Bridge to Terabithia (2007 film)

For the novel, see Bridge to Terabithia (novel).

For the movie adaptation of 1985, see Bridge to Terabithia (1985 film).

Bridge to Terabithia
Promotional poster
Directed by	Gabor Csupo
Written by	Katherine Paterson David L. Paterson Jeff Stockwell
Produced by	David Paterson Lauren Levine Hal Lieberman
Starring	Josh Hutcherson AnnaSophia Robb Robert Patrick Zooey Deschanel
Cinematography	Michael Chapman
Edited by	John Gilbert
Music by	Aaron Zigman
Distributed by	Walt Disney Pictures, Walden Media
Release date	February 16 2007 (USA & Canada) June 16 2007 (NZ)
Running time	1 hr 35 min
Countries	USA, New Zealand
Language	English

Bridge to Terabithia is a 2007 film directed by Gabor Csupo for Disney/Walden Media. It is based on the Katherine Paterson novel Bridge to Terabithia. The film was released on February 16 2007 in the U.S. and Canada, and June 16 2007 in New Zealand and was number two at the box office in the U.S. and Canada over its opening weekend. It was rated PG for thematic elements including bullying, some peril and mild language by the MPAA.

Plot

Ten-year-old Jess Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) is an aspiring yet shy elementary school boy living in a financially-struggling family and 10-year-old Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb) is the new girl at Jess' school, just arriving on the school's athletics day. She enters a running event which she wins with ease, despite her classmates calling it a "boys only" race. Jess is, at first, quite sour about this and wants nothing to do with Leslie, but Leslie's persistence in meeting him soon pays off, and soon the two become good friends. Their friendship starts when Leslie offers Jess a piece of gum on the bus, and he accepts. Jess shares his secret love of drawing with Leslie. Together they venture into the woods, where they swing across a creek on a rope and find an abandoned tree house on the other side. Here, the two friends invent a new world they call Terabithia, and it comes to life through their eyes as they explore together. Jess and Leslie base the menacing creatures of Terabithia on the people that give them a hard time at school.

Back in the "real" world, they both plot against bullies at their school, and Jess continues to deal with his family going through financial problems. Leslie gives Jess an unexpected birthday present, an art kit, and he gives Leslie a dog (Prince Terrien) in return, much to both of the children's happiness. On the next trip to Terabithia later that day, it is noted that the river beneath the rope has begun to swell.

Early one morning, Jess' music teacher, Ms. Edmunds (Zooey Deschanel), who has noticed Jess' artistic interests, calls to invite him on a field trip to an art museum. He makes an effort to ask his mother's permission; she is half-asleep and doesn't actually say anything, but he is so eager to go that he assumes she agreed. He has an unspoken crush on the beautiful and personable teacher and does not want to share the trip with Leslie; he merely looks at her home as they drive by.

When he returns, his father (Robert Patrick) and mother are worried sick, not knowing where he has been all day. He hears the horrific news that Leslie has died trying to swing across the rain-swollen river. The rope snapped and she fell in, drowning after hitting her head on something, possibly a rock, which knocked her out. Jess suffers much grief, and he and his parents visit the Burke family home to "pay their respects".

Jess feels overwhelming guilt for Leslie's death, thinking that it would not have happened had he invited her along on the trip to the museum. He is consoled by his father that their intense friendship should be kept alive for her sake. So, Jess re-imagines Terabithia and builds a bridge across the river to welcome a new ruler. He invites his sister, May Belle Aarons (Bailee Madison) to be that new ruler, who is delighted after being previously denied any opportunity to enter the land. She and Jess bring back Terabithia in even greater splendor; Jess the king and his sister the princess, and they rule over the free peoples of the kingdom together forever.

Background/Production

• The filmmakers have disavowed the advertisement campaign for the film saying that the advertising is deliberately misleading; making the film seem to be about or occurring in a fantasy world like that of Harry Potter or Chronicles of Narnia. David L. Paterson in the SCI FI Wire article was surprised by the trailer but understood the marketing reasoning behind it saying:

Although there is a generation that is very familiar with the book, if you are over 40, then you probably haven't, and we need to reach them. [...] Everyone who read the book and sees the trailer says, 'What is this? This is nothing like the book. What are you doing, Dave?' And I say, 'You know what you're seeing is 15 seconds of a 90-minute film. Give me a little leeway and respect. Go see it, and then tell me what you think.

• David Lord Paterson is one of the producers and screenwriters for Bridge to Terabithia. His name appears on the dedication page in his mother's novel Bridge to Terabithia. The story was based on his real life friend, Lisa Hill, who was struck by lightning and killed when they were eight years old.
• Paterson, an alumnus of the The Catholic University of America, held a special advance screening of the film for members of the CUA community at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, Maryland on February 1 2007.
• The film received a Heartland's Truly Moving Picture Award.
• The film has also been a recipient of the F.I.L.M award (Finding Inspiration in Literature and Movies).
• Cinematographer Michael Chapman's final film before his self-imposed retirement.

