The film was a box office success, grossing $36.7 million at the box office in Australia and over $254 million worldwide. It also received critical acclaim and was ultimately nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published, Best Supporting Actor, Best Art Direction and Best Film Editing, winning Best Visual Effects. It also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film. At the APRA Music Awards of 1996 it won Best Film Score for Westlake's work. In 2006, the American Film Institute named "Babe" #80 on its list of America's Most Inspiring Movies. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 97% based on 70 reviews, with a rating average of 8.26/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "The rare family-friendly feature with a heart as big as its special effects budget, "Babe" offers timeless entertainment for viewers of all ages." Metacritic gave the film a score of 83 based on 16 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".