Movie Review: Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia was a pleasant surprise. It happened to be my birthday, so as we stood outside the movie theatre in the mall staring at the marquis, my two girlfriends obligingly let me pick. I hadn't heard that much about it, but I knew that it was a young adult fantasy adventure (my favorite), and the movie started a little while later, so we bought tickets, mogged the mall to kill an hour and went in.

I was not expecting such a lovely story. Like most people, I suspect, I was expecting lots of computer generated special effects and very little acting, so I was immediately impressed with the realistic plot and the unknown, talented cast. The complex emotions in Bridge to Terabithia must have presented these young but capable actors with a number of difficult challenges, and they managed it beautifully. These are not comic book characters or mythical beings with supernatural abilities. They are very real people with normal daily problems, yet they must also be able to rule an imaginary realm.

The story revolves around a fifth grader called Jess who lives in an old farmhouse near the woods with his large family and attends a rural school. Jess is the son of a strict, work-a-day hardware store manager who is forced to pinch pennies and who expects his family to obey his rules for their own good. As a result, Jess takes some time to warm up to the new girl in his class, who at first seems flighty and strange. His father's influence is the reason that Jess takes a while to open his mind to the idea that there may be an imaginary world waiting for him. Jess' new friend Leslie, however, is the daughter of writers. Her parents are creative people who encourage their daughter's imagination, but they also move around a lot and ignore her for long periods of time while they are working on new books. Consequently, Leslie's imagination has run a bit wild. It's difficult for her to fit in at yet another new school, but she is accustomed to the awkwardness and doesn't let it stifle her. Almost against his will, Leslie chooses Jess as a friend and leads him into her very well-developed fantasy world where they reign as king and queen.

I recently finished reading InkHeart, a book of the same genre that I also enjoyed immensely, particularly because of its perfectly balanced use of fantasy and reality. Terabithia uses fantasy conventions with the same masterful touch; neither too much nor too little. The fantasy creatures and special effects are present, but they are not over used and they are based in reality. Squirrels become dangerous attack creatures, dragonflies become Terabithian warriors, and when her own demons break down her gruff defenses, the schoolyard bully becomes a friendly giant

Having had my share of severe financial problems, I cringed at the scenes that found Jess' parents pinching pennies, suppressing their desires, and taking their anger out on their children. It all rang so true. But as they get to know and trust each other, Jess and Leslie become true friends. It is a beautiful, give-and-take relationship; Leslie has someone who is able to understand and participate in her world (which she has lovingly dubbed "Terabithia"), and Jess has found an important escape from his mundane, tense life at home and school.

One thing I have learned is that the human spirit cannot be denied. Even if they are suppressed, emotions will eventually manifest themselves somehow. The main character and most of his family members experience misplaced anger. It is only the youngest sister who is still nave enough to know exactly what is upsetting her and what she wants done about it, and she alone is able to articulate it clearly.

Creativity and inventiveness are in all of us. They cannot be ignored. This is why Leslie is successful in befriending Jess. They provide each other with crucial contact on a very basic level. Jess is a talented artist, but he doesn't consider his gifts very highly because no one ever acknowledges his work until a teacher happens upon it accidentally. It seems that Leslie has inherited her parents' proficiency with words, but it seems very commonplace to her, so she doesn't really attach any meaning to the things that she can do. In their own ways, the two friends admire and encourage each other talents.

I'm sure that my instant affection for this story stems from the fact that I have only recently given up on striking it rich. Alas, I cannot put my financial concerns out of my head completely because I have to eat and keep a roof over my head, but I finally decided that a large paycheck was no longer worth the trouble. Like Leslie, I gave up trying to fit in. I ceased my rat-racial pursuit of corporate success to instead focus on my first love and greatest talent: the written word. My checking account may protest, but the rest of me feels a hundred times better.

When I was working as a corporate trainer, I went to lots of workshops and conferences to hone my skills. One of the most valuable lessons that I learned was to focus on the underlying tone and message of each presentation. In truth, each Broadway show or musical movie has an unofficial "theme;" a song that sticks in each audience member's head for weeks. Each of life's experiences can have similar lasting effects, and a non-musical movie like Terabithia is no exception. The Terabithian tune goes like this: It is detrimental for any human being to focus too hard on the cold realities of life. Without a healthy dose of creativity, imagination, and fantasy, our lives are worthless. Our fantasies are crucial even if their pursuit puts us in danger. To ignore them feeds our inevitable anger, and indeed, ignoring them is alone enough to make us unconsciously angry.

I usually read books before I see the corresponding movies, but in this case I was only vaguely aware that this movie was based on a book. One of my movie companions said that she had read it many years ago, yet I had never heard of it. Further investigation at my favorite bookstore indeed revealed that it was first published almost 35 years ago, which begs three very important questions: Why did it take them so long to make the movie? Why had I never heard the title until they did? And why haven't I started reading it yet? If you'll excuse me, dear readers, it seems I have some reading to do of my own.