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31 thoughts on “Bridge To Terabithia Review”

  1. Well…I love these morally outraged posters who cry “Cheated1” if they don’t get served their patented “Hollywood Happy Ending.” (see “The Astonaut Farmer” post above.

    News Flash: You all are in for some kind of serious disappontment at the end of this great film we call life. Reality bites.

  2. I think it is dumb that people are upset about the sad ending of Bridge to Terabithia. THAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT OF THE BOOK!

    If you had read the book before you watched the movie, or atleast looked it up and found out about it before you let your child watch it, then you would not have had this problem. You as the parent should find out stuff before you let your kid see a movie. Anyway, this book (which is ABOUT loss and death, by the way) is usually required reading in most schools grades 3 to 5 or 6.

    If you’re upset about “false advertising”, well, yes, the movie IS about friendship and imagination- BUT it is ALSO about death and loss- they cannot advertise it as being about death, because that would spoil the ending, so they just show the imagination and friendship part.

    If you think they should have ended it differently, that is dumb because that would be changing the whole point of the story and would not be true to the book at all.

  3. I’m pretty sure Giohn didn’t read the book. If he did, his point of view on Bridge To Terabithia would have been entirely different. Whether that would be for better or for worse, I have no idea. I read the book and I fell in love with the movie.

  4. This film was supposed to be a family film. The ending is one of the saddest and worst from Disney since Old Yeller. I wish that I had been warned of the impending doom. It was hard to explain the situation to my daughter, who had really identified with the main character.

    As a way of making it up to her and myself, we went to see Astronaut Farmer the next day. This is a wonderful family film and I had no worries about not having a happy ending.

  7. I viewed Terabithia with my nine-year-old daughter last weekend. Decided to take her back and bring her friend, my nephew, and my 70-year-old mom for the second viewing. I’m considering going a third time next weekend with a larger crowd. Need I say more? I will. I’ve never read the book, but I now intend to have it on my daughter’s shelf. The rip-off, if there is one, is the promise of a real life story in The Chronicles of Narnia – which is fundamentally a work of fiction to preach Christianity to the uninitiated. Terabithia starts with something real and tells a story worth telling – with the Christian message subtly woven into the fabric. Perhaps C.S. Lewis should have spent less time in the Pub and more time with children before he spun his yarn. Terabithia is the Salvation of which C.S. Lewis must have been dreaming for Narnia. Paterson got it right – if she didn’t then the director’s follow through did. Magnificent.

  8. I loved the film! I almost didn’t see it because of the trailer. I didn’t really want to see another fantasy film. I didn’t see “Eragon” Because it looked boring. I loved the story.

    One thing I think the marketers were trying to do with the trailers was draw in the fantasy/action crowd. I don’t think they could sell the story since it’s so widely know already. I mean, people who’ve read the book obviously want to see what the kinds imagined. I don’t think the marketing department did a good job at all. They needed another trailer.

    I recommend this film. I love tragedy, I don’t know why. But I loved the way the story uses shock to reveal the tragedy.

  9. john,

    1. awesome name change/adjustment
    2. the finger wag just made me laugh really loud at work. more of that.
    3. great point about rob patrick. i thought you were going to commend annasophia robb or josh hutcherson (btw, what were your thoughts on their performance?), but then you went to T2. i thought he was a harsh dad in the movie, but you are DEAD-ON about his acting performance. very acute analysis.

  10. Beachie, if you’re so concerned about what your children see maybe do a little research beforehand about the story. The tragic element is what made the widely read book so heart-wrenching and thus endearing. It’s commonly read in US elementary school classrooms from grades 2-5. It has been commonly read in US elementary school classrooms from grades 2-5 for many years now.

    if you are so concerned about a movie’s content, try doing some research about the film beforehand. PG means parental guidance afterall.

  11. We took our Grandchildren (ages 6 and 9) to see Bridge to Terabithia. There was no school today and the theater was filled with children, most were grade school children. All 4 of us thought this could have been a great movie, but the tragic element was NOT nice, appreciated or appropriate for a movie geared to kids. What was their point?

