Bridge to Terabithia

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Bridge to Terabithia

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Bridge to Terabithia

Annasophia Robb, Bailee Madison, Josh Hutcherson, Lauren Clinton, Robert Patrick

"Bridge to Terabithia" is a fantasy/adventure story of friendship, family and the power of imagination Jess Aarons is an outsider at school and even in his own family. Jess has trained all summer to b...( read more  read more... )ecome the fastest kid in his middle school class but his goal is unexpectedly thwarted by the new girl in school, Leslie Burke who competes in the "boys only" race and wins. Despite their awkward introduction, the two outsiders quickly become best friends. Leslie loves to tell stories of fantasy and magic. Jess loves to draw, but until he met Leslie, it was something he kept to himself. Leslie opens a new world of imagination for Jess. Together they create the secret kingdom of Terabithia, a magical place only accessible by swinging on an old rope over a stream in the woods near their homes. There, the friends rule the kingdom, fight the Dark Master and his creatures and plot against the school bullies. Thanks to his friendship with Leslie, Jess is changed for good. Brimming with fantastical creatures, palaces and beautiful forests, the world of Terabithia is brought to life.

Id: 3512234

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Bridge to Terabithia Recent Reviews
  • AgentLexi2132
    December 26, 2009
    AgentLexi2132
    ''She loved you, you know.''

    A preteen's life is changed after befriending the new girl at school.

    Josh Hutcherson: Jess Aarons

    AnnaSophia Robb: Leslie Burke

    More a tale of friendship of two friends at school, in this case Jessie and Lesley,and how ima...( read more)gination and fantasy can be a freedom from reality/life.
    Beautifully acted by Annasophia Robb and Josh Hutcherson. Also Bailee Madison as May Belle was extremely cute and sweet as Jesse's younger sister.


    Feels like you're in their life and its totally tear inducing and emotional to witness. Just don't watch this movie expecting it to be a full scale blown epic fantasy film as it is not that way inclined. It's totally subtler than that and simply adorable; Like being a kid all over again.

    Authors such as C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling aren't just focusing on a minor audience but an adult orientated one too.
    Writer Katherine Paterson wrote Bridge to Terabithia directed at children mainly as a coping mechanism for her son David (Responsible for screenplay and role as producer). Pause and take this into consideration; Bridge to Terabithia succeeds in being a revelation in storytelling and realism. It offers crucial lessons; covering the power of friendship and peacemaking without resorting to physical defense.
    It's a family film reliant on realism rather than constant fantasy escapism.

    This film adaptation follows the novel to the letter; the foreboding feeling of tragedy always looming ahead of proceedings.
    The ending results in being a beautiful reminder that nothing in this World lasts forever yet inspiration, courage and hope do. As do the memories which we are left with. Childhood is short; Life is indeed short as is the rarity of finding love.
    Just to clarify again, it's a tale of friendship and its bond and how special that connection is; one which will make you cry if you have a heart.
  • SirPant
    October 1, 2009
    SirPant
    I guess I'm 20 years too old for this film to really appreciate it but that said, I did like elements of it. I thought the ending was bold and unexpected and the acting by the kids was good. I thought 'Terabithia' itself was a little crap but it?s nice that they kept it imaginary...( read more). The giant being the bully was awful though but made me laugh, albeit. for the wrong reasons. I'll let my kids watch it without any worries but I'd rather they watched the Muppets or something a little less serious.
  • phubbs1
    April 5, 2009
    phubbs1
    Interesting one this....I thought it was gonna be a kind of Narnia style film but it wasn't, its mainly based in reality and has two kids using their imagination to escape their boring bullied lives. Not totally original and not totally that interesting either. Its very well acte...( read more)d by the two kids and also has very good supporting actors including T2's Robert Patrick.

    Buts thats about it, really great acting but alittle dull. You get bits of the fantasy world of Terabithia but thats it, you'll be yearning for more, Terabithia looks great with orges, dark warriors, trolls, giants and all sorts of weird creatures, but you never really see them and they never really do anything, you just get the reality and problems of growing up in the sticks as kids. Thats fine but from the poster and what I read I was expecting more fantasy...shame.
  • PvtCaboose91
    November 13, 2008
    PvtCaboose91
    "Just close your eyes, but keep your mind wide open."


