Walt Disney AnnaSophia Robb and Josh Hutcherson in “Bridge to Terabithia.”
Bridge to Terabithia: An imaginative film for everybody
By day, it is a film about a 10-year-old at his grammar school.
He’s quiet. He spends his time drawing. He is also a target for bullying, from both boys and an amazon girl.
He is the center of the family film “Bridge to Terabithia.”
Jess Aarons (played by Josh Hutcherson) is the son of a hardware store clerk. The family has little money.
Things are so bad, his favorite running shoes were tattered so Mom threw them away. She gave him his sister’s pink shoes instead. Poor Jess used a black marker to change the color.
Enter 10-year-old Leslie Burke, played by AnnaSophia Robb. Leslie becomes targeted for teasing as well. This might be the only grade school where the entrance to the girls restroom is outside and a bully can charge $1 to use the facilities without anyone stepping in to stop her.
The two children at first have little to do with each other, mostly because Leslie beats Jess in a race on her first day.
But the kids, who live next door to each other, soon become friends.
Leslie notices a rope tied to a tree that can be used to swing across a small creek to the wooded area on the other side.
And that’s where their adventures begin. The two build a treehouse where they can sit and talk and discuss the world. They name this wooded area Terabithia.
But their quiet time is disrupted as they are attacked by squirrels who throw nuts down on them.
That is quickly followed by various flying and walking creates the pair must battle, at least in their imaginations.
A giant tree comes alive, complete with feet and toejam.
Kids will love it!
This is a family friendly film. Kids can relate to the pressure at school, the bullies, the mean teacher. They can revel in the imaginary fun at Terabithia.
One fun part of school is music class, where the young pretty teacher, Ms. Edmunds (played by Zooey Deschanel), leads the kids in daily sing-a-longs.
She takes Jess on his first trip to an art museum. He is enthralled by what he sees.
But tragedy awaits him when he returns home. There is a death in this film that is pretty shocking. It may affect younger children. Parents may restrict the film to those 10 and older.
The violence is more of a fantasy. There is no bad language.
A special salute to Bailee Madison, 8, who plays Jess’ younger brother. She is very believable in this film.
This is a great, ultimately uplifting film for slightly older children. It encourages use of your imagination and is a fun adventure for all.
Give it a look, but don’t walk through the woods immediately afterward.
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA
• Directed by Gabor Csup, written by Jeff Stockell and David Paterson, starring Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel, Robert Patrick and Bailee Madison.
• Rated PG for thematic elements
• Runtime: 95 minutes
• Three stars out of four
This appeared in the Star Beacon WEEKENDER Nov. 9, 2007
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