Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia
Walt Disney
February 16, 2007
Drama, Children's, Fantasy
DVD
B-

I saw this movie in the theater at the time and, having read the Katherine Paterson novel it's based on (reviewed here https://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2012/10/bridge-to-terabithia.html), I was one of the few people not shocked by Leslie's sudden offscreen death.  Watching it again, it still feels like a reasonably faithful adaptation, "timeless" with a few "modern" touches, like kids having cell phones and teens watching Hannah Montana.  I gave the book a B- as well, although for different reasons.  I'm not sure that the tones are all balanced as they would need to be in order to be better than the book, but I liked seeing the various relationship arcs.  The fantasy element is actually the least interesting aspect of the movie, although it was promoted as the big draw.

Gabor Csupo directed.  This was a few years after Hutcherson's very minor role in American Splendor, and he would've been thirteen or fourteen at the time this was shot, but already well launched on his film career, here showing a range that not many actors his age had.  (Robb is a bit too "perfect" for Leslie, but certainly charming in the role.)