Bridge to Terabithia(2007)

Available on DVD

Terabithia is an overgrown backwoods region in whichtwo outcast kids form a lasting friendship, create a mythic world, and develop a truer sense of themselves. Based onKatherine Paterson’snovel(written long before Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods), Bridge to Terabithia depicts a coming of age in the wilderness that every child should have, but increasingly fewer do.

The movie’s main characters, Jess and Leslie,don’t suffer from today’s much-bemoaned Nature Deficit Disorder. Leslie,Jess’sspunky new neighbor,finesses her way into a friendship with the imaginative lonerafter beating him in the race he’sbeen training for all summer.Their friendship flourishes thanks tothe time they share in the woods, exploring and creating.

Delicately weaving togetherthe forest’snatural beauty andvivid,imaginative elements, the film manages to avoidingthe cliche,cheesy moments it would be easy to revert to. Beautiful cinematography, timeless themesand an honest, nuanced script make itappealing for all ages. But have your hankies ready — the endingissure to drawtears.