Bridge to Terabithia is a movie that was released in 2007, directed by Gábor Csupó, and written by David L. Paterson and Jeff Stockwell. The film is an adaptation of a novel with the same title by Katherine Paterson published in 1977. The story was based on the author’s son, David L. Peterson. The film stars Anna Sophia Robb, Josh Hutcherson, Bailee Madison, Robert Patrick, and Zooey Deschanel.
The story revolves around the lives of two 11-year-old neighbors who create their own world called Terabithia. Jess Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) is an 11-year-old boy who lives with his family in Lark Creek. His family is facing financial difficulties, but Jess is a boy who has an extraordinary imagination that he pours into his drawings. Every day he goes to school with his younger sister May Belle (Bailee Madison) on the bus. Unfortunately, Jess is frequently bothered by other students, including Janice Avery (Lauren Clinton).
One day, as Jess wore his older sister’s hand-me-down shoes because his family could not afford new ones; he was also teased by his friends, Scott Hoager (Cameron Wakefield), and Gary Fulcher (Elliot Lawless). In the same class that day, a new girl arrives, Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb). After a race at school, in which Leslie won, Jess and Leslie discovered they were neighbors, living across from one another’s homes.
Jess and his father’s relationship is not very warm, and his father spends more time with May Belle than with him. On the bus ride home that day, Leslie sees Jess drawing, but he acts coldly towards her and closes his notebook. Leslie, however, offers to share her gum with him.
The next day, as Jess was being bullied in the hallway at school, Leslie catches his drawing notebook as it falls to the ground. Leslie praises Jess’s drawings and his artistic abilities. During a writing class, Leslie reads her essay, which Jesse begins to imagine. When Mrs. Myers (Jen Wolfe) instructs the children to watch a television show for inspiration, Leslie admits that she does not have a TV which leads her to be teased by her classmates. Nonetheless, Leslie remains unfazed.
After school, Leslie takes Jess to a swinging rope that leads to a treehouse across a river, where they discover a magical world that they name Terabithia. They make it their secret hideout and spend more time there. On Jesse’s birthday, his family gives him an unwanted gift that breaks immediately. The next day, Leslie surprises him with the gift of coloured paints.
When Jess’s father’s greenhouse is damaged, he sets a trap to catch the animal responsible, which Jess disagrees with. When he hears a critter trapped, he wakes up and immediately frees the animal from the trap, which angers his father. Jess is so upset with what his father said that it affected his belief in Terabithia, and he says some hurtful things to Leslie. The next day, he apologizes to her and gives her a dog named P.T. (Prince Terrien) as an apology.
Bullying is not only happening to Jess but also to Leslie. Janice Avery often intimidates her. Therefore, Jess and Leslie team up to seek revenge on Janice by embarrassing her in front of the boy she admires. When Leslie was going home, Jess invited her to return to Terabithia another day.
In conclusion, Bridge to Terabithia is a heart-warming film based on Katherine Paterson’s novel. The film tells a story about two unlikely friends who bond and create a world of their own. The movie reminds us of the importance of imagination, kindness, and friendship in difficult times. The imagination can take us to places that we have never been before, and the film suggests that we never truly lose our imaginations unless we choose to let it go.
