Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
Directed by Gabor Csupo
Written by David L. Paterson
Starring Josh Hutcherson, Anna Sophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel, Robert Patrick
Release Date February 16th, 2007
Published February 17th, 2007
Writer Catherine Paterson's children's novel Bridge To Terabithia contains a dedication to her son and her son's best friend. That friend had passed away some years ago but it was a tragedy that was a large part of the creation of the novel. Now on film, Bridge To Terabithia is a wonderful dedication to the imagination of children and the child's capacity to love and to heal.
Jess Arons (Josh Hutcherson) has always been an outcast. At school and even at home amongst his four sisters. He has never had a friend until a new girl moves in next door to him. Her name is Leslie (Anna Sophia Robb) and though it takes a little time the two eventually become best friends. Playing in the woods behind their houses the two invent a whole new world for themselves that they call Terabithia.
There is a tragedy that comes to take a large role in the end of Bridge To Terabithia. It is a surprise but not really a shock. Some will call it manipulative by nature because it involves a child. However, I feel that because Bridge To Terabithia so well establishes these characters, and so well tells this story that such an ending is fairly earned. It's also true to writer Catherine Paterson's novel.
Directed by Rugrats creator Gabor Csupo, Bridge To Terabithia is a magical crafting of the childs mind rendered on screen. Csupo and writers Jeff Stockwell and David Paterson strike a perfect balance between childish wonder and the big screen's ability to render the imagination on film. Movies can demystify the imagination by bringing it to life. The trick to Bridge To Terabithia the movie is to show children building a world from their mind while allowing that world to seem somewhat ordinary to the rest of us, as if we were simply watching kids play.
There are special effects in Bridge To Terabithia, many of them quite striking. But the reason they work is because of the strong acting of stars Josh Hutcherson and Anna Sophia Robb. Gabor Csupo does well to allow the characters to create the wonder of Terabithia before diving headlong into massive special effects that bring the childish imagination to life.
Anna Sophia Robb has a big, bright future ahead of her. The soon to be 14 year old actress has the impish cuteness of Drew Barrymore and much of the spirit of Dakota Fanning. In Bridge To Terabithia; Robb lights up the screen with a spirited performance that is really pure joy. Though she was unimpressive in the similarly family oriented Because of Winn Dixie, Robb really impresses in Bridge To Terabithia with a top notch performance.
Watching Robb and co-star Josh Hutcherson running through the forest of their Terabithia, creating their world from scratch as they walked, can't help but make one flashback to their own childish paradise. It's a wonderfully universal experience; so well captured by this lovely imaginative film.
Bridge To Terabithia comes from Walden Media; the family movie giant. Known for biblical allegory, and children's literature adaptations, Bridge To Terabithia is notable; not for its religion, which it wears on its sleeve, but rather for the realistic experience of religion by the children in the film. When Leslie, whose family is not very religious, joins Jess and his family at church; the scene leads to a theological discussion that only kids could have. A perfect recreation of the fear and wonder that religion inspires in young children, and a very brave scene by the moral standards of a Walden Media product.
Bridge To Terabithia is one of the most censored books of all time. The novel's use frank religious discussions and of course the death of one of the characters lead many parents to want the book banned from schools. Again, Walden Media is very brave to make this film and stay true to the story. This is a far more challenging film than anything Walden has produced before and they deserve to be commended for taking the risk.
A note to parents who aren’t familiar with the book: it is quite sad and you may have some hand holding to do by the end but it's worth it for such a terrific movie. Bridge To Terabithia shines with bright young stars and a heart rending story that is very well told. Anna Sophia Robb is a young star to watch and director Gabor Csupo shows he is talented well beyond his work in animation.
Bridge To Terabithia is the kind of kids movie that film critics long for. Challenging yet sentimental, smart but accessible. This is one of the best kids movies in a very long while.
