Babe and Emily

Babe and Emily is a 1995 Australian-English-American Live-Action-Animated Family Musical Comedy film directed by Chris Noonan, Jon Stone, Jim Henson, Frank Oz and D.B. Sweeney and written by George Miller, Chris Noonan, D.B. Sweeney, Tony Geiss, Judy Freudberg, Magda Szubanski, Jerry Juhl, Walt Disney, Dr. Seuss, Roald Dahl, Jim Henson, Frank Oz, John Lasseter, Pete Doctor, Joe Ranft, Andrew Stanton, Judy Rothman Rofe, Joey Mazzarino, Michael Kriegman, Fred Astle, Christine Ferraro, Jon Stone, Roy Disney, Tom Hanks, Rebecca Astle and Brittany Byrnes. It is an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Sheep Pig and the Christmas Girl, also known as Babe and Emily the Gallent Pig and Girl in the United States by Dick King Smith and D.B. Sweeney and tells the story of a Pig who wants to be a Sheepdog and a Girl who wants to know more about History, Christmas and Noah's Ark and how she makes wonderful Model Train sets since she was a Baby and needs help protecting the Farm Animals from being slaughtered by Mr. Grumpy. The main animal Characters are played on a combination of real and animatronic pigs and Border Collies and the animated Characters are placed on a live action setting, it was done by Walt Disney Animation Studios and DIC Entertainment. The Muppets from Sesame Street, Sunday Morning Live, The Muppet Show, The Frog Prince, The Jim Henson Hour, Fraggle Rock, Little Muppet Monsters, Sam and Friends, Muppet Meeting Films and Commercials built by Jim Henson, Don Sahlin, John Lovelady, Kermit Love and the Chiodo Brothers make main appearences as the Hogget's Uncles, Aunts, Brothers, Sisters and Cousins. The Songs are written by Richard and Robert Sherman, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Andy Street, Tim Rice, Alen Menken, James Horner, Joe Raposo, Jeff Moss, Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx, Tony Geiss and Judy Rothman Rofe.

Babe and Emily was filmed in Robertson, New South Wales, Australia. The talking-animal visual effects were done at Rhythm & Hues. The setting and style of the film are distinctly British/Australasian pastoral in the 1910s, people from Australia including Magda Szubanski, Hugo Weaving, The Wiggles, Paul Livington and Brittany Byrnes, people from England including Paul Goddard, Miriam Margolyes, Tim Curry, Steve Coogan, Terry Jones, John Cleese and Eric Idle and people from America including James Cromwell, Ross Bagley, Kevin Jamal Woods, Courtland Meeds, Bug Hall, Miriam Flynn, Zoe Burton, Jim Carrey, Christine Cavanaugh, Tim Conway, Don Knotts, Don Rickles, Danny Mann, Russi Taylor, Kate Soucie, Dick Van Dyke, Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Gene Kelly, John Erwin, Gilbert Gottfried, Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, Bill Irwin, Paul Reubens, Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson, Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Carol Spinney, Dave Goelz, Kevin Clash, D.B. Sweeney, John Tartaglia, Joey Mazzarino, Rick Lyon, David Rudman, Jerry Juhl, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Marty Robinson, Sammy Davis Jr, Joe Ranft, John Lasseter, Fran Brill, Michael Jeter and Christopher Lloyd have accents of their own that fits the Characters very well since D.B. Sweeney took over the first draft of Babe and Emily, never wanting the producers to overdub all the human characters from Australian to American. Tony Geiss and Judy Freudberg also took over production, making the movie take place in 1917, while Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Juhl, Don Sahlin, Caroll Spinney and Jon Stone thought of the Muppets appearing in the film as main and minor characters. Newcomers Rebecca and Fred Astle thought of turning it into a Musical. Walt and Roy Disney, John Lasseter and Sweeney also wanted it to combine Live Action with Traditional Animation. Sweeney taught Brittany how to write a Screenplay, Byrnes wrote scenes with the Count announcing the Chapters and counting them while Geiss showed all the Sesame Street Segments, Cartoons and Songs throughout the breaks of the Film whenever they fade out. Gene Kelly and Sweeney also taught the Actors how to dance and sing to the songs with the Muppet crew teaching them how to perform with Muppets.