    In an era dominated by children's fantasy movies containing special effects that overwhelm instead of enhance, Bridge to Terabithia is a unique movie that celebrates the virtues of imagination, friendship a

    ...( read more)nd family. The marketing campaign for Bridge to Terabithia appeared to suggest the film would be just another juvenile fantasy film ala Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter. Not that the trailers implied something particularly bad - as a fantasy flick for the children you could do worse - but there was a distinct impression that we'd seen it all before. Given that I absolutely abhor the Harry Potter series and was lukewarm towards the first Narnia movie, the concept of Bridge to Terabithia wasn't exactly agreeable. Only those familiar with Katherine Paterson's 1977 novel of the same name knew these initial impressions were false.

    As it turns out, Bridge to Terabithia doesn't deliver fantasy yarn with mythological creatures and magic. As an alternative the film offers a story of youths struggling to cope with unforgiving realities by absconding into the realm of imagination. It's infused a lot of heart, and it touches on serious issues. While being marred by numerous script banalities and occasionally preposterous clichés, it could've been far worse.

    Jesse Aarons (Hutcherson) resides in a semi-rural community with his poor family. He's the only boy in a family of girls, and the children at school frequently bully him. Suffering from the merciless torment of bullying at school and an irritating family, Jess retreats into the world of his drawings to find solace. During his summer break Jess trains to be the fastest runner at his school. Upon the commencement of school he loses a "boys only" race to a new girl named Leslie (Robb). Despite their awkward introduction, the two begin bonding and realise they have much in common. Leslie opens a new world of imagination for Jess. Together they conceive the secret magical kingdom of Terabithia in the woods behind their homes. This imaginary kingdom (in which Leslie and Jess dub themselves king and queen) functions as a haven to escape the troubles of their mundane school lives. As life begins to look up for the two kindred spirits, reality intrudes.

    Authors like C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling may write their novels about youngsters, but they also intend for their work to reach an adult audience. Katherine Paterson wrote Bridge to Terabithia aimed at children mainly as a coping mechanism for her son David (who wrote the first draft of the screenplay for this filmic adaptation in addition to acting as a producer). Keep this in mind, and Bridge to Terabithia works on its own terms for the first three quarters. It offers valuable lessons about the power of friendship and handling problems without resorting to violence. It also teaches lessons about growing up, about coming of age, the significance of family and the need for dreams. It's a kiddie flick more reliant on realism as opposed to pure fantasy.

    But the film faithfully follows the novel, meaning it ends with a tragedy. Said tragedy is a shocking and powerful reminder of life's unfortunate ironies. Nevertheless, both the book and novel spend their first three quarters establishing a sweet story told in a delightful juvenile tone. The ending seems like a cheap, manipulative gimmick designed primarily to wrench a quick, emotional response from its audience and avoid the clichés. The film could have been fun for the whole family, but it touches on countless issues aimed more at adults. Financial trouble at home, not living up to one's father's expectations, and so on. Children won't even want to think about this...they'll want special effects and mythical creatures of which there is precious little.

    Adult issues aside, Bridge to Terabithia may work for children. For aging teenagers and adults, however, the overuse of clichés is painfully obvious. All characters are stereotyped, leading to a series of predictable and childish events. Jess is constantly bullied at school. Yet he seems like a normal, handsome young kid of regular intelligence and athleticism. Why is there any reason for him to be bullied? It doesn't make sense for the school kids on the bus to ridicule Jess as being a farm boy when the bus is picking them all up from the countryside. Everything at Jesse's school is also preposterously clichéd. The school is shown as a pristine place of higher learning, full of horrible little cretins that appear to bully for the sake of bullying. The English teacher (Wolfe) is a tyrant. The music teacher (Deschanel) is attractive and fun, doing nothing but allowing the kids to join in joyful songs without much learning happening. The school bus driver is a freakish idiot. The school yard isn't even supervised! It isn't possible for bullies to charge admission to students trying to use the toilet without the school personnel realising or being informed. Pranks are played by the main characters, which frankly seems to defeat the message the film tries to convey so frequently. 50% of the film's middle section is based around these absurd conventions. It also continues to bog with repetitive conversations and sub-plots leading no-where that fill up space (such as the animal in the greenhouse and Jesse's crush on his music teacher).

