WILL 'BABE' BRING HOME OSCAR BACON?

Byline: Robert Bianco Special to the Daily News

Never mind those sows' ears and silk purses, the question this week is whether you can turn a pig's tongue into a golden statue.

The odds are against it, but it should be fun watching "Babe" try.

As Babe might tell you himself, there's no telling which of the five nominated films will win this year's Best Picture Oscar - "Braveheart," "Apollo 13," "Sense and Sensibility," "Il Postino" or this week's top video release, "Babe" (1995, MCA/Universal; $22.98). But if you have kids in your house, it's a safe bet the winner at your VCR will be "Babe." It's a good thing the movie's so wonderful, because you're going to see it a lot.

Indeed, if the Oscar were given based on a movie's likely ability to stand the test of time, and of VCR repetition, then "Babe" would surely be this year's Best Picture. This completely captivating Australian import about a pig who longs to be a sheepdog will almost undoubtedly be cherished as a family classic 10, 20, even 50 years from now.

Unfortunately for "Babe's" sake, family classics seldom win the Oscar. Just ask the producers of "The Wizard of Oz," "Mary Poppins," "ET" and "Beauty and the Beast." Even so, don't rule "Babe" out. In a year when so many people have despaired over the violence and big-budget mindlessness of the major studio's products, academy voters may send a message by rewarding this unexpected gem.

However the academy members cast their votes, cast your vote for "Babe" at the video store. Oscar or not, this swine is prime.

Looking for an Oscar complement to make up a double feature? Consider one of these:

"Dr. Doolittle" (1967, Fox; $14.98): According to Variety, "Dr. Doolittle" was the last movie about talking animals to be nominated for Best Picture, which puts it in "Babe's" litter - although technically, the animals in "Babe" don't talk, at least not to humans. "Dr. Doolittle" lost the big Oscar, but won for visual effects and for Leslie Bricusse's "Talk to the Animals." If you no longer remember that song, count your blessings.

"Oliver " (1968, Columbia TriStar; $19.95): The same Variety list counts "Oliver " as the last G-rated Best Picture winner. Entertaining, if overblown, it's not exactly Dickens. Nor is it meant for very young children. No amount of sunny cinematography and high-stepping choreography will make the death of Nancy palatable to your youngest.

Elsewhere in video:

It's a good week for children. In addition to "Babe," there's Disney's release of "Operation Dumbo Drop" (1995, Disney; priced for rental), a based-on-fact comedy about the efforts of a Green Beret troop to deliver an elephant to a village during the war in Vietnam. Adults of a certain age may find the very idea of a cute Vietnam War comedy a little distasteful, but children will be charmed.

For younger children, consider "Bananas in Pajamas" (Polygram; $9.95). This popular live-action TV show - an Australian import, as is "Babe" - stars twin bananas dressed in pajamas. I don't know how you'd tell one banana from another if it weren't for the pajamas, but then I'm not a banana.

For older kids, get "Classic Jonny Quest: Race Bannon in an Army of One" (Turner; $12.98), an awkwardly titled compilation of two episodes from the old "Jonny Quest" TV series. It's called "Classic Quest" to distinguish it from Ted Turner's more recent "Jonny Quest" movie, also available on video, which loaded our hero down with a lot of Turner preachiness about teamwork and cooperation. Only inflict the later "Quest" incarnation on your children if they've been very naughty.

If you have young teen-agers, you may want to rent "Angus" (1995, Turner; priced for rental), a largely ignored comedy about an overweight boy (Charlie Talbert) who learns self-respect. The teachers? Two of Hollywood's best actors, Kathy Bates and George C. Scott.

Those folks at Turner certainly have been busy. This week's releases include TNT's adaptation of Wendy Wasserstein's Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy "The Heidi Chronicles" (1995, Turner; priced for rental), starring Jamie Lee Curtis. "Heidi's" stage roots are a bit too visible, but even if the movie does not quite hold together, every scene has some line or moment that provokes amusement or thought.

More news from Australia. That country's "Country Life" (1995, Miramax; priced for rental) takes Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" and transports it to the outback. It features Sam Neill, Greta Scacchi and Michael Blakemore, who also directed.

They're still here! Those pesky "Invaders" (1995, Republic; priced for rental), scourge of Earth in the '60s TV series, return in this so-so Fox miniseries, with Scott Bakula standing in for Roy Thinnes (who makes a cameo appearance). Apparently, in 30 years the Invaders haven't managed to conquer us, and we haven't managed to figure out who they are, which doesn't say much for either of us.

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Photo After charming a flock of sheep, Babe puts them through their paces at a sheepdog competition in the Oscar-nominated "Babe," now on video.