Much like the main characters it presents Bridge to Terabithia is caught in the middle of being both a children's and an adult's film. It delves into the areas of fantasy, hope and friendship all against the backdrop of loneliness, under appreciation and worry. Like all good films it combines the two to produce a sweet, endearing and at times heart breaking film.
The film gently introduces its main characters to us, establishing family set ups and main characters positioning throughout their school system. Unsurprisingly main character Jess Adams is a bit of a misfit, his farmyard upbringing the brunt of the bullying he faces at school. Once this is established we meet Leslie Burke, the likewise equally misunderstood female character who plays the role of the slightly kooky, imaginative girl. Like all childhood friendships their relationship develops quickly, a slight sense of tension at the start is quickly forgone thanks to some tried and tested chewing gun and a race to a tree. It's both a charming and an idyllic relationship, hints of romantic interest remain appropriately as hints-never going too far but amicably showing affection and the ever popular method of having two friends have a quarrel and then make up later in the movie is thankfully avoided. The actors themselves are strong as well. I was never really a fan of Josh Hutcherson (who plays Jess) mainly because I didn't like Zathura, but here he gives a strong performance, particularly from someone his age. Likewise AnnaSophia Robb (Leslie) is also strong. Her more positive and inquisitive character is easier to pull off than Josh's (who, it has to be said has to go through varying emotional stages) but she does do her job very well and most importantly the chemistry between the too leads is there is full force. This is perhaps the area where Bridge to Terabithia will mostly appeal to adults. Children will find the early parts tedious, anxiously waiting for Terabithia itself, but for adults the two characters relationship is one of endearing innocence. Such relationships can never happen with those past that mystical puberty ridden gateway so the sense of friendship and excitement is all the more powerful here.
Something that well extends into Terabithia itself. The two create this dreamland out of their own forest as a means of escaping the bullies and school that populate their real lives. Its meaning is not merely so superfluous however; this is a world where both can foster their own gifts of imagination and creativity. Terabithia turns out not to be a means of escape but a means of creation. It is a world that adults really have no business entering or have any means of even attempting to enter. As someone who long ago crossed the bitter border that separates childhood from teenage angst I felt slightly incredulous about how they could imagine such a world based on real features; but that was the thing that really got to me about Bridge to Terabithia, it's a film that I can no longer fully connect with because it is an idea that has mournfully now left me. Ultimately this made the film connect to me on a different level and one that truly had a far greater impact. It reminded me of how wonderful and escapist being a child can be. How turning ordinary events into extraordinary creations was not only the norm but also brilliantly fascinating. Again, thankfully the film keeps this sense of imagination alive; whereas in most films the parental figure at some points tells the child to grow up and live in the real world here such a feeling are never presented. Though the family are financially struggling and although the Dad still asks for Jess to help out more the intrusion of family life into this world is never pressed. What really takes Bridge to Terabithia to the next level is how the opposite occurs. The real world does not take its toll on Terabithia, Terabithia makes its mark on the real world and it is at this point that the true reasoning behind growing up, the true understanding of knowing the limitation to such fantasies make their most tragic mark.
Bridge to Terabithia is a film that deals with the realities of life in ways we perhaps would not want it to deal with. Films often deal with growing up when faced with adversity, but rarely do films show this sense of childhood-this innocence in the imaginative sense. It has its share of niggles-the script is aimed and necessarily written for younger people and at times you will see the characters do things you would rather they didn't. But this is because you can see so much of yourself here in this film that it resonates with you to the point at which the somewhat repetitive dialogue ("wow" "Jess over here" "wow") becomes not only understandable but also familiar. In the end this is a film that has made me wonder why I ever even wanted to grow up in the first place but more importantly it made me look up at the trees and wonder just what could really be lurking there... a valt, a gredarg, or even a chelit perhaps? You have no idea what these are because I made these creatures up after watching Bridge to Terabithia. The film gave this particular reviewer part of his imagination back, and for that he is eternally grateful.
