Review of Bridge to Terabithia (2007) by Christopher E — 07 Apr 2016

A beautiful movie about friendship and loss that children themselves may not even understand, but will always hold a place in the hearts of many.

"Bridge To Terabithia" follows the story of a young boy who lives a rough family life. He's always kept to himself and barely had a viable relationship with his family. But one day, a new girl moves into town, and after a bumpy start, these two go on to build a life changing friendships that will not only open his eyes to new perspectives, but change the way he sees everything. The two stretch their imaginations beyond belief and create their own world to which they can escape the realities of life, and through this, we get to watch them live their lives through this wondrous adventure.

Not only is this one of my favorite movies from my childhood, but it's one of my favorite movies of all time. Although I say that this is one of my favorite childhood films, this, in my opinion, is not a kid's movie. This movie, despite the plot, is actually a very touching and real movie about loss and life that many kids won't understand. The twist in the movie alone is controversial and can leave many kids confused, even scarred. At a young age, most will enjoy the adventures that our two characters go on, but won't understand what's really behind the dialogue and what everything means. Although I love this movie, I recommend you don't let your child watch this due to some of the powerful and tragic events in this film.

In movies like this that are held together by their young actors, they normally struggle due to the inability of the actors to portray the characters well. However, these are two great kid actors that hold up on their end. Josh Hutcherson does a great job of playing this really real kid that struggles with his emotions, and he honestly fits the role perfectly. His character is very relatable and when moments call for it, he steps up to the plate. I think he's definitely an underrated actor, as his performances to this date have been solid. Annasophia Robb also did a great job as her character, playing a girl who's open minded. She's able to create these other worlds that help battle the confusing conflicts within life, and I loved her character all around. Most of the supporting cast held up just fine, and I was pleased with everyone's all around performances.

This is one of the most fun, yet dark movies out there. Let's talk about the fun part first. With this being a kids movie and all, it manages to supply a perfect amount of adventure for young children. These two characters use their imagination to create a world of their own, where they rule the land and fight the forces of evil. The best part about this is not neccesarily the action, but the fact that these kids did what most kids would do. Every kid has an imagination beyond the unthinkable, and this is exactly what we all used to do as a child. Everything they could possibly dream of was created in their minds, and was a way to escape their difficult realities. It's a perfect way to not only entertain us as an audience, but to show us that we can make things better if we choose to.

The writing is one of my favorite parts of this movie. It's so smart, yet so subtle that it'll fly right over children's heads, but adults will recognize it and relate to it in a heartbeat. For example, our main character, Jesse, comes home after a rough day at school. As he walks through the kitchen in his small, run down house, his parents are quietly at the table struggling with bills. This represents the struggle that families like this have to go through and it can hit home for a lot of people. Whether it's as simple as that, or the fact that he is unable to obtain a decent pair of shoes, it all adds up to make a very real story. There are plenty of messages in here that can make you feel emotional, as it blends together light and dark in the perfect ways.

The screenplay was also very note worthy, as it just felt very consistent and meaningful. You have the Dad who often treats his son with less intimacy than he does his younger daughter, and you can see that it hurts Jesse. Speaking of which, Jesse is this isolated character that has a hard time balancing everything in life. He's not neccesarily rude, but rather, just someone who just tries to get through life. Leslie always has something nice to say, or will often show her kindness through her actions. I really loved all of the small things in this movie that just make you feel warm inside, and the dialogue was perfect throughout.

Although this is a fun movie, it's a very dark one at that. This is a movie about tragedy and loss, and just how difficult it can be to deal with life. Life is a mixture, and a lot of the time, it's ugly. Jesse never really had anything, and it was not until Leslie that he started smiling. This friendship that forms between the two is awe inspiring, and there are plenty of moments that really signify this message. Other than the deep message, the real reason why I think this isn't a kid's movie is because of the powerful and shocking ending. This is where the message of tragedy and loss come into play, and I was on the verge of tears. It's emotional in every way and kid's will be scarred by it. This is a movie that is meant for kids, but will resonate with anyone that is a teenager age or above. This is a deep movie that will manage to toy with your emotions.

In the end, I absolutely loved this movie. There's no way around it but to say I though this was perfect. I've watched this movie plenty of times by now, and it honestly just keeps getting better and better. It inspires me in many ways, and it makes me want to mend the broken relationships in my life, because they really are precious. With the impact this movie had on me, I have to praise it for that.