Filming locations

The main filming locations were around Auckland, New Zealand with soundstage work at the Hobsonville Aerodrome, Hobsonville and outside work at Woodhill Forest, Woodhill. The Walden Media website reports that Bridge to Terabithia "was filmed for 10 weeks on location in West Auckland, New Zealand, including the rural forest areas of Riverhead and Puhoi. The Puhoi church was used in the church scene. Principal photography wrapped in early April, 2006." The New Zealand filming location meant that the animal trapped in the greenhouse scene is a Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), a native marsupial of Australia and an introduced pest in New Zealand.

Cast

• Josh Hutcherson as Jesse Aarons
• AnnaSophia Robb as Leslie Burke
• Lauren Clinton as Janice Avery
• Zooey Deschanel as Miss Edmunds
• Jen Wolfe as Mrs. Myers
• Robert Patrick as Jack Aarons
• Kate Butler as Mary Aarons
• Devon Wood as Brenda Aarons
• Emma Fenton as Ellie Aarons
• Bailee Madison as May Belle Aarons
• Grace Brannigan as Joyce Ann Aarons
• Elliot Lawless as Gary Fulcher
• Cameron Wakefield as Scott Hoager
• Latham Gaines as Bill Burke
• Judy McIntosh as Judy Burke

Distribution

Release dates

It was released on DVD and Blu-Ray Disc on June 19, 2007 in the U.S. and was released in cinemas in Australia on June 14 2007. The US DVD release date matches that of another pair of family films The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (an animated film by Disney) and The Secret of NIMH (an animated production of former Disney animator Don Bluth).

Rating

This film was rated PG by the MPAA for thematic elements including bullying, some peril and mild language.

Reception

Box office performance

In an analysis by Boxofficeprophets.com, Bridge to Terabithia had a strong second place domestic opening over the President's Day weekend, grossing "a higher-than-expected $28,536,717 from only 2,284 screens: $9,885 per screen average". The opening Friday box office was $6.3 million.

As of April 6 2007, Bridge to Terabithia has a worldwide gross of $120 million US, taking in $80 million in the United States and Canada alone.

Reception and Reviews

The film received positive reviews, critics noting the film to be a warm and touching story. The film also holds an 84% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack of Bridge to Terabithia has three elements: orchestral music, pop songs, and songs sung by children at school. The songs sung by the children at school were not included on the separately released CD soundtrack of the film.

See also: Music from and Inspired By Bridge to Terabithia

.

The orchestral music was composed and conducted by Aaron Zigman:

• "Seeing Terabithia"
• "Into the Forest"
• "The Battle"
• "Jesse's Bridge"

The pop songs are sung by a variety of artists.

• "I Learned from You" performed by Miley Cyrus. Written by Matthew Gerrard and Steve Diamond.

  The song "I Learned from You", which is on the Hannah Montana season 1 soundtrack, is featured during the credits. This song is a different version from the one in the soundtrack. This version is only performed by Miley Cyrus, and doesn't feature her father Billy Ray Cyrus as did the original track.

• "Try" performed by Hayden Panettiere. Written by Matthew Gerrard, Robbie Nevil and Mike Krompass.
• "Keep Your Mind Wide Open" performed by AnnaSophia Robb. Written by Dave Bassett and Michelle Featherstone.

  The song "Keep Your Mind Wide Open" from the film soundtrack, sung by AnnaSophia Robb, is heard on the television early in the film.

• "A Place for Us" performed by Leigh Nash and Tyler James. Written by Bryan Adams, Eliot Kennedy, and Aaron Zigman.
• "Another Layer" performed by Jon McLaughlin. Written by McLaughlin and Jamie Houston.

  "Another Layer" is the music played when Jess and Leslie's family paint the room.

• "Shine" performed by The Skies of America. Written by Rob Bonfiglio.
• "Look Through My Eyes" performed by Everlife.

The children in the music class sing three songs:

• "O-o-h Child" by The Five Stairsteps
• "Why Can't We Be Friends?" by War
• "Someday" by Steve Earle

In the theatrical trailer, the song, "The Poseidon" by Klaus Badelt is used. This song is from the 2006 film, Poseidon.