Before filming began, D.B. Sweeney, Chris Noonan, George Miller, Tony Geiss, Judy Freudberg and Jim Henson researched and studied the original draft of Babe and Emily, originally titled "Babe". All six writers including Sweeney felt that the first draft of the script lacks the childlike quality, innocence of the child and respectfulness among children, it had Violence, no Musical Numbers, crossovers between Muppet productions, or Traditional Cel Animation, it originally had People talking with all American Accents, Cars, Buses and Trucks that are left hand driven, Materialism, Profanity and it took place in the present day. He never liked the Script, he was very irritating when he read most of the parts. Henson, Geiss and Freudberg never liked it either, they also knew it lacks the sweetness and love of Childhoods. Both Noonan and Miller regretted the script after they talked about the original version. It included Television as well, Sweeney knew a lot about Materialism, Child Abuse, Kindness, Charity and respect for Children. Geiss and Freudberg called other writers to revise the script. Geiss rewrote the Sheep rustlers as clumsy Henchmen of Mr. Grumpy while he and Freudberg wanted it to take place in 1917.

The Train Station where Emily's Uncles, Aunts, Brothers, Sisters and Cousins arrive from America is the Glenbrook Vintage Railway in New Zealand. The Trains appear in the movie too, including KB 968 pulling up with the Express, JA 1250 departing Glenbrook, WW 480 loading the Freight Cars and KA 949 speeding past the Railway. Geiss rewrote the scene from the City family arriving in a modern day van to the American family arriving in a 1910s style Steam Train.

The film is a critical and box office success and was nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, but lost to Braveheart. Fortunately it won five Academy Awards including Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Animation, Best Sound Effects and Best Children's Musical. It even won four Golden Globes Award including Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Best Musical Score, Best Animated Feature and Best Adaptation. The success of the film launched a sequel three years later. So in 1998, the sequel film Babe and Emily: Pig and Girl in the City was released. And it's 1998 sequel got countless positive reviews from critics.

Directed by Chris Noonan, Jon Stone and D.B. Sweeney

Produced by Catherine Barber, D.B. Sweeney, Tony Geiss, Walt Disney, Phillip Hearnshaw, Bill Miller, George Miller, Doug Mitchell, Daphne Paris, John Lasseter, Roy Disney, Judy Freudberg and Jerry Juhl

Screenplay by George Miller, Chris Noonan, D.B. Sweeney, Tony Geiss, Judy Freudberg, Magda Szubanski, Jerry Juhl, Walt Disney, Dr. Seuss, Roald Dahl, Jim Henson, Frank Oz, John Lasseter, Pete Doctor, Joe Ranft, Andrew Stanton, Judy Rothman Rofe, Joey Mazzarino, Michael Kriegman, Fred Astle, Christine Ferraro, Jon Stone, Roy Disney, Tom Hanks, Rebecca Astle, Brian Henson, Dick King-Smith and Brittany Byrnes

Based on the Book by Dick King-Smith

Narrated by Roscoe Lee Browne

Starring Brittany Byrnes, James Cromwell, Magda Szubanski, Paul Goddard, Zoe Burton, Wade Hayward, Kevin Jamal Woods, Ross Bagley, Courtland Meeds, Bug Hall, Tim Curry, Steve Coogan, Tim Conway, Don Knotts, Don Rickles, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Jim Carrey, Paul Livington, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Eric Idle, Danny Mann, Miriam Margolyes, Kate Soucie, Christine Cavanaugh, Hugo Weaving, Miriam Flynn, D.B. Sweeney, Gene Kelly, Sammy Davis Jr, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Carol Spinney, Brian Henson, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, John Tartaglia, Joey Mazzarino, Steve Whitmire, Fran Brill, Eric Jacobson, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, David Rudman, Marty Robinson, Rick Lyon, Dave Goelz, Kevin Clash, Jerry Juhl, John Erwin, Paul Reubens, Bill Irwin, Gilbert Gottfried, Christopher Lloyd, Michael Jeter, Joe Ranft, John Lasseter, Russi Taylor, The Wiggles and Roscoe Lee Browne

Music by Nigel Westlake and D.B. Sweeney

Songs by Richard and Robert Sherman, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Andy Street, Tim Rice, Alen Menken, James Horner, Joe Raposo, Jeff Moss, Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx, Tony Geiss and Judy Rothman Rofe

Cinematography Andrew Lensie and Walt Disney

Edited by Marcus D'Arcy, Jay Friedkin and D.B. Sweeney

Puppets built by Jim Henson, Don Sahlin, John Lovelady, Kermit Love and the Chiodo Brothers

Distributed by Children's Television Workshop, Universal Studios, DIC Entertainment and Walt Disney Pictures

Release Dates United States August 4 1995 Australia December 14 1995 United Kingdom December 15 1995

Running Time 120 Minutes

Country Australia, United Kingdom and United States

Language English

Gross revenue $300,000,000