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For those unfamiliar with
Walden Media, it is a film production and publishing company owned by Philip
Anschutz, a billionaire oil tycoon, recently identified by Beliefnet as
the tenth most powerful Christian in Hollywood. Walden’s stated mission
is to promote so-called family values - in other words to counter the left-wingers
by bringing conservative Christian values back to Hollywood, one film at
a time. In Bridges, the Christian angle (also present in the book) is introduced
in a visit to church and a discussion between 10 and 11-year olds about
whether believing in Jesus will keep you from going to hell. The scene
is an obvious intrusion that seems out of place in the context of the film.
Filmed in New Zealand
and set in an unnamed rural area, Jesse Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) is a fifth
grader who is bullied by his classmates presumably because he is poor and
likes to draw. In the wonderful world of Disney, bullying consists of stealing
twinkies and charging money to go to the bathroom (heck, I had to pay protection
money just to stay alive). Jesse never responds even though his athletic
build indicates that he would more than hold his own in a fight. His home
life offers no solace either.
His parents heap a lot
of attention on his four sisters and either ignore Jesse or constantly
yell at him. Only his music teacher (Zooey Deschanel) in the rural school
recognizes his talent and takes him to an art museum. Why the teachers
do not caution the bullies or try to stop their actions is unclear. Attempting
to show off his running skills, Jesse enters a racing competition but is
beaten by Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb), a new girl in his class who has
moved next door to him. In spite of her good looks and bubbly personality,
Leslie’s tomboyishness and ability as a writer keep her on the outside
looking in and the two form a tentative friendship based on mutual need.
Leslie's parents are free-spirited
writers who are absorbed in their work, leaving Leslie and Jesse to spend
their after school hours in imaginative play where they create a world
called Terabithia in the forest that surrounds their home. In Terabithia,
trees become giants, squirrels turn into beasts, and Jesse and Leslie gain
magical powers. Of course, they fight actual battles with attackers so
the line between what is real and what is imagined is blurred and the film
can straddle both worlds. Through his interaction with Leslie, however,
Jesse begins to come out of his shell and develop some self confidence
but a tragic turn compels him to use all of his new found strength just
to stay afloat.
The heart of the film
of course is the friendship between the two pre-teens and its success depends
on whether or not you believe that they are troubled outcasts eager to
escape from the harsh reality of their world. Robb, however, with her perpetual
smile and high energy never seems real in the role of a social misfit and
Hutcherson has only a few expressions, most of which are variations of
sullen and the two leads lack any discernible chemistry together. In spite
of a few genuinely touching moments, Bridge to Terabithia never feels authentic
- either as a fantasy or as a tale of friendship and loss.
GRADE: B-
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