Web instead, wondering if I’d be able to keep my eyes open through a kid’s movie. Boy, was I wrong! I was captivated, mesmerized. I couldn’t stop laughing. The animals were hilarious! Then I discovered the star-studded cast of voices. Check these out:

Julia Roberts …. Charlotte the Spider (voice)

Steve Buscemi …. Templeton the Rat (voice)

John Cleese …. Samuel the Sheep (voice)

Oprah Winfrey …. Gussy the Goose (voice)

Cedric the Entertainer …. Golly the Goose (voice)

Kathy Bates …. Bitsy the Cow (voice)

Reba McEntire …. Betsy the Cow (voice)

Robert Redford …. Ike the Horse (voice)

Thomas Haden Church …. Brooks the Crow (voice)

André Benjamin …. Elwyn the Crow (voice)

Dominic Scott Kay …. Wilbur (voice)

Sam Shepard …. Narrator

Abraham Benrubi …. Uncle the Pig (voice)

Dakota Fanning …. Fern

Kevin Anderson …. Mr. Arable

Julia Roberts’ voice for Charlotte lends the spider an air of mystery and wisdom. And I love how the plot unfolds. Templeton the rat (ooh, that TAIL made me sqeamish!) helps Charlotte find the right word to spin in her web to endear Wilbur the pig so he won’t become Christmas dinner.

Isn’t this a wonderful theme for writers? We’re constantly searching for the right word to create our characters and stories. Templeton had to go out into the world to search and make his discoveries, just like we writers can’t sit behind a computer screen all day if we hope to write something that will connect to people’s hearts.

I didn’t realize Oprah Winfrey played Gussy the Goose! I bet that recording studio was a riot — because the acting was truly funny. You fall in love with each and every one of them, and the 97-minute movie flies by.

I also liked the movie’s message about families. Fern is very close to her father — who is kissing the pig in the photo above. In today’s culture, with the role of fathers being downplayed as not important, here’s a movie that shows how Fern finds much of her self-confidence from the love of her dad. I could see how Fern’s views of her heavenly father could be favorably shaped by the love of her earthly dad.

For all of you homemakers who take your kids to see the movie, you’ll love the vintage kitchen, where many of the scenes take place! I felt like running home and painting my kitchen bright yellow and adding some vintage crocks to my countertop. Details like this kept me completely entranced.

And the theme of finding miracles in the ordinary makes this movie something you’ll bring home with you. You’ll never be able to look at a plain ol’ spider web again — without thinking of “Some Pig.”