The cover art for "Bridge to Terabithia" shows a boy, a girl, a castle, and assorted creatures, along with the tagline "from the studios that brought you "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe." But don't be deceived. This isn't a fantasy story. It's a coming-of-age story in which two people imagine so creatively that it becomes fantasy for them.
Most coming-of-age stories are about sex, but while there are subtle sexual stirrings here, it's all kept in the realm of stolen glances and unrequited love. This story is about death, that ruder introduction to the world of adulthood. It's also about a deep friendship, which is why it's so Romeo-and-Juliet tragic that one of them dies suddenly. Yes, that's a spoiler if you haven't read the Newberry Award-winning book by Katherine Paterson, but since this is a PG family film and youngsters are going to be watching, it needed to be said. More than the "thematic elements including bullying, some pain, and mild language" that pushed this past a G rating, it's the death of a main character that has the potential to traumatize little ones the way that Bambi's mother did for my generation. I suggest warning them, telling them that one of the main characters dies. For the very young ones, you can remind them that it's just a movie, and that they're only pretending. With the older ones, it might be just the lead-in you need to talk about mortality and all that's related to living life to the fullest . . . which includes forming meaningful relationships.
Paterson's story was inspired by a true event. The playmate of her eight-year-old son was struck and killed by lightning while she was at the beach. "Bridge to Terabithia" was the author's way of trying to explain and interpret the ultimate "not fair" incident to her son.
The book was a tearjerker, and so is the film-though it doesn't go nearly as far down that sad path as Paterson's novel. There's no long funeral scene, nothing about the creepiness of cremation, and very little of "the Jesus thing" by comparison. And the character who survives doesn't wallow in guilt as much as that person does in the book. That's not bad, though, given the power that film has. A little always goes a long way when you see it there in front of you on a gigantic screen, rather than a page of words on your lap that you have to visualize.
Good family films are tough to come by these days. Too many of them include "farts" or gross-out humor, or try to be edgy and hip, which is gradually producing a new generation of people with the ultimate attitude problem. Or else the films go the other direction and play strictly to the kids, leaving the adults and older siblings rolling their eyes at the sheer insipidness of it all. So it's refreshing to find a film that, for all its familiarity of situation and characters, has something to say to everyone in the family. "Bridge to Terabithia" is about finding yourself, sure, but it's mostly about enduring the taunts that others might throw at you and finding refuge wherever you can . . . in this case, with the thing that most fifth grade boys would consider a last resort: a girl.
First-time feature director Gabor Csupo had a great story to work with, but he couldn't have come up with two better stars. Josh Hutcherson is convincing as Jess Aarons, a fifth grader who couldn't be more isolated if he was washed up on a desert island. His dad doesn't give him the attention he craves, his two older sisters cut him down, a younger sister follows him around everywhere like an untrained puppy, and he's the target of bullies at school. But it's AnnaSophia Robb who really shines. Her character is supposed to be a life-changing life force, one of those clichéd people who can light up the room and change the energy level just by walking into it, and that's how it is. When she's onscreen, there's a special feeling. Robb plays Leslie Burke, whose writer parents (Latham Gaines and Judy McIntosh) moved into a home next door to the Aarons in a rural community. In the book, it was Virginia, but this film was shot in New Zealand and so the place isn't as specific. Conversely, the book was set in the '70s, and Leslie's parents were a bit on the "hippy" side, as was the cool music teacher at school who connects with both kids, Ms. Edmonds (Zooey Deschanel).
Most coming-of-age stories are about sex, but while there are subtle sexual stirrings here, it's all kept in the realm of stolen glances and unrequited love. This story is about death, that ruder introduction to the world of adulthood. It's also about a deep friendship, which is why it's so Romeo-and-Juliet tragic that one of them dies suddenly. Yes, that's a spoiler if you haven't read the Newberry Award-winning book by Katherine Paterson, but since this is a PG family film and youngsters are going to be watching, it needed to be said. More than the "thematic elements including bullying, some pain, and mild language" that pushed this past a G rating, it's the death of a main character that has the potential to traumatize little ones the way that Bambi's mother did for my generation. I suggest warning them, telling them that one of the main characters dies. For the very young ones, you can remind them that it's just a movie, and that they're only pretending. With the older ones, it might be just the lead-in you need to talk about mortality and all that's related to living life to the fullest . . . which includes forming meaningful relationships.
