by John Conrad

Created on: March 07, 2007   Last Updated: August 11, 2011

The Bridge to Terabithia is a true-to-life fantasy tale, chock full of emotion and imagination.

The story centers on Jess (Josh Hutcherson), an adolescent farm boy who loves to draw. His parents struggle to make ends meet, and Jess feels the brunt of it as he is forced to wear his older sister's pink hand-me-down sneakers to school. Jess is also the fastest kid on the track team at school. That is, of course, until Leslie (Anna Sophia Robb) moves in next door and beats him in a race on the first day of school. Imagine that - a girl beating a boy at sports.

Leslie is a juxtaposition of Jess's character. She is from the big city, highly intelligent and her parents are wealthy writers (she loves to write as well). However, her and poor country boy Jess have something in common besides running - their imagination (Jess in his drawing and Leslie in her writing).
Rather than being hailed for their personality and imagination at school, they are ridiculed and considered outcasts. This pushes them together, forming a bond between them that will change their lives together.

As their friendship grows, the two discover a rope swing behind their house. They use this "enchanted" rope to swing into the world created by their imagination, namely Terabithia - a magical land where the duo rule as king and queen, protecting the Terabithians from evil menaces (which are brilliantly based off of the bullies at school).

This movie worked on so many levels for me. It's a simple story of friendship, with brilliant special effects intertwined. However, the director's (Gabor Csupo) decision to make the fantasy sequences mirror reality was a good one. The special effects and CGI don't overpower or fuel the story, but rather supplement it. The whole time the audience is aware that this pair are using their imaginations, which only makes the movie seem more realistic. Too often we see a film relying on CGI to wow audiences, rather than taking the Terabithian approach and using it to present fantastical themes in a realistic manner.

The two lead roles in this film are acted brilliantly, and the chemistry between Hutcherson and Robb seems sincere. It is their friendship, their bond, that truly fuels the movie and propels the story forward. In this technological age, it is a relief to see a fantasy movie propelled by plot and character interaction rather than action and digital pageantry.

I loved this movie. It's a true-to-life trip through adolescence that stresses the importance of friendship and imagination. I recommend that everyone go see this film and give it 3 stars out of 4.

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