Babe (1995) (3rd time)

Babe, a pig raised by sheepdogs, learns to herd sheep with a little help from Farmer Hoggett. [imdb]

Nominated for 7 Oscars:

Best Picture
Best Director: Chris Noonan
Best Supporting Actor: James Cromwell
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Editing
Best Art Direction
Best Visual Effects (WINNER)

I love Babe for many reasons. First of all, it's such a well told story, and you can't deny that. Then, it somehow manages to find humanity and emotions in all kinds of unexpected places. It's a compelling, uplifting, both cheerful and dramatic story. The direction and the screenplay are the keys for success and I reeeeally believe Chris Noonan should've won Best Director. What he did was incredibly difficult: give a serious, artistic, professional feel to a subject which sounds ridiculous on paper.

Regarding Best Picture, I would've probably went with Sense & Sensibility out of the 5, but Babe sure is special. The Visual Effects are subtle (yes, I see them as subtle) but terribly effective. It's not a film everybody would enjoy, but it's a relaxing, quiet experience that I have fun going back to.

My rating for the film: 8.5/10. And I feel I wasn't generous enough.

P.S.: I've watched it again because Malcoms asked some people to share thoughts on Best Picture 1995. To see what the general idea was, you can click HERE.