Paterson's story was inspired by a true event. The playmate of her eight-year-old son was struck and killed by lightning while she was at the beach. "Bridge to Terabithia" was the author's way of trying to explain and interpret the ultimate "not fair" incident to her son.
The book was a tearjerker, and so is the film-though it doesn't go nearly as far down that sad path as Paterson's novel. There's no long funeral scene, nothing about the creepiness of cremation, and very little of "the Jesus thing" by comparison. And the character who survives doesn't wallow in guilt as much as that person does in the book. That's not bad, though, given the power that film has. A little always goes a long way when you see it there in front of you on a gigantic screen, rather than a page of words on your lap that you have to visualize.
Good family films are tough to come by these days. Too many of them include "farts" or gross-out humor, or try to be edgy and hip, which is gradually producing a new generation of people with the ultimate attitude problem. Or else the films go the other direction and play strictly to the kids, leaving the adults and older siblings rolling their eyes at the sheer insipidness of it all. So it's refreshing to find a film that, for all its familiarity of situation and characters, has something to say to everyone in the family. "Bridge to Terabithia" is about finding yourself, sure, but it's mostly about enduring the taunts that others might throw at you and finding refuge wherever you can . . . in this case, with the thing that most fifth grade boys would consider a last resort: a girl.
First-time feature director Gabor Csupo had a great story to work with, but he couldn't have come up with two better stars. Josh Hutcherson is convincing as Jess Aarons, a fifth grader who couldn't be more isolated if he was washed up on a desert island. His dad doesn't give him the attention he craves, his two older sisters cut him down, a younger sister follows him around everywhere like an untrained puppy, and he's the target of bullies at school. But it's AnnaSophia Robb who really shines. Her character is supposed to be a life-changing life force, one of those clichéd people who can light up the room and change the energy level just by walking into it, and that's how it is. When she's onscreen, there's a special feeling. Robb plays Leslie Burke, whose writer parents (Latham Gaines and Judy McIntosh) moved into a home next door to the Aarons in a rural community. In the book, it was Virginia, but this film was shot in New Zealand and so the place isn't as specific. Conversely, the book was set in the '70s, and Leslie's parents were a bit on the "hippy" side, as was the cool music teacher at school who connects with both kids, Ms. Edmonds (Zooey Deschanel).
The cover art for "Bridge to Terabithia" shows a boy, a girl, a castle, and assorted creatures, along with the tagline "from the studios that brought you "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe." But don't be deceived. This isn't a fantasy story. It's a coming-of-age story in which two people imagine so creatively that it becomes fantasy for them.
Most coming-of-age stories are about sex, but while there are subtle sexual stirrings here, it's all kept in the realm of stolen glances and unrequited love. This story is about death, that ruder introduction to the world of adulthood. It's also about a deep friendship, which is why it's so Romeo-and-Juliet tragic that one of them dies suddenly. Yes, that's a spoiler if you haven't read the Newberry Award-winning book by Katherine Paterson, but since this is a PG family film and youngsters are going to be watching, it needed to be said. More than the "thematic elements including bullying, some pain, and mild language" that pushed this past a G rating, it's the death of a main character that has the potential to traumatize little ones the way that Bambi's mother did for my generation. I suggest warning them, telling them that one of the main characters dies. For the very young ones, you can remind them that it's just a movie, and that they're only pretending. With the older ones, it might be just the lead-in you need to talk about mortality and all that's related to living life to the fullest . . . which includes forming meaningful relationships.
Paterson's story was inspired by a true event. The playmate of her eight-year-old son was struck and killed by lightning while she was at the beach. "Bridge to Terabithia" was the author's way of trying to explain and interpret the ultimate "not fair" incident to her son.
The book was a tearjerker, and so is the film-though it doesn't go nearly as far down that sad path as Paterson's novel. There's no long funeral scene, nothing about the creepiness of cremation, and very little of "the Jesus thing" by comparison. And the character who survives doesn't wallow in guilt as much as that person does in the book. That's not bad, though, given the power that film has. A little always goes a long way when you see it there in front of you on a gigantic screen, rather than a page of words on your lap that you have to visualize.
Good family films are tough to come by these days. Too many of them include "farts" or gross-out humor, or try to be edgy and hip, which is gradually producing a new generation of people with the ultimate attitude problem. Or else the films go the other direction and play strictly to the kids, leaving the adults and older siblings rolling their eyes at the sheer insipidness of it all. So it's refreshing to find a film that, for all its familiarity of situation and characters, has something to say to everyone in the family. "Bridge to Terabithia" is about finding yourself, sure, but it's mostly about enduring the taunts that others might throw at you and finding refuge wherever you can . . . in this case, with the thing that most fifth grade boys would consider a last resort: a girl.
