Babe is a 1995 family comedy-drama film directed by Chris Noonan, produced by George Miller, and written by both. There were two stars, James Cromwell, the farmer, and of course the pig, Babe. The film was both a box office and critical success, grossing $254 million worldwide and earning seven Oscar nominations, including a win for Best Visual Effects.

Because pigs grow and mature so fast, they had to keep replacing the pig through the filming, and had trained them to do certain things on film. This resulted in using a total of 48 pigs to complete the movie.

When Babe was released in the US, it is reported that "activists around the country staked out movie theatres with flyers documenting the real-life abuses of pigs". The film had a marked effect on the growth of vegetarianism, particularly among the young. It also promoted a more sympathetic view of the intellectual, emotional and social capacities of animals. James Cromwell became an ethical vegan as a result of starring as Farmer Hoggett, saying, "I decided that to be able to talk about this movie with conviction, I needed to become a vegetarian."

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