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Despite what the Disney marketing department would have you believe, director Gabor Csupo’s “Bridge to Terabithia” is not “Narnia 2.” There is no portal to a magical land full of allegorical lions. There are no forlorn fawns waiting to find a new friend. And it certainly isn’t overrun by a tyrannical witch bent on enslaving all of its inhabitants. Actually, Terabithia has no physical presence whatsoever; it’s considerably simpler than that. It exists solely in the imagination of its two heroes, fifth-graders Jesse (Josh Hutcherson) and Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb). Apparently, that wasn’t enough for Disney, as the film’s trailer suggests that swinging across a creek is enough to enter a fantastic new world of adventure and fantasy. If you were going to liken it to anything, though, it would be accurate to call it the family version of “Pan’s Labyrinth.” It’s simply a coming-of-age story about two kids who escape into fantasy to escape their real problems and nothing more. The sad thing is there’s no need to jazz it up with tricky promotions; “Bridge to Terabithia” is an emotional, brilliant, soulful piece of art that far exceeds its humble “family film” beginnings.

Jesse is something of a social outcast, even in his own house. His father (Robert Patrick) barely notices his existence, doting on his four sisters instead, and after training all summer for a race among the fifth grade boys, his mom (Kate Butler) throws away his ratty sneakers, forcing him to wear a pair of his older sister’s pink hand-me-downs. To make matters worse, his title as the fastest in the fifth grade is stolen when new kid Leslie jumps in and bests them all. Leslie is also immediately deemed an outcast when she reveals that her family doesn’t own a TV. The next-door neighbors eventually bond, though, over their imaginative artistic sensibilities, expressed through his art and her writing, which allows them to eventually create Terabithia, a world of their own, free of family pressures and school bullies, where they are allowed to be the king and queen, hero and heroine.

Much like the underground world inhabited by fauns, faeries and demons in “Pan’s Labyrinth,” we’re not necessarily supposed to see Terabithia as a real place. Finding an old tree house in a section of woods inhabited only by squirrels, the pair refurbishes it, turning into their palace and stronghold against the villainous demons masquerading as those squirrels. But while it’s not really a palace — it’ll always be just a tree house — it’s still their sanctuary from the mess and awkwardness that comes from being a preteen. It’s the only place where they can truly be themselves, which eventually starts to manifest elsewhere in their lives.

Parents should be cautioned, however, that while “Terabithia” is a magnificent film, the picture eventually sheds the happy exterior, as a tragic turn sets up a dark final act. But if my screening is any indication, it’s not the kids that will be hit hardest by the twist. Among the adult audience, there was barely a dry eye in the entire place (which includes at least a few manly men). Don’t make the mistake of lumping this picture in with the typical gutless family fare; even without the tragedy, the film is surprisingly mature with that special kind of mass appeal that so many other movies near get near. The tragedy, though, is what will eventually make this film a timeless classic, just like the book on which it’s based. That’s actually a strange sentence to write about a cinematically-adapted kids book, especially when “Terabithia” is just the latest book to be adapted by Walden Media, whose track record is certainly less than stellar. Their adaptation of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” was certainly beautiful (and a money maker), but the same can’t be said for the film versions of “How to Eat Fried Worms,” “Hoot” and “Charlotte’s Web,” among others. Much of the credit, I suspect, is owed to co-screenwriter David Paterson, who (along with Jeff Stockwell) adapted the story from his mother Katherine’s award-winning book. In addition to having a family connection, David is intimately interwoven with “Terabithia,” as a tragedy he suffered as a child served as the inspiration for the story. Katherine wrote it in attempt to help comfort her grieving child, which may be why David did such a faithful job adapting it. It honestly is his story.

I must admit that my familiarity with Hutcherson and Robb before watching “Terabithia” was sketchy at best. I technically saw Hutcherson as he made a five-second appearance at the start of “American Splendor” and saw him again in the good, but sappy “Little Manhattan.” I skipped Robb’s other Walden Media movie (“Because of Winn-Dixie”), largely because it also co-starred crappy musician/ditzy sorority girl magnet/possible incubus Dave Matthews. Perhaps that is why I was pleasantly surprised by the maturity of these two, who successfully pull of the playful, yet meaningful friendship at the heart of “Terabithia.” I suspect that both Hutcherson, acting beneath a generic exterior and a permanent look of frustration, and Robb, whose saucer eyes make her look like she actually belongs in an anime, will eventually mature into A-listers, as they are simply too talented to be wasted in dreck. Perhaps both can model their future careers after costar Zooey Deschannel, who continues to prove her talent with a strong supporting role as the kids’ music teacher and object of Jesse’s first crush.

As the creator of Nickelodeon shows “Rugrats” and “The Wild Thornberrys,” Csupo has plenty of experience with two-dimensional animation, and with “Terabithia,” he proves that he’s just as adept at CGI. Unlike films such as “Narnia,” which assault you with grandiose landscapes, Csupo has kept his film simple, which better bridges the gap between the film’s fantasy and reality. With the exception of one scenic shot, Terabithia is simply the woods near their houses, with occasional appearances by insect warriors, those evil squirrel-like demons (known as Squorges) and a giant that bears a striking resemblance to the local eighth grade bully. Instead of overwhelming, these little flourishes merely enhance the fantastic story that skillfully blends both worlds of reality and Terabithia. I simply can’t stop praising this movie enough. It should easily be one of the best films of the year.

Even though Walden isn’t promoting a Christian agenda, Katherine Paterson is a Christian and there are elements that snuck into both the book and the film. Midway through the movie, Leslie goes to church with Jesse’s family and they talk about believing in the Bible and being damned to hell and all that. It’s an awkward little scene that probably should have gotten cut, simply for being out of sync with the movie. But no matter what you believe, this movie isn’t going to start a rush of conversions. It’s not necessarily trying to promote the Christian ideal or anything of the sort. It’s simply there, just as it is in real life, and no one should let something as silly as that stop them from seeing a truly amazing picture.

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originally posted: 03/11/07 00:47:49
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