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Parents' Guide to

Babe

By M. Faust, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Heartwarming farm story is touching and a bit scary.

Movie G 1995 91 minutes
Babe Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 23 parent reviews

Sarah P.
Sarah P. Parent
September 25, 2020
age 14+

Don't show to vegetarians or sensitive children

We had to turn it off before the great parts in the second half because the violence, the threats of death to sympathetic characters, Christmas dinner as a time of mourning for the goose who was slaughtered, all things that I hadn't remembered from seeing this long ago as an adult. My 11 year old vegetarian daughter was sobbing and miserable, and didn't last long enough for all the fun shepherding scenes.

This title has:

Too much violence
1 person found this helpful.
Laura C.
Laura C. Parent of 5-year-old
April 7, 2020
age 13+

Not good for sensitive kids

Before watching this movie with my 5.5 year old I came here but only checked some of the parents comments and did not find anything about the scene where the farmer is about to shoot Babe. It shows the gun, getting it ready and loading the riffle. Now that I come here I see that IT IS in the description by the Common Sense team. It was a very scary scene for my daughter. I was very shocked by it too. She hasn't been exposed to guns ever! Or even those images. We see very few movies with her so she is not used to the movie language that much either. It was very intense for her and she is even talking about that one scene a lot, and the one where Maa dies. She is very much aware of the fact that people eat dead animal as we talk about vegetarianism, veganism and animal rights, so I thought this movie was not going to be problematic for her. But those scenes were too intense for her. I don't recommend this movie to children, at all. So if your children are still very young don't bother. Maybe teenagers. For me as an adult I like it, but this space is for making sure the content is right o harmful for children not adults, and I am reviewing from my daughters reaction to ir.

This title has:

Too much violence
1 person found this helpful.
See all 23 parent reviews

What's the Story?

BABE, an endearing little pig who is raised by sheepdogs, befriends the animals on Hoggett's farm and ultimately becomes a herder himself, triumphing against some pretty steep odds. "This is a tale," a narrator says, "of an unprejudiced heart," perfectly setting the tone for what may be the best-loved family movie of the 1990s.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (23 ):
Kids say (24 ):

This movie is filled from beginning to end with marvelous images. There are the animals who can talk (to each other, not to humans) in subtle mouth movements and well-cast voices; the never-never land of Hoggett's farm, a realistic setting with just a touch of magic; and endless surprising details, like the trio of singing mice who introduce scenes but are otherwise relinquished to small corners of the screen, the more to delight sharp-eyed viewers on the lookout for them.

But Babe is not merely a treat for the eyes. The story of this spunky little pig, who seems to have no future but to eat and be eaten, will inspire every viewer. It's a tale about making a place for yourself in the world. While Babe occasionally seems unnecessarily harsh in letting the real world seep into its fairy tale story, children seem to take it in stride; even young kids tend to be only briefly saddened by moments like a dog's puppies being given away. The biggest worry a parent can have about showing Babe to kids is that they'll insist on asking for a pet pig (or perhaps decide to become a vegetarian).

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what life on a farm like the one in Babe might really be like. Which animals live on farms? Do you think they interact with each other the way the animals do here? What other movies have talking farm animals?

  • How would this movie be different if it were animated? Why do you think animation changes the way we experience a movie?

  • Have you read the book upon which this movie is based? How does it compare to the movie?

  • How does Babe demonstrate perseverance? Why is this an important character strength?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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