Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

User Review

• 

  Barneyonmovies

  7 / 10

  WHAT I LIKED: Like 'A Monster Calls,' and 'The Breadwinner,' Jeff Stockwell and David Paterson's adaptation of 'Bridge to Terebethia,' is most of all a film about the power of stories to help children escape from and deal with their real-world struggles.
  
  In particular, it follows an artistic young boy called Jesse (Josh Hutcherson) feeling lonely and isolated because of bullying at school and his family's financial stresses. He meets a new girl called Leslie (Anna Sophia Robb) who turns out to be his neighbour, and together they imagine a magical Kingdom from the forests around their houses where they can escape all of that if they "open their mind." The theme at the heart of that is universally powerful to anyone who loves stories, but it's an unusual film in the sense that there's no central question driving the narrative forward.
  
  Instead, you're hooked by the characters as the film naturalistically captures things happening to them; from the brilliant character introductions, to Jesse's crisis of faith in his escapist art after his father tells him to get his head out of the clouds. That's brought to life well by director Gabor Csupo, as he brings out very real performances from his young cast, arranges the settings behind them, and simply points his camera near their faces to catch the emotions the scenes require.
  
  WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: You can't help but feel that the wonder of the land that they imagine isn't brought to life particularly well, as it largely relies on CGI that the film clearly didn't have the budget for.
  
  VERDICT: Films about the power of stories have the potential to be truly transcendent. 'Bridge to Terebethia,' engages with its naturalism, but falls short of building the sense of wonder that its themes rely on.

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