thePeanutBloggery

No, Bridge to Terabithia is not a fantasy film about a secret world. Firmly rooted in the harsh reality of middle school, it’s perhaps the most complex and careful film depiction of the brief stage in life when one finds himself balanced precariously between childhood and adolescence. Based on the Newbery Medal Award winning novel by Katherine Paterson, it’s the story of Jesse (Josh Hutcherson) and Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb) who are plagued by school bullies and distant parents. Together they invent an imaginary world where they battle the forces of darkness and rule as king and queen.

AnnaSophia Robb (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) is quite good as quirky, perky Leslie, a character that might be annoying in the hands of a lesser actress. Hutcherson (RV), on the other hand, is wonderful. While this young actor, who was precious in Little Manhattan, still has the energy and heart of a boy, he suddenly has the emotional awareness of a man as well. He’s the male answer to Dakota Fanning if you will.

Fearing fans of the book would avoid the movie, screenwriters Jeff Stockwell and David L. Paterson (son of Katherine and inspiration for the novel) have disavowed its ad campaign, which focuses solely on the fantasy aspect, making it look like a Narnia wannabe. The CGI element is actually a very insignificant portion of the film, which is good, because it’s definitely the weakest. Both unwilling to let the audience use their own imaginations and unable to create a full-scale kingdom worthy of the minds of children, the land of Terabithia feels like an afterthought and bares more resemblance to the creepy forest in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village than Middle Earth.

Ultimately Bridge to Terabithia speaks truthfully and sympathetically to a very specific age group, and, while adults will enjoy the film, it will live in these children’s imaginations as a classic, just as The Black Stallion and the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory do for people my age.