Jess Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) is the only boy in a family without a lot of money and he gets bullied at school. When new girl Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb) moves in next door, the two slowly form a friendship. The imaginative Leslie encourages Jess to create the land of Terabithia with her, inspired by the hideaway in the woods they always go to and a mutual desire to stand up to the mean kids. Through what happens, Leslie will also teach Jess to believe in himself.

CRITIQUE

Contemporary film seems to be covering all of children’s literature and the beloved classic Bridge to Terabithia was, of course, going to be brought to the screen at some point. In conjunction with Disney, Walden Media is a company that specialized in this type of adaptation (having covered The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and others) and so it is no surprise that they are the creative force behind this film. Bridge to Terabithia has impressive acting and a timeless story but is imperfect in direction.

One pet peeve I’d like to address right off is that I think the marketing of this film might have misled some viewers who have not read the book into thinking that the kids actually find a magical land, not create one for themselves. The fantasy world serves to emphasize the connection between Jess and Leslie, not the other way around. Kids will still love the special effects and will definitely relate to the bullying and themes of friendship and loneliness. The plotting is powerful, too, straight from Katherine Paterson‘s novel. Leading them to a book (if they haven’t already read it) is always a positive thing as well.

Director Gabor Csupo has a heavy hand when it comes to foreshadowing plot and use of close-ups (Hutcherson does a lot of staring in the film, as producer Lauren Levine notes in their commentary). There is also one montage too many. But the casting he has done is excellent. Robb is good but this is Hutcherson’s film and he proves that he can become a huge adult star as the years go by. Check out his crying scene if you don’t believe me. Some of the shots are nice and the opening credit sequence is really good. Other touches are also successful, such as the spot-on costuming of the kids-- that is exactly how a boy and girl this age today dress. The special effects are also done in a way that makes clear that the kids’ real lives are inspiring their made-up world. Though flawed, Disney’s adaptation of Bridge to Terabithia does have a successful story and performances.

THE VIDEO

Disney presents Bridge to Terabithia in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. Full of special effects, the transfer of the picture and colors are very solid.

THE AUDIO

Disney presents Bridge to Terabithia in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. It is almost a perfect presentation, as the sound itself is very well done. There are also French and Spanish language tracks and subtitles available.

THE EXTRAS

Digital Imagination: Bringing Terabithia to Life: The author, actors, director, and WETA Digital staff talk about the company’s contribution of special effects to this film. It’s cute when Hutcherson enthuses that he can’t believe he is working on a film with The Lord of the Rings effects house. The best comment of all, though, may be that Paterson approves of the translation of the fantasy world from book to screen.

Behind the Book: The Themes of Bridge to Terabithia: More interviews with the author, actors, and educators from around the country help focus attention on why the story in the novel is so beloved. The characters, the friendship, the themes-- its all covered. The most poignant moment is when Paterson reveals that the story was about her son’s friendship with a girl who died when they were 8 years old.

Commentaries: There are two commentaries included here. Director Csupo, writer Jeff Stockwell, and producer Paul Lieberman join for one, while actors Hutcherson and Robb and producer Lauren Levine join for the other. The first track is a bit marred by the fact that Csupo has an accent that you have to get past, but there is some nice discussion here. We learn that Csupo had the presence of mind to hire legend Kyle Cooper to do the opening credit sequence. He also talks about how some people think Leslie’s parents divorced after her death because her father is driving the moving van away alone, but they didn‘t. In the second track, there is a lot of good information, mostly about what the other actors were like. The cutest bit is when Hutcherson discusses the effect it had on re-recording the dialogue for the film when his voice broke. Levine also points out that Hutcherson’s big, powerful scene was shot over a dozen times and they even had a lunch break during that time-- impressive.

Music Video: Robb sings “Keep Your Mind Wide Open.” The video is okay, though it is essentially filler. It is also an example of Disney’s constant pushing of its young acting stars into singing as well.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Bridge to Terabithia features a wonderful story, especially for families, and good performances, though the direction does leave something to be desired. Good production values can also be found here, including visually stunning special effects. The majority of audiences may want to buy rather than rent, especially considering the good extra features on this disc.