To those who have not encountered the book, the trailer of Terabithia is criminally misleading, having you believe that this is another Narnia story of kids stumbling into a fantasyland. But if that is what it takes to bring the audience into the theatre, I'll give it a "not guilty" verdict, as the movie is definitely worth seeing. No Narnia though. Terabithia is more comparable to "Pan's Labyrinth" in structure, in children escaping from unhappiness of reality into an imaginative fantasy world. The focus of the movie is the real world; the fantasy world is only a subordinating allegory. But then, "Pan's Labyrinth" is dark, dark, dark. "Terabithia" is nothing like that.
I suppose "Terabithia" could be looked upon as a coming of age movie, but that really does not quite describe the movie. It is more like a very brief slice in the life of a 10-year-old boy. Unlike the devastating experience of Ofelia in "Pan's Labyrinth" during a cruel war, the experience of Jesse is quite ordinary, with the "villains" being no worse than bullies that all of us have encountered in school, and misfortune no wore than being born in a poor family (from which came, incidentally, many great men). Out of this ordinary life, however, comes an episode that becomes the memory of a lifetime. In its deceptive simplicity, the movie covers so many different elements that give you so much to reflect on.
It is worth repeating that what we see in the movie is ordinary, even if it will disappoint those audience whose capacity to appreciate simple things has been completely wrecked by images of a hopelessly distorted world some movie makers present, out of incompetence to impress an audience with anything better than shock, shock and more shock. Spice and more spicy spice, sweets and sweeter sweets will eventually destroy the taste bud entirely. One critic comments that watching this movie is like taking in a drink of pure water from a fresh spring.
To say more would take away some of the pleasures of watching this movie. Suffices to say that it is at once simple and complex because of the loving attention given to simple feelings we often ignore. There is no pretense to sophisticated emotions or things like Freudian complexes. All the emotions presented simply and honestly in this movie we can recognize easily from our daily lives. That is what makes this movie so endearing.
The movie rests on the two lead, Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb, at their early teens playing 5th graders. They are marvelous. There is also a wonderful supporting cast.
I suppose "Terabithia" could be looked upon as a coming of age movie, but that really does not quite describe the movie. It is more like a very brief slice in the life of a 10-year-old boy. Unlike the devastating experience of Ofelia in "Pan's Labyrinth" during a cruel war, the experience of Jesse is quite ordinary, with the "villains" being no worse than bullies that all of us have encountered in school, and misfortune no wore than being born in a poor family (from which came, incidentally, many great men). Out of this ordinary life, however, comes an episode that becomes the memory of a lifetime. In its deceptive simplicity, the movie covers so many different elements that give you so much to reflect on.
It is worth repeating that what we see in the movie is ordinary, even if it will disappoint those audience whose capacity to appreciate simple things has been completely wrecked by images of a hopelessly distorted world some movie makers present, out of incompetence to impress an audience with anything better than shock, shock and more shock. Spice and more spicy spice, sweets and sweeter sweets will eventually destroy the taste bud entirely. One critic comments that watching this movie is like taking in a drink of pure water from a fresh spring.
To say more would take away some of the pleasures of watching this movie. Suffices to say that it is at once simple and complex because of the loving attention given to simple feelings we often ignore. There is no pretense to sophisticated emotions or things like Freudian complexes. All the emotions presented simply and honestly in this movie we can recognize easily from our daily lives. That is what makes this movie so endearing.
The movie rests on the two lead, Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb, at their early teens playing 5th graders. They are marvelous. There is also a wonderful supporting cast.