I still haven’t fully decided how I feel about Bridge to Terabithia. Because it’s rated PG, we assumed it would be appropriate for Madison to watch. However, I honestly couldn’t have been more relieved when she fell asleep. The movie takes an emotional turn near the end that caught me completely off guard. I found myself tearing up. I won’t give anything away, but it’s much heavier than you might expect going in.
The film follows two social outsiders, Jess and Leslie, who form an unlikely friendship at school. To escape the difficulties of their everyday lives, they create an imaginary kingdom called Terabithia in the woods. In this kingdom, ordinary objects become magical tools and symbols. Keys turn into bells, ropes become bridges, and their shared imagination transforms the forest. The forest becomes a place where they feel confident, brave, and understood. At that age, their friendship feels refreshingly innocent. It isn’t about romance or labels, just make-believe, creativity, and having fun with someone who finally gets you.
While the story and message are strong, I personally expected to see much more of Terabithia itself. Perhaps we’ve become too accustomed to richly developed fantasy worlds like those in The Lord of the Rings. The imagined kingdom felt more suggested than explored. Knowing this was adapted from a book, I suspect the novel provides more depth and emotional buildup than the film allows.
In the end, this is a well-made movie with a powerful message about friendship, imagination, and loss. However, it’s not one I feel the need to revisit. Because of its emotional twist, I also wouldn’t recommend it for very young children. For a four-year-old, it’s simply too much.
Now since this is supposed to be part 2 to that other movie, can't recall the name of it now, should I watch the first one and then this one? Because I don't like jumping into the middle of stories.