Bridge to Terabithia
Rating: 3/5
Directed by: Gabor Csupo
Starring: Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel
From the acclaimed children's writer, Katherine Paterson, comes "Bridge to Terabithia," a film which caters to a very specific audience: the family, particularly mom, dad and the two elementary school kids. They will laugh at all the corny jokes, cheer on the protagonists as they weather school bullies, and be awed by the "magical" land of Terabithia. In short, they will believe. When judged from such a point of view, the film is solid. The members of its young cast play their roles gracefully with charisma and minimal lapses. The pacing is effective, and drawn over everything is a thick coating of sugary sweet, heartfelt soul. It's chicken soup for your 9-year-old daughter.
However, as a college student, writing for a fairly older and more mature audience, I warn you: do not see this movie unless you are an avid "Bridge to Terabithia" fan. In truth, the juvenility of the film soon becomes overwhelming and nearly excruciating. As a story about two fifth graders, it truly is a world seen through the eyes of fifth graders with all the fifth-grade drama, clichés, and amusements to match.
First, there is Jesse Aarons (Josh Hutcherson), a runner and artist whose family's poor financial state renders him a victim to bullying and rejection by his peers. Then comes Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb), a new student whose funky boyish outfits and confident, nonconformist attitude land her in the same rut. However, these underdogs of the primary school hierarchy quickly bond through their creativity and shared passion for running. From the seed of their imagination, they build for themselves a private, magical nook in the forest. Thus, Terabithia is born as a keystone to their life away from their ordinary lives. Through family dilemmas and even tragedy, "Bridge to Terabithia" teaches us to treasure friends and family, to have hope for the future and, most importantly, to open our minds. Unfortunately, the style of its telling puts the film in the genre of a children's movie.
"Terabithia" itself is never completely satisfying and is slightly anticlimactic. Occasionally, fantastical beasts arise from the fairly commonplace forest, hinting at a more fleshed-out magical realm. Yet when we do finally get a glimpse of this paradise, the scene is rarely fulfilling, creating the feeling of never truly having entered and explored Terabithia. Some moments are reminiscent of those from "The Chronicles of Narnia" in terms of the young children, their magical adventures, and even the epic, sweeping music. Yet never does this film reach the complete suspension of reality. On one hand, this handling of the story helps the movie stay grounded in reality, but at the same time it puts Terabithia in a fantasy limbo land, magical enough to whet our appetite yet never quite able to sate it.
