Production Company: Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media
Director: Gabor Csupo
Cast: Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel, Robert Patrick
Rating: PG for thematic elements including bullying, some peril and mild language.

By Gregg Tubbs

(UMC.org)—In Bridge to Terabithia, two young outsiders use the power of imagination and their unique bond to create a world of their own, filled with fantastic creatures and free of bullies and the pressures and loneliness of the real world. But how can they, or any of us, fare as lords of our own creation? And can such a fantasy world really provide a refuge from the sorrows of the real world or will it simply reflect them in a different way? To find out, we need to follow them into Terabithia and rediscover the imagination and wonder of childhood.

Brought to us by Walden Media, the producer of such films as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Bridge to Terabithia is their latest effort to bring faithful adaptations of quality children’s fiction to the screen. Based on the beloved Newbery Award-winning novel by Katherine Paterson, Bridge to Terabithia tells the story of Jess Aarons (Josh Hutcherson), an introverted seventh-grader in a typical small town. Beleaguered by bullies at school and his brusque, overworked father at home, Jess takes refuge in his imaginative drawings—caricatures of teachers and cartoons of fantastic creatures.

Jess (Josh Hutcherson) and Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb) imagine an enchanted world of their own—a magical kingdom called Terabithia where they rule as king and queen and fight against the Dark Master and his creatures. Copyright © 2007 Walt Disney Pictures.

Jess also dreams of shaking his "loser" image by winning an annual foot race at school. Times are hard on the Aarons' family farm, and Jess trains for the race in an old pair of sneakers held together by little more than duct tape and faith. But his dream is dashed when Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb), the new girl in school, speeds past him and rest of the pack in the "boys only" race. Despite this rocky start, the two discover they have a lot in common and become fast friends. Both are outsiders, but they are also blessed with rich imaginations and creative talent—Jess for drawing and Leslie for telling stories. Over the course of the school year, they imagine an enchanted world of their own—a magical kingdom in the woods only accessible by swinging across a stream on a rope. They call their land Terabithia, and as king and queen, they fight against the Dark Master and his creatures.

But their fantasical reveries are far from empty daydreaming; they prove to be therapeutic and instructive. Each adventure they complete and every troll or "hairy vulture" they vanquish represents a real life adversary or hurdle. The film explores the power of imagination and fantasy to help us understand and cope with the challenges and complexities of real life. They even learn that more often than not, the best weapon is kindness, and the most effective way to eliminate an enemy is to turn him or her into a friend. The film also explores the positive power of imagination. In order to create a better world, we must first be able to envision one, and more importantly, believe in it. Is it any wonder Jesus extolled the "faith of a child"?

In a particularly lovely scene, Jess’ family takes Leslie to church, something she has never done before. Her "first impressions" of God and Jesus are heartwarming and revelatory. Author Katherine Paterson’s parents were missionaries in Asia, and her experiences with new converts likely infused this scene.

Bridge to Terabithia is an endlessly imaginative and deeply compassionate film about building bridges between people and forging bonds—with fathers, teachers, neighbors and even bullies. Copyright © 2007 Walt Disney Pictures.

One life lesson that Jess and Leslie's adventures do not prepare them for is how to cope with death. Yet, even in Terabithia, death is part of the cycle of life—even sudden, senseless death. Parents who aren’t already familiar with the book should be aware that the story includes a tragic death and should take this into consideration when taking younger children. Author Paterson has defended the death as an important and realistic element in the story. Seeing how the characters both cope with and heal from this tragedy is revealing and comforting. Although this may be a story filled with fantasy, it is primarily a story about dealing with real life struggles, including coping with loss.

Describing the wonders of scuba diving in a school essay, Leslie writes, "I didn’t have enough air to see everything I wanted to, and that just made it more special." In a way, this line also describes a central message of the film: We should cherish the time we’re given and the people and experiences in our lives, because we never know how long it will last. Bridge to Terabithia is an endlessly imaginative and deeply compassionate film about building bridges between people and forging bonds—with fathers, teachers, neighbors and even bullies. Sometimes, as they say in the film, all you need to do is believe and "keep your mind wide open."

Study Questions

Were you familiar with the book, Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson on which the film is based? How faithful to the book do you think the movie was?
The story deals with some sad issues, including death. How do you feel about that? Do you think stories like this can help young people cope with death?
Stories and imagination can help us understand and deal with the real world. How did Jesus use stories to convey truth? Which story or parable told by Jesus told means the most to you and why? For some examples, see Matt. 13:3-13, Matt. 13:44-46, Luke 14:15-24, Luke 15:11-32.
After playing a mean trick on school bully Janice Avery to repay her for tormenting them, Jess and Leslie see how she is ostrasized by the cruel taunting of her peers. How does their attitude toward Janice change? How do they finally "disarm" Janice? What did they learn from the troll that helped them? (See Luke 6:27.)
Think about the scene where Leslie joined Jess at church. What did you think about their conversation in the truck? Did you understand what Leslie was saying about God? Do you agree?
How did Leslie touch Jess’ life? How did Jess influence Leslie's life? Have you ever had a special friend who deeply influenced and changed you? How can such friendships offer us support and encouragement as well as help make us better persons?
How did Leslie’s family compare to Jess’ family? How did money troubles impact Jess’ family, particularly his father? What role did faith play in helping the Aarons family? How did they exhibit it?
What symbolism do you see in the Dark Master’s identity? How does it show how Jess misunderstood his father?
Katherine Paterson, the author of Bridge to Terabithia, is a Christian and heavily influenced by the Narnia stories. What similarities do you see? What subtle Christian principles do you see in this story?
An actual bridge to Terabithia is not built until the very end of the film. Why do you think that was? What is the symbolic lesson of bridges? What bridges were built in the story?

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