Differences between film and book

• At the end of the book, Jess crowns his sister, May Belle, the new Queen of Terabithia whereas in the film he crowns her Princess.
• In the movie, Jess drew trolls and magical creatures, but it in the book it only mentioned him drawing regular animals in bad situations.
• In the book, Jess receives his gifts at Christmas, while in the film it's on his birthday.
• In the film, Janice was in the 8th grade, while in the book she's a 7th grader.
• In the book, Jesse's father's name is Jesse Aarons Sr. In the movie credits, his father (played by Robert Patrick) is listed as "Jack Aarons".
• In the book, Leslie was described as looking like a boy while in the movie she is clearly female.
• In the book, Jess' first meeting with Leslie occurs when he is caught by Leslie running around the cow paddock, which is why she recognizes him and tries to make friends on their first day. In the movie, they do not meet until the first day of school.
• In the book, Bill Burke writes about politics and Judith Hancock (Leslie's mother) writes fiction. In the movie, they are both fiction writers.
• At the end of the film, Jess is called out into the hallway for punching Scott Hoager. In the book he refuses to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
• In the book, Joyce Ann is four years old. In the movie, she is still a baby.
• In the book, Jess and his family go to church only on Easter, in the movie Jess says they go to church every Sunday.
• In the book, everyone in Jess's family had a strong Southern accent, which was not present in the movie.
• In the book, Jesse's family owned and ran a farm and Jess had to milk the cow. In the movie they owned a greenhouse and his chores were less strenuous.
• In the movie, some of the dialog in the scene with Janice Avery crying was toned down as compared to the book.
• In the movie, the scene in which Leslie explains how she loved church and the story of Jesus was condensed.
• In the book, Jess' sisters insist on referring to Leslie as his girlfriend despite Jess' constant objections.
• In the book, Jess and Leslie use a small wrecked stable as their Terabithia castle, while in the movie they use a wrecked tree house.
• In the book, Jess and Leslie's classroom is a basement in the school, while in the movie, it is a classroom above ground.
• In the book, when Leslie arrives in Mrs Myers's classroom, an older student brings in a desk for her and places it up against the front wall of the classroom. In the movie, Leslie has to sit at Mrs Myers's desk.
• In the book, when Jess conducts a memorial for Leslie in Terabithia, he does so in the sacred Grove of Pines - a place the rulers of Terabithia come into "only at times of greatest joy or greatest sorrow." In the movie, the Grove of Pines is not featured and the memorial consists of a small boat with a drawn picture of Leslie being set free down the creek.
• The book describes Leslie completely differently than does the movie. The cover illustration on the most recent edition of the book shows Leslie as she is in the movie, which is not in agreement with the book's description of her.
• In the film, Jess lost his father's keys. That was not written in the book.

Differences due to updating the time

The book was clearly set in 1977. The film was updated thirty years to 2007. This may be why Jess' chores in the movie are not as strenuous. For example, in the film:

• There are references to electronic games and downloading from the Internet.
• During Jess' talk with his teacher, Mrs. Myers, the copyright shown on a map of the historical USA reads "1990".
• In the book, Leslie could not watch a documentary film on television about Jacques Cousteau, who was a popular underwater TV documentary maker of the 1970s. In the film, the documentary was about the underwater explorer Bob Ballard, who is a popular underwater television documentary maker of the 2000s.
• Ms. Edmunds' music class sings "Someday" by Steve Earle, which came out in 1986.
• When Jess' sisters are watching television, they are watching Hannah Montana, a Disney Channel show that premiered in 2006.
• When Mrs. Myers says: "No electronic devices", there are two boys playing Game Boy Advance SPs, which weren't released until 2003.
• In the bus when Jess and Leslie were talking, there is a girl listening to a digital audio player, which weren't available until 1998.
• When Jess gets the phone call from Ms. Edmunds, he is using a cordless phone, while she is on a cell phone.
• The sisters are watching a music video from the band Say Anything.
• The truck that Leslie's dad drives away in is a 1999-2006 Chevrolet Silverado.
• Jess's father, Mr. Aarons, drives a 1980-1986 Ford F-Series.
• The bus driver wears a Dale Earnhardt hat. In 1977, Earnhardt had not yet become famous.
• Leslie gives Jess a piece of Juicy Fruit gum, the piece however has the wrapper made during the 2000s.
• In the movie Ms. Edmunds wears pink Crocs, which were first sold in 2002 and became popular in 2006.
• In the movie, a girl is listining to her Ipod which did not become available until the 21st century.

External links

• Bridge to Terabithia at waldenfans.com
• Bridge to Terabithia at IMDb
• Official Bridge to Terabithia website and trailer at Disney
• Bridge to Terabithia at Rotten Tomatoes
• Bridge to Terabithia interviews with AnnaSophia Robb, Josh Hutcherson, author Katherine Paterson and producer David Paterson on Sidewalks Entertainment
• Interview with Katherine Paterson