terabithia

THE FLICK: Without getting too philosophical about it, today’s kids seem to have an ever narrowing window of “innocence;” a time when imagination is more important than cable TV, when friendship means something more than cliques and popularity, where all the trials and tragedies of life seem so far away you can almost believe they’ll never happen at all. Bridge to Terabithia deals with all these subjects in a very sensitive and uncynical way, telling the story of two misfit pre-teens who invent their own imaginary kingdom and spark a powerful friendship. Based on the book by Katherine Paterson, Terabithia has been marketed as an effects-laden spectacular along the lines of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. But the truth is, other than about 10-minutes of trolls, monster squirrels and warrior bugs, the story is an old school “after-school special.” Hence my conflicted feelings about a movie that has honorable of intentions but will likely dash the expectations of ADD kids looking for another quick CGI fix. Terabithia might be good for them, but is it ethical to promise candy and then serve vegatables? All marketing quibbles aside, the film itself is an excellent translation of the sort of young-adult literature that kids can identify with. Jesse (Josh Hutcherson) is a poor kid being creatively stifled by his overworked family. Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb) is his new oddball neighbor, whose novelist parents encourage her daydreams and creative meanderings. The two strike up a fast friendship, exploring an imaginary kingdom called Terabithia populated by bizarre creatures that reflect their own fears and aspirations. Directing his first feature film, Gabor Csupo handles his child stars well, but loses himself in the maudlin nature of the story. It’s nice to see a family film address issues like child abuse and spiritual confusion (well, maybe not nice but admirable, at least), not taking the age of its audience for granted. Yet for every good note the film hits (Robert Patrick as Jesse’s terse and frustrated father is a beautifully well-rounded character), there are some drastic oversimplications and just plain cheesiness. Terabithia – the movie - exists in its own imaginary world where children still sit through live-action Disney films that don’t feature pirates and come home to eat dinner at the table when the street lights turn on. It’s a great dream, but I’m not sure it’s one kids aspire to anymore. THE FEATURES: Although there are only a few effects sequences to show off, Terabithia on Blu-ray is still a worthwhile experience, with absolutely zero flaws and a beautiful color scheme. The 1080p image comes across very film-like, with few dark scenes or shadows to give it a challenge. The extras include two commentaries – one from the filmmakers and one featuring the two lead actors – as well as a featurette on the digital effects and a profile of author Katherine Paterson’s inspiration for the story: her son, David, who was one of the screenwriters responsible for Terabithia’s translation.