THE BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA

US, 2007, 95 minutes, Colour.
Josh Hutcherson, Anna Sophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel, Robert Patrick, Bailee Madison.
Directed by Gabor Csupo.

It is a pleasure to be able to recommend this film to audiences of all ages except, perhaps, the smallest of children. One can say that it is a lovely film. It is one of the best American films for young audiences.

The Bridge to Terabithia is based on the 1976 award-winning novel by Katherine Paterson, a book that apparently is well-read in America. It has been adapted by the author’s son, David. It touches on many themes that children experience and can identify with: busy families, education, school bullying, making friends, using the imagination, being creative, death and grief, peace-making and hope.

The two child actors give very mature and nuanced performances. Josh Hutcherson (Zathura, Little Manhattan) shows great talent as Jess, the central character of the story, an 11 year old boy who has two older sisters and two younger ones. He tends to be overlooked in the family or taken for granted, except to do the chores. He is closest to his little sister May Belle (Bailee Madison) who is just starting school and relies on him. Hutcherson is able to portray believably the different moods of a boy who goes through quite some upheavals in his life.

The other principal character is Leslie, a new girl at the school and Jess’s neighbour, an only child whose writer-parents love her but are busy about their creative work. Ann Sophia Robb (who was sweet in Because of Winn- Dixie and nasty in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) is a breath of fresh air as Leslie who is outgoing, friendly and imaginative. Robert Patrick, best known as the evil Cyborg in Terminator II, has to be severe most of the time as Jess’s father.

The filming took place in New Zealand towns and countryside standing in for the U.S.

Where is Terabithia? In a way, it is just across the river from home, a magical place in the woods. On the other hand, it exists mainly in the imaginations of Jess and Leslie. It is their kingdom, where they can go every day after school and make believe that there are huge tree-like trolls, small warriors and nasty flying mini-monsters. Jess tends to be very matter-of-fact, except in his constant drawings. Leslie is spontaneously intuitive and has no trouble in seeing Terabithia.

One of the best features of the screenplay is that the special effects (from the WETA Company in Wellington, who were responsible for the effects in The Lord of the Rings) do not dominate the story. The story is firmly anchored in the reality of home life, family, school and classes, life in the playground and travelling to and from by the school bus. This makes the excursions into the realm of fantasy more convincing and persuades us that children do need to foster their imaginations.

There is a plot development that will take those who have not read the novel (as I had not) completely by surprise. We adults were upset and tearful with what happens so, I would suspect, would be the children’s audience. But, it is handled wisely and beautifully, realistically in the best sense.

This leads to a greater bond between Jess and his father and a more generous love from Jess for May Belle – building, just for her, a real as well as an imaginary bridge to Terabithia.

The director, Gabor Csupo, emigrated from communist Hungary in 1975 to Sweden, and worked in an animation studio. Later, in the United States, his company was responsible for the first three seasons of The Simpsons and then made the Rugrats series. The Bridge to Terabithia is a fine achievement.

1.The appeal of the film? Children, adults? Reality and fantasy?

2.The adaptation of the prize-winning novel, the focus on characters, American, universal? The general location for the story, somewhere in the US? Situations? Audiences identifying with characters, crises, ability to cope? A world of fantasy?

3.The New Zealand locations, the town, houses, the woods, the river, the school, the school bus route? Contrasting the fantasy world and its special effects with the real world?

4.The impact of reality and the insertion of fantasy into it? Real life and imagination? Creativity?

5.The dramatising of creativity: Jesse, his drawings. Leslie and her essay on scuba diving and her imagining it, the legends of Terabithia, the myths, the action there? Literally seeing the world differently? The creativity of Miss Edmonds, the music, all the class singing? Her taking Jesse to the museum?

6.Jesse as the centre of the film, aged eleven, his sisters and relationship to them, his busy parents, their concern, the chores, his outlet in drawing, his being ignored, criticised, the lack of expressions of love? At school, the bullies, the severe teacher? Janice and her gang, her bullying, Leslie and Jesse writing the letter, her being hurt, the change? Helping Janice? The issue of the lost keys, May Belle and her having them, recovering them? Miss Edmonds and her support? His helping her, courtesy? Her taking him to the museum, his decision not to invite Leslie and the consequences? The news of her death, in denial, his grief, going with his parents to the house, meeting her parents? The memories of painting the house and the enjoyment with the parents? The severe teacher, her understanding Jesse’s grief, the talk in the corridor and her own story about her husband, empathy? The aftermath of Leslie’s death, the father and his concern, the bond? The bonding with May Belle? The literal building of the bridge, the bridge to Terabithia, taking May Belle across it and telling her she could be a princess?

7.Jesse’s family, hard work, lack of money, the issue of the keys and his father’s severity, the sisters and their not regarding him well, the focus on the baby, the father favouring May Belle, in the greenhouse?

8.Leslie and her arrival, in class, the story of the scuba diving, her bright personality, praising Jesse’s drawings, the bond between the two, beating him in the sprint and his negative reaction, getting off the bus, taking him into the woods, the tree-house, the collage of building the tree-house? Jesse and Leslie making him imagine Terabithia, the special effects creatures? His getting her the dog? Leslie and her reaction to Janice, making the children pay to go to the toilet? The decision to write the letters? May Belle and her losing her chocolates? The hurt to Janice, Janice being humiliated, the change, Leslie and her going to support Janice, the possibilities? The painting of the interior of the house, Leslie’s happiness that her parents had finished their work? The suddenness of her death? Impact on the audience as well as Jesse?

9.Leslie and her parents, their grief, the taking of the dog?

10.May Belle, her age, going to school, the fuss made by the family, Jesse having to be responsible, on the bus going home, her continued questions, the loss of her sweets? Terabithia and the end? Princess?

11.School, the teachers, the severe teacher yet her sympathy, Miss Edmonds and the music, the children responding to the music, in the yard, sport, bullying, Janice? The boys? The humiliation of Janice?

12.Janice, size, her back-story, in the bus, her violent behaviour, the humiliation, the change, Jesse and his support?

13.The special effects for the trolls, the small monsters, the little warriors? The castle?

14.A film of childhood, realistic growing up, the world of the imagination – and the effect on the adult?