Charlotte’s Web 2: Wilbur’s Great Adventure 2003

The film opens in springtime, the year after Charlotte has died. Her three daughters, Nellie, Aranea, and Joy are entering adolescence, while Wilbur acts as a patient companion and mentor.

Wilbur befriends Cardigan, a newborn lamb who is looked down upon by the flock because of his black wool. He takes Cardigan under his wing, teaching him the farm’s rhythms, the joys of exploring the fields, and the dangers that lurk around every corner. But after only a few weeks, Farmer Zuckerman sells Cardigan to another farmer, forcing Wilbur and his friends to mount a rescue mission to keep Cardigan safe. To make sure they can complete the visit, Templeton asks Wilbur to babysit his rat family for an extra two weeks, tying the promise to their plan.

On the journey to Cardigan’s new home, Wilbur grows hungry and nibbles on ripe blackberries, turning his coat a murky purple. A tumble through brambles leaves his head smeared with bark, and Templeton helps free him, with the caveat that the favor will prolong Wilbur’s babysitting duties. A near-miss with a passing truck reveals that two other people have spotted the “wild pig,” complicating any attempts to slip away to see Cardigan.

Meanwhile, trouble arrives in the form of Farley, a sly fox who steals a hen from the barn, and Wilbur is wrongfully framed for the act as he tries to intervene. Farley returns, kidnaping Cardigan with plans to eat him, and Wilbur must act quickly to save his friend. He traps Farley in a cunning “pig web,” and the ever-watchful Nellie, Aranea, and Joy weave a spider-web message to spread the word about the fox, while Fern arrives just in time to aid Wilbur in the scramble to protect Cardigan.

With Cardigan safe for the moment, Aranea and Joy decide to stay with the lamb and help him adjust to life on the farm. The trio’s decision underscores a new, tender bond across generations on the farm, as Nellie and the others rally around Cardigan’s unique place in their little community. In the end, Wilbur finds himself back in the role of caregiver, as he ends up babysitting Templeton’s children, continuing to balance friendship, responsibility, and the larger world beyond the barn.