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A film review by
Mark
O'Hara
Copyright © 1998 Mark O'Hara
Pig
in the City picks up where Babe left off, with Arthur
Hoggett (James Cromwell) quietly accepting a trophy for
his champion sheepdog, er, pig. He hugs his wife, turns
down myriad offers for public appearances, and falls down
a well, sustaining injuries that put him out of most of
the movie.
This is the first risk taken by the sequel, and it's one
of many reasons why Pig in the City is so successful.
The storybook qualities are still here: along with the
Hoggetts' generously thatched cottage, we see a quirky
hotel housing two humans and a menagerie of animals. The
landscapes are still beautiful and cozy, skies glowing
like canvases by N. C. Wyeth. Of course the animals talk.
And the city of the title is "just to the left of
the twentieth century," its landmarks icons from
real cities -- the Seattle Space Needle, the
"Hollywood" letters, the Eiffel Tower, the
Sydney Opera House (the film was shot in Australia, after
all). Accordingly, the sets, costumes and lighting
accentuate the magical effects.
What is so remarkable about this sequel is that it
differs so much from Babe. Yes, many of the same
characters are here - indeed, I wanted more of the
taciturn Hoggett, the sheepdogs Fly and Rex, and others -
but this new zoo of a cast is just as charming, and even
more uproarious in its adventures. This film proves that
strong sequels, and installments of series films, rely
only briefly on their original incarnations, and stand on
their own as solid and engaging stories.
Because Mr. Hoggett is laid up and the bank is
threatening foreclosure, Mrs. Hoggett brainstorms and
decides to travel to the city for a grand state fair.
There she will display "Pig," which is Babe's
name to humans, and receive enough money to save the
farm. As the two board a plane that heads into the sky,
there are captivating scenes of Ferdinand the duck (voice
of Danny Mann) in hot pursuit, asking advice from a flock
of wise pelicans. When she is detained at the airport,
Mrs. Hoggett not only misses the state fair but fails to
locate a hotel that will accept her particular type of
pet. In the face of a stranger who tells her of a lodging
where she and Babe/Pig will be safe, we see a motif that
contributes again and again to the humor of the story.
Another artifice surfaces when Mrs. Hoggett stumbles a
second time into trouble with the law, leaving Babe alone
with animals that at first seem menacing but turn out
charming. The bulk of the plot involves Babe's
relationships with the animals that inhabit, in violation
of city ordinances, this storybook hotel. Will the
creatures be saved from the animal control agency that
evicts them? Will Babe ever reunite with Esme Cordelia
Hoggett, let alone with Arthur?
As Mrs. Hoggett, Magda Szubanski is outstanding. In the
original she was so much set decoration, a prudish Mrs.
Sprat who talks two miles a minute and concerns herself
with fattening the protagonist for Christmas. In this
story we see her determination developed and focused on
those keeping her apart from Babe and from her husband.
She is wonderfully game in going after the endangered
animals, paired with the drink-of-water woman (Mary
Stein) who owns the hotel. And when she dons an
inflatable clown suit and bounces all over a ballroom in
pursuit of Babe, we enjoy a series of belly laughs. This
was my son's favorite scene.
My daughter's favorite part involves a chimp named Zootie
(Glenne Headley). She is the mate of a punkish chimp
voiced by the comedian Steven Wright. Both lend their
characters quirky and likable personalities. Moreover,
the animal actors perform memorably. Along with the
chimps there are multitudinous dogs (one with wheels for
back legs, a creature that nearly made me fall into the
aisle of the theater!), cats, a goldfish, a modest
orangutan, and the familiar chorus of mice.
Congratulations to director George Miller, as well as to
the many animal trainers, handlers and animatronics
engineers. They assist the animals in telling large
sections of the narrative; perhaps the animals are more
important than even the humans.
Mickey Rooney has a cameo as the hotel owner's uncle, a
strange little man named Fugly Flooms. He's a clown who
entertains hospitalized children, and when he conscripts
Babe to help in the magic act, very funny chaos follows.
In a small reprise of his role as Farmer Hoggett, James
Cromwell shows his experience; he's tolerant and
venerable, and after watching the first movie, you just
know the words with which Hoggett will end this one.
It's refreshing to see such a promising lineup of family
entertainment in theaters for the holidays. My ten
year-old often scans ratings and discovers no G- or
PG-rated films playing anywhere. For the next several
weeks we will be able to take her to several. Babe: Pig
in the City holds its own with all audiences, as
suggested by several senior citizens sitting around us,
also laughing with abandon. It may even garner for the
franchise a second Academy Award nomination for Best
Picture.
Related
Babe: Pig in the City Links:
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 In
the heart of the city, a pig with heart.
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