Bridge to Terabithia
Two misfit young friends invent an imaginary land.
This movie isn't what the commercials say it is, and that's a good thing, said Peter Hartlaub in the San Francisco Chronicle. Bridge to Terabithia is being trumpeted for its computer-generated fantasy elements, as if it were a Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia knockoff. This heartfelt picture is built on a smaller scale. With its multifaceted characters and complex emotional arc, Bridge 'œoffers a lot of things you won't see in most children's movies, including honest dialogue, actions that have consequences, and some truly moving moments.' The movie, like Katherine Paterson's Newbery Award–winning novel, follows the friendship between two pre-teen outcasts, said Mary F. Pols in the San Jose Mercury News. A farm boy named Jess (Josh Hutcherson) meets Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb), the artsy new girl in town, and they flourish in each other's presence, creating an imaginary land called Terabithia in a forest sanctuary. The film's treatment of Terabithia is its only failing. Instead of leaving some mystery, director Gabor Csupo 'œcoats everything in unnecessary computer-generated fairy dust.' Yet the Terabithia scenes don't dilute the power of this moving story, said Steven Rea in The Philadelphia Inquirer. 'œBridge to Terabithia the movie, like the book, is buckets-of-tears sad.' But while children might sniffle, they won't be disturbed. The uplifting message about friendship and imagination will leave the whole family touched, not miserable.
Rating: PG
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Home Depots are the new epicenters of ICE raids
In the Spotlight The chain has not provided many comments on the ongoing raids
-
Why does Trump keep interfering in the NYC mayoral race?
Today's Big Question The president has seemingly taken an outsized interest in his hometown elections, but are his efforts to block Zohran Mamdani about political expediency or something deeper?
-
The pros and cons of banning cellphones in classrooms
Pros and cons The devices could be major distractions