  14. ACTUALLY I READ THE BOOK AND SEEN THE MOVIE WITH SOME FALILY FOLK…….UM ITS PRETTY MUCH WHAT I EXPECTED CAUSE I READ THE BOOK…..I MEAN MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SEE IT CAUSE OF WHAT THE SEE IN TRAILER….WELL IF ITS A KIDS MOVIE AND U R TAKING KIDS U SHOULD CHECK UP ON IT AND I MEAN…. LISTINGS ABOUT THE BOOK PAINT IT AS THE SAME THING .. A WORLD OF IMAGINATION….I R RIGHT ABOUT THE DECEPTION PART BUT U SEEM KINDA EMO ABOUT IT……..BUT YA GIO IS A LOT MORE PLAYER BUT IT ALSO KINDA GIVES PEOPLE U R SOME JERSEY SHORE, ABERCROMBIE, PROAVTIVE USING STARBUCKS DRINKING 30 YEAR OLD MALL STORE MANAGER/MALLRAT ….I LIVE WITH 4 ROOMATES NAME .. JESSE , VINNY, PAUL ,AND JOEY….. LOL JK ITS COOL

  16. everything about that international version is better … the title…the scenes they show….

    i am really really excited to see this film now….

    i just watched johns review of terebithia….i love it when he gets angry over things like this…it cracks me up.

  17. Yeah Alfie,
    The international trailer is a heck of a lot better.
    I hope they go with Die Hard 4.0 here too. Live Free or Die Hard has got to be one the stupidest titles ever.

  18. it is hardly the first time a trailer has sold a film as something is it not – I mean superman returns trailer made it look like it was good.

    I am being a smart ass of course but trailers do this type of shit all the time…look at the break up.

    I thought the film was fucking amazing to be honest but it was not the laugh a minute wedding crashers 2 vince vaughan guffaw fest the trailer made it look to be.

    the scene that stands out in particular is in the trailer they show vince vaughan saying “why would I want to dishes” you know the bit I mean?? well in the context of the trailer it looks like a typical funny vaughan moment but in the context of the actual film it is actually in the middle of an incredibly realistic uncomfortable fight (one of many in the film) and is not a punchline or a funny bit at all. and that goes for pretty much the whole film – it was definitely a drama with funny bits more than a comedy with drama bits.

    it was a great film but when I saw it it was quite far from what the trailers had sold it as….what would be more inclined to get bums on seats?? a romantic comedy starring vaughan and aniston or an cringe inducing uncomfortable “drama’ featuring long fights that were very realistic and made you feel bad??

    if you were an exec which angle would you take?

    if you had this terebithia film would you try to sell the depressing stuff or the narniasque fantasy? its about bums on seats I a m afraid.

    I am not saying its right it is just a fact..happena all the time..

    I think it is worse when they put things in a trailer that are not actually in the film – i understand why that happens with trailers coming out well before the director has a final cut but that is worse really….to sell something with images that are not even in the film…

    anyway –

    sheia labouf has been cast in indiana jones 4…..and has anyone seen the trailer for die hard 4.0?? the international trailer??looks like it is being called die hard 4.0 overseas…much better name and the trailer is fantatsic – my hopes just went up…

  21. Yeah, it’s a good move to go by Giovanni again, or even Gio. With the site growing and now this VH1 thing (how is that going by the way), it’s a good idea. It sticks in your head more than just John, not that there’s anything wrong with John. But hey, if it’s your name, go with it.

    As far as Terabithia goes, I’m glad you were able to still say it’s a good movie despite the evil of Disney Marketing. I wanted to see it this weekend but got busy with work. I’ll see it this week. I’m a sucker for these childhood friendship movies.

  22. I agree with you all the way Gio. I read the book when I was fifteen, and it really was an amazing book. So when I saw it in the trailers…I was like… what’s that movie again?

    Even though this is the worst case of false advertising ever… I enjoyed the movie so much, because I put aside the trailers and realised what a great piece of film this was. And honestly… a lot of people here may not agree with me… but this is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.

    First it was Lord of the Rings: The Return of The King, then V for Vendetta, which was awesome considering the politcal content. Then to see this movie… it was amazing. Reading the book and seeing it there on the screen, it was amazing how well it was made and how delicately handled the scenes were. It’s just ridiculous that Disney showed the biggest example of bullshit advertising ever.

    Also, did you read the book, Gio?

  23. …and why on earth would you stop using a name you’ve been working in for over 3? years now. That’s like Ronaldinho suddenly starting calling himself Ronaldo de Assis Moreira again. Or maybe not THAT extreme, but still rather dopey. =)

  25. Yes! Stick with Giovanni! I LOVE that name. I remember hearing that was your name a while ago. Stick with it! John is nice, but it’s so common.

    Thanks again for the warning about this movie. I was going to take my niece to see it, but I’ll take a pass now.

  27. Gio? Is that short for Giovanni? I think i remember hearing you were itallian.

    LMFAO!!! “The Italian finger wag of shame” I love it! I’m heading out to see it tonight with the lady. Sounds good.

  31. I hear you John. We almost took out 7 year old to see this until I found out the shell game Disney was trying to perpetrate. I hope anger is placed where it belongs with Disney and not the film makers.

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