Bridge to Terabithia

I think I'm in love with a twelve-year-old.

Not in a kinky way. But AnnaSophia Robb's portrayal of Leslie Burke in Bridge to Terabithia is eminently lovable - all you want to do is protect her, and hope that she stays happy forever and ever. It's clear why her parents are so happy. She seems luminescent almost, lit by an inner glow. Almost intangible, at times.

Inducing that kind of emotion from the audience is perfect for this character, and makes the film far more powerful. Good for her. It also made the twist far more painful.




Generally speaking, Bridge to Terabithia is quite suitable for the PG audience it is designed for - until the last twenty or thirty minutes. I don't want to give the ending away, but very, very sad things happen, that had me in tears, nevermind an eight-year-old. To be quite fair, I also cry at Casper the Friendly Ghost, but this was more upsetting.

The trailer also misrepresents the film slightly. It seems like a Narnia or Harry Potter copy, about two children who find themselves in a magical world. That's not exactly the case, and this may be why it took me over a year to get around to watching the film. It's about the friendship between two children, and the imaginary world they create together - and how this gives them the strength to cope with things in the real world.

This one's going on my DVD list (incidentally, the DVD has a bunch of extras, including two sets of commentaries). And I've already reserved a copy of the book from my library.