Babe
Recommended. Age: 6+. A Catholic review of this movie for parents.
Our review
Babe is a little pig who comes to live on Farmer Hoggett's farm. A sheepdog mother takes care of him, and he learns to herd sheep by asking them nicely. Babe is polite, brave, and kind to everyone. Some parts are sad or scary, like when wild dogs hurt a sheep. It is a great movie for kids about six and up. Babe wins by courtesy. A pig with no place on the farm asks politely where the dogs bark, and the whole barnyard is better for it. It is honest about farm life, so expect an off-screen Christmas duck, a sheep killed by wild dogs, and one misuse of God's name.
For parents
G-rated, and Greydanus and Common Sense Media both put it at school age, about six and up. Sensitive children may cry when a sheep dies and when Babe learns what pigs are for. The film does not argue against eating meat. Animals are given to our care and may rightly be used for food, and they are owed kindness (CCC 2416 to 2418). Ask: why do the sheep listen to Babe and not to the dogs? How does Farmer Hoggett show kindness behind his stern face? What does Babe do when the cat tells him something cruel?