Fridge / Babe

Fridge Brilliance

• Duchess the Cat and the Hoggetts' granddaughter are both Spoiled Brats, and the granddaughter's parents (the Hoggetts' daughter and son-in-law) show It's All About Me tendencies too. What is the common factor in all three of these cases? Mrs. Hoggett. Duchess is her pet, and of course she raised her daughter, who in turn raised the bratty little girl. Doting Grandparent that she is, she also indulges her granddaughter, even comforting her during her tantrum over the dollhouse. This is the downside of Mrs. Hoggett's bubbly, affectionate nature: she tends to be too indulgent with every child or animal in her care, and they become Spoiled Brats as a result.
  • By contrast, Hoggett only seems to show approval once it's been earned and is quite generous with his affection towards those he respects. Between that and the sheep teaching the young piglet the importance of manners, it's little wonder Babe turns out pretty good when compared to the Hoggetts' granddaughter.
• On first viewing, there's something mean-spirited about how Hoggett's hard work building the dollhouse for his granddaughter is only rewarded with a spoiled response, all the while his own daughter goes along with it. However, it actually becomes meaningful when you realize it's meant to set up his love for Babe. Despite he's only a piglet, Babe showed more respect and kindness towards him throughout the movie than his own daughter and granddaughter did in one scene alone. Babe may be a pig, but he's more Hoggett's family than his own kin ever were.