First-time feature director Gabor Csupo had a great story to work with, but he couldn't have come up with two better stars. Josh Hutcherson is convincing as Jess Aarons, a fifth grader who couldn't be more isolated if he was washed up on a desert island. His dad doesn't give him the attention he craves, his two older sisters cut him down, a younger sister follows him around everywhere like an untrained puppy, and he's the target of bullies at school. But it's AnnaSophia Robb who really shines. Her character is supposed to be a life-changing life force, one of those clichéd people who can light up the room and change the energy level just by walking into it, and that's how it is. When she's onscreen, there's a special feeling. Robb plays Leslie Burke, whose writer parents (Latham Gaines and Judy McIntosh) moved into a home next door to the Aarons in a rural community. In the book, it was Virginia, but this film was shot in New Zealand and so the place isn't as specific. Conversely, the book was set in the '70s, and Leslie's parents were a bit on the "hippy" side, as was the cool music teacher at school who connects with both kids, Ms. Edmonds (Zooey Deschanel).
Most coming-of-age stories are about sex, but while there are subtle sexual stirrings here, it's all kept in the realm of stolen glances and unrequited love. This story is about death, that ruder introduction to the world of adulthood. It's also about a deep friendship, which is why it's so Romeo-and-Juliet tragic that one of them dies suddenly. Yes, that's a spoiler if you haven't read the Newberry Award-winning book by Katherine Paterson, but since this is a PG family film and youngsters are going to be watching, it needed to be said. More than the "thematic elements including bullying, some pain, and mild language" that pushed this past a G rating, it's the death of a main character that has the potential to traumatize little ones the way that Bambi's mother did for my generation. I suggest warning them, telling them that one of the main characters dies. For the very young ones, you can remind them that it's just a movie, and that they're only pretending. With the older ones, it might be just the lead-in you need to talk about mortality and all that's related to living life to the fullest . . . which includes forming meaningful relationships.
Paterson's story was inspired by a true event. The playmate of her eight-year-old son was struck and killed by lightning while she was at the beach. "Bridge to Terabithia" was the author's way of trying to explain and interpret the ultimate "not fair" incident to her son.
The book was a tearjerker, and so is the film-though it doesn't go nearly as far down that sad path as Paterson's novel. There's no long funeral scene, nothing about the creepiness of cremation, and very little of "the Jesus thing" by comparison. And the character who survives doesn't wallow in guilt as much as that person does in the book. That's not bad, though, given the power that film has. A little always goes a long way when you see it there in front of you on a gigantic screen, rather than a page of words on your lap that you have to visualize.
Good family films are tough to come by these days. Too many of them include "farts" or gross-out humor, or try to be edgy and hip, which is gradually producing a new generation of people with the ultimate attitude problem. Or else the films go the other direction and play strictly to the kids, leaving the adults and older siblings rolling their eyes at the sheer insipidness of it all. So it's refreshing to find a film that, for all its familiarity of situation and characters, has something to say to everyone in the family. "Bridge to Terabithia" is about finding yourself, sure, but it's mostly about enduring the taunts that others might throw at you and finding refuge wherever you can . . . in this case, with the thing that most fifth grade boys would consider a last resort: a girl.
First-time feature director Gabor Csupo had a great story to work with, but he couldn't have come up with two better stars. Josh Hutcherson is convincing as Jess Aarons, a fifth grader who couldn't be more isolated if he was washed up on a desert island. His dad doesn't give him the attention he craves, his two older sisters cut him down, a younger sister follows him around everywhere like an untrained puppy, and he's the target of bullies at school. But it's AnnaSophia Robb who really shines. Her character is supposed to be a life-changing life force, one of those clichéd people who can light up the room and change the energy level just by walking into it, and that's how it is. When she's onscreen, there's a special feeling. Robb plays Leslie Burke, whose writer parents (Latham Gaines and Judy McIntosh) moved into a home next door to the Aarons in a rural community. In the book, it was Virginia, but this film was shot in New Zealand and so the place isn't as specific. Conversely, the book was set in the '70s, and Leslie's parents were a bit on the "hippy" side, as was the cool music teacher at school who connects with both kids, Ms. Edmonds (Zooey Deschanel).
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