Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia is a film targeted at the pre-teen market which tackles an extremely difficult subject. It was advertised as a fantasy-genre picture, complete with giants and elves and trees that come to life. That was a misleading tactic, as this movie is actually quite grounded in reality. It is about growing up, about the tension between responsibility and imagination, about fitting in and friendship. And ultimately, it is about something much more important.

Unfortunately, the writing is not quite up to snuff to pull all this off. The main characters are supposed to be around twelve years old, but seem to act younger, perhaps nine or ten. The film had to tread a fine line between reality and imagination. It had to be clear to the viewer what’s real and what isn’t. The line gets blurred at times, for a combination of reasons. The dialogue and character development undershot the proper age. The acting was wooden. The special effects, for a Disney, felt a little too cheap and unbelievable. And as a result, I was wondering about the reality of one of the main characters. This uncertainty completely changed how I perceived the major plot development of the film. The Bridge to Terabithia is supposed to be a bridge between childhood fantasy and the cruel reality of adulthood. And like the tree that conveniently falls from out of nowhere to form the crux of the bridge, it leaves the viewer disappointed at its end.