    Beautiful New Zealand locations are utilised for the film to gestate within. Director Gabor Csupo is perhaps largely recognised for his Rugrats empire. He handles the material competently. The atmosphere is particularly masterful. There's wonderful music courtesy of composer Aaron Zigman. The film is also extraordinarily shot by Michael Chapman who has twice been nominated for an Oscar (he worked on Raging Bull, for example). Peter Jackson's WETA Digital was responsible for the effects. The special effects wizardry is quite incredible to behold.

    In terms of visuals, the film is very appealing. However, the mythical creatures too often mix into the real world too unbelievably. The results are baffling and disjointed. Case in point: how can an imaginary flying creature pick up Leslie? Another example: as Jess falls from the top of a tree, he's saved by a troll who catches him before he hits the ground. Erm...how can something in your imagination stop you from hitting the ground and succumbing to injury? Yes, they are just playing and imagining, but the line between reality and imaginary is too blurred and ambiguous. In addition, actually showing us what the kids are imagining detracts from the imagination of the novel. It'd be fine if the creatures made no contact with the kids, but how are we supposed to believe the intimate interaction? The film sits on the uncomfortable line between all-out fantasy and all-out drama. This mishmash of the two is fairly original, but the management of the material is incredibly poor.

    Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb both turn in fabulous performances. As the film descends into tediousness and cheesiness, both Hutcherson and Robb manage to keep the film afloat. Robb is particularly stunning. After her irritating performance in Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory one would never expect her to exude such charm and credibility. It's a pleasure to watch this young actress. Robb seems poised to become one of Hollywood's next great child stars. Knowing how to portray Leslie's shrewdness and exclusivity as inadvertent, incidental, or even unwitting, Robb is perfect as the kind of girl who can always beat the boys at sport...and they would still love her for it.
    The underused supporting cast are also excellent. Robert Patrick is a particular stand-out. He's a realistic father figure and a focused performer. Also being featured is the beautiful Zooey Deschanel as the fun music teacher. Her character is stereotyped, but she handles her role with great skill. Young Bailee Madison also provides an admirable performance.

    Overall, I enjoyed Bridge to Terabithia: aesthetically pleasing imagery, fine performances and only a slight dependence on computer effects. It doesn't rely on primitive humour (i.e. fart gags) to entertain, nor does it turn into an all-out fantasy spectacle. It's a simple story illustrating that the best escape from a less-than-ideal reality is through imagination and dreams. In broad strokes, the film recalls elements of Heavenly Creatures, Pan's Labyrinth and My Girl whilst being distinctively different at the same time. There are severe script troubles, but the first three quarters of the movie are destined to please the entire family. The final quarter is disappointing; nevertheless it'll at least please enthusiasts of the book who are seeking faithfulness to the source material.


    "We rule Terabithia, and nothing crushes us!"
  • LauralyBeautiful
    October 1, 2008
    LauralyBeautiful
    (Is Robert Patrick in everything?! lol!)

    Yes, everyone, Leslie dies in the end. It's horribly sad but the reason she dies is because this is based on a book and IN THE BOOK she dies. The whole movie follows the book extremely closely, even going so far as to name the dvd chapter...( read more)s after the chapters IN the book.

    I cannot stress how amazingly well this was handled. I love everything about it and it became one of my favorite movies right away.

    My little boy who is currently almost 17 months old hasn't shown much interest in movies, but he watches this in rapt attention.

    Actors were perfect, special effects were perfect, everything flowed just as it should.

    I'm very happy with this movie despite it is SO sad.
  • suziesunflower
    January 6, 2010
    suziesunflower
    made me almost cry it was so sad
  • happylapper1
    January 6, 2010
    happylapper1
    Good movie! I didn't like the way it ended
  • angel123woo
    January 6, 2010
    angel123woo
    i love this movie but the ending is sad
  • chellechubbies
    January 4, 2010
    chellechubbies
    ... Wanna see Anna Sophia Robb... ^^
  • Marischa2
    January 4, 2010
    Marischa2
    more of a kidies drama.
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