Based on the book by Katherine Paterson and produced and co-scripted by her son, Bridge to Terabithia is a fantastical story, illustrating the way a young imagination reacts to the everyday trials, tribulations and tragedies of the real world.
In many ways, the film is a companion piece to Pan’s Labyrinth (though the latter is definitely not for children!). Unlike Pan’s Labyrinth however, our protagonist is not alone: mop-haired lonely kid Jesse befriends perky Leslie, who has moved into the small rural town with her bohemian parents. Together, the pair explore the forests, an old rope swing across a river separating everyday life from the kingdom of their imagination. Little by little, their world comes to life via a furry array of WETA Workshop-designed critters.
What sets Bridge to Terabithia apart from other children’s films is in the way it tackles subjects such as loss and loneliness head on. Its balance between magic and realism is well-judged, and its message, that creativity is an energy that can help us face the real world, not escape from it, will empower viewers young and old.
Jess is misunderstood. Despite his talents as an artist, the school bullies pick on him, his father belittles his dreams, and his four sisters invade his space in the family's cramped house. Jess's bleak world changes when Leslie moves into the house next door. Bright, creative and outspoken, Leslie also finds herself an outsider in their school. Soon the two are thick as thieves, spending their after school hours exploring the woods beyond their backyards and on the other side of a creek, which Leslie deems the kingdom of Terabithia. Here, they create their own magical world, complete with a Dark Master and his minions, dragonfly soldiers, giant trolls and a treehouse fortress. In Terabithia, the two friends let their imaginations run wild and control their destiny, far away from school bullies and the pressures of adolescence.
Hutcherson and Robb are well cast as Jess and Leslie in this coming-of-age tale. Hutcherson handles both the melancholy intensity and unbridled joy of his character beautifully, and Robb's smile and charisma are infectious.
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Bridge to Terabithia
