Promoted as an otherworldly fantasy a la CHRONICLES OF NARNIA or ARTHUR AND THE INVISIBLES, this adaptation of Katherine Paterson's Newbery Medal-winning coming-of-age tale is firmly rooted in reality, with occasional glimpses into the imaginations of the two leads.
Eleven-year-old Jesse (Josh Hutcherson) lives on a farm on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., outnumbered by females — he's the middle child of five and the only boy. His father (Robert Patrick) is often away looking for work, and wishes his son were interested in something other than drawing pictures. Desperate to impress his dad and classmates, Jesse devotes the summer between fourth and fifth grades to running, hoping that becoming the fastest kid at school will translate into popularity. Instead, he's outrun on the first day of class — by a girl, no less. But in losing the race Jesse finds a friend: Transfer student Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb) is as much an outcast as he is. They're soon inseparable, exploring the woods and making up vivid stories about a land they dub Terabithia. It's located on a hidden island they discover during one of their rambles; the only way on or off is to swing across a creek using a rope tied to a tree. They designate themselves king and queen; carefully restore a dilapidated tree house, which becomes their castle; and Leslie's vividly creative descriptions of the creatures who inhabit their imaginary kingdom inspire Jesse's artwork. They keep their hideout a secret from everyone, even Jesse's inquisitive younger sister May Belle (Bailee Madison), who worships them — especially after they outsmart the biggest, baddest bully in the whole school (Lauren Clinton). But their private retreat can't keep the real world at bay forever.
The adult cast includes several familiar faces, including Zooey Deschanel as Jesse's favorite teacher, who plays a pivotal part in the story's most emotionally powerful development. But Robb and Hutcherson are the keys to the film's success: She has a refreshingly offbeat charm, and he smoothly handles emotional material that would be too daunting to many more experienced actors. The story is updated from the 1970s to the present, but it's otherwise extremely faithful to the book's tone and events; it probably helped that screenwriter David Paterson is Katherine's son, and that her inspiration was an event from his own childhood. Parents should be warned that the novel ventures into some emotionally dark territory that could be upsetting to very young or sensitive children, and might want to consider reading and discussing the book together before seeing the film. --Angel Cohn
