Has anyone else seen this movie, or thinking about it? I saw it yesterday and, but I thought that it was a really excellent film.... the best live action family movie I've seen since ET for sure. First off, it's a great story... I read the book when I was 12 or 13 and loved it. The movie, as far as I could tell, was really close to the book and it's a great adaptation (it may be even better than the book, and definitely more appealing to adults). It's about a boy named Jess (as a far as I could tell their supposed to be about 10 or 11), who's living on a farm (thank God it's free from smirky city kid talk... like 99% of other family films out there...), with his parents and four sisters. His family is poor and struggling, and is pretty disdainful of Jess, while doting on their daughters. He meets a new girl at school named Leslie, by being beaten by her in a race (he takes running very seriously). He dislikes her at first, but comes to become very close friends. She encourages his drawing, which he excels out, but tries to keep secret. Together the two come to make up a fantasy world, which Leslie calls Terabithia, which they pretend exists in the woods behind Jess's house. The previews make it look like a fantasy movie, but it's really not, though there are some fantasy world scenes with special effect creatures. It's more of a drama, and it's so effective that I think that it's almost as good for older audiences as for kids, despite a complete lack of in jokes, which are what make most kid's movies enjoyable for adults these days. It has great similarities to Pan's Labyrinth, and while much less visually striking is more positive and emotional (I thought). It's hard to say what makes this movie so good... from the description it sounds really sappy anddumb, but it really is very unsentimental. It's extremely well acted... the two lead actors (I haven't checked up on their names yet) turn in what are probably [the best American child perfomances I've ever seen, completely transforming into the characters. The movie is completely unshrinking from tough subjects, and is very moving. There are a few flaws... Terabithia could be better imagined, but the effects are kept to a minimum till the very end, so it doesn't matter too much (and it's really not bad at all... just not as amazing as Pan's Labyrinth or Lord of the Rings). Also the score sucks, though it's not too noticeable, and the very last scene is a bit silly... but these are all minor complaints... I would definitely reccommend this excellent film to everyone.

That god damn trailer's more popular than Uncle's Day in a whorehouse!

Leslie is played by AnnaSophia Robb, whom folks might know as Violet Beauregarde in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. She was also known for snagging the choice role of Samantha in the first An American Girl movie. I personally liked her from Because of Winn-Dixie, which is a cute and totally underrated film.

I have personally stayed away from this film adaptation of Bridge to Terabithia because frankly film adaptations of books scare me. And the commercials for the film have definitely done nothing to convince me otherwise. Perhaps I'll give it a go once it hits HBO. :)

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

I had the same impression from the previews, but after I read the reviews I decided to take a chance on the movie... it really payed off. I didn't know she played Violet Beauregarde... she's so much better in Bridge... This is one of the best adaptations of a book I've ever seen though...

That god damn trailer's more popular than Uncle's Day in a whorehouse!