Review of Bridge to Terabithia

I was able to get Bridge to Terabithia on DVD over the weekend and I watched it almost as soon as I got home. At first, I expected the film to be another Chronicles of Narnia type of movie where the kids travel to a magical land and fight evil forces while learning valuable lessons along the way. Instead, the movie was very much rooted in reality as much as possible. It did feature the creatures that the kids came up with, but for the most part, the world around them was very much down to Earth except when they let their imaginations run wild and picture an amazing world. Much of the story is focused on their lives in the real world. Jess Aaron's life isn't going very well, especially since he's not getting the attention that he needs, mainly from his father who spends most of his time at work and playing with Jess's younger sister, the very cute and innocent May Belle. On top of that, he's being bullied at school by pretty much everyone at school. After meeting a new girl named Leslie Burke, who beats him in a school race he's been training for all summer, the two become nearly inseparable pals and create their own kingdom called Terabithia in the woods across a creek behind their houses. As troubles at school get worse for the two kids, they use made up creatures based on bullies at school to find ways to deal with them in reality. They are able to use a troll version of a tough girl at school to find a way of making her become a good person in real life. An awful tragedy occurs that leaves Jess a wreck and the whole town in shock and sadness. Jess tries to use what Leslie has taught him to find ways of coping with not just the tragedy, but with life at home and at school. The movie proved to be very emotional. I cried during the scenes that occurred after the tragedy, which also shocked me as much as it shocked the characters in the story. But it all ended on a very happy note, which is a good thing when you have suffered a terrible loss. For those of you who don't like sad events in movies such as death, take caution when you watch this movie, as it may make you cry and feel sad, especially if you're really sensitive. Otherwise, this film is very touching and inspiring. You cheer on Jess and Leslie throughout their journey together, and leaves you filled with hope at the end for Jess and his family. A very good film, worth seeing by all.