Movie Review: Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Moving drama that sticks close to the book

Cons: Characters not as rich as in the book

The Bottom Line:

Sticks close to the book

Which makes this moving drama

Prepared?  You'll be fine




Moving Drama for the Entire Family

Jesse Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) is the middle of five kids and the only boy. His family is poor and lives on a farm in the country. In fact, they're so poor he has to wear his older sister's shoes on the first day of fifth grade.

It's also that first day of school when he meets Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb). She's his new neighbor. When she beats Jesse at races during recess, he's less then happy. But slowly the two build a friendship.

It's Leslie's idea to create a magical kingdom. In Terabithia, anything they can imagine goes. They are the rulers and must fight against the evil creatures of the realm. Slowly, Leslie's imagination rubs off on Jesse, and he begins to enjoy these games as well. Their friendship even helps them deal with the bullies they face at school. But will it help when tragedy strikes?

This movie is based on a classic children's novel. Those familiar with the book need not worry, this movie sticks closely to the book. For those not familiar with the book, that means pay no attention to the previews. This is not a fantasy movie. While we spend time in Terabithia, it's a small fraction of the movie. The majority of the movie is spent in the realities of fifth grade life.

The story focuses on the characters. There are several sub-plots involving daily school life. While they are mostly predictable, they are also entertaining, and I was pulled into the events.

The original novel was written and set in the 1970's. They've updated the setting to modern times, but it only effects little things. The heart of the story remains unchanged.

Over the course of the movie, Terabithia becomes a symbol of their growing friendship. Their imaginations grow stronger, and we get to see these imaginations come to life. The special effects for these sequences are incredible. Never for a moment did I not believe what I was seeing in the screen.

The acting is top notch, too. AnnaSophia Robb and Josh Hutcherson are the main stars, and they do a great job bringing their characters to life. The other standout is Bailee Madison as Jesse's younger sister. Zooey Deschanel is charming as their music teacher.

My only real complaint comes from comparing the movie to the book. I read the book for the first time last month, and was deeply moved by it. The characters were rich and there was lots of depth to the story. Naturally, that can't be achieved in a movie. If the book wasn't so fresh in my mind, I would have enjoyed the story more. This is a minor complaint, however, since I was as deeply moved by the ending of the movie as I was the book.

Don't go see Bridge to Terabithia expecting a light fantasy story. But by all means go. You'll be moved by this story of the power that friendship can have on a life.