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Bridge to Terabithia
Two children create their own magical imaginary kingdom in the woods near their home in this family drama
Many family movies fall into the trap of presenting childhood as a golden time of fun and frolics, free of problems or responsibilities. So it's refreshing when a movie like Bridge To Terabithia is honest enough to show that it can be both a wonderful and a painful experience. For Jesse (Hutcherson) the only boy in a family of five children, life is a mixture of drudgery, chores, avoiding the attention of bullies at school, and wishing he could get just a little attention from his gruff, hard-working father (Patrick). Money is tight on his family's farm, and the only real escape for Jesse is through his drawing, that is until the outgoing Leslie (Robb) becomes his neighbour. After a brief period of animosity thanks to Leslie beating him in a school race, the two become firm friends, and discover a large patch of woodland near their houses, only accessible via a rope swing across a river. Here, they let their imaginations run riot and create their own world, the magical kingdom of Terabithia, where they're able to leave the pressure of school and family far behind. The film visualises these sequences with the aid of CGI effects, as the kids face off against intelligent vultures, squirrel-like rodents and gigantic trolls. These confrontations often end up mirroring difficulties they're facing in real life, particularly when a trip to track down a set of keys belonging to Jesse's father turns into an action-packed quest fraught with danger. They're fun sequences, but also the least interesting aspect of the story, feeling sandwiched in purely for spectacle, while the film's attempts to handle the world of the imagination are too literal. There's a big difference between describing something on the page and visualising it on screen, and animator-turned-director Gabor Csupo often misses out on genuine magic in favour of the admittedly impressive digital work from the award-winning Lord Of the Rings effects team Weta Digital. With so much of the story resting on the two leads, it would be easy for the film to falter, but both child stars are very impressive. Hutcherson is much more likeable here than in Zathura: A Space Adventure, making Jesse both believable and empathetic. Robb is given some occasionally cringe-worthy dialogue, particularly in the sequence where she's first creating Terabithia in her head, but she pulls it all off with a considerable amount of style. The supporting performances vary wildly, with the decision to film in New Zealand meaning some of the US accents are either creaky or dubbed, and many of the performances in the school sequences are stilted, especially the two boys who delight in picking on Jesse. On the other hand, Bailee Madison as Jesse's younger sister is utterly adorable without being sickly-sweet. Zooey Deschanel's turn as Jesse's music teacher makes it clear why he'd have such a crush on her, and Robert Patrick is fantastic as the rock-solid, ultimately good-hearted father. The first two-thirds of Bridge To Terabithia are entertaining but dragged down by a few too many pop-music montages and some overplayed direction. Then the story undergoes an abrupt shift, and suddenly we're pitched into much darker territory, which gives the film a surprising emotional depth. What's most impressive is that it doesn't flinch from tackling material that might be potentially upsetting for younger viewers, and avoids going for expected, reassuring cliches, instead wrapping up its story by explaining the exact meaning of the film's title, and showing the real power of imagination. The problems of the opening hour aren't completely balanced out, but the finale does leave Bridge To Terabithia as an unexpectedly affecting experience that lingers in the mind longer than most family-aimed dramas. Verdict An engaging portrait of childhood, this well-meaning family film rises above its flaws, and delivers a surprisingly hefty emotional punch. |
