MovieChat Forums > Bridge to Terabithia (2007) Discussion > What people say about this movie is true

What people say about this movie is true

posted 9 years ago by ellanegri
9 replies | jump to latest

Now I know I'm just a hormonal young woman who worked from 8:30-8 yesterday, but when people say this movie breaks your heart, they mean it.

**Spoilers** I went into this movie knowing that Leslie died. I'd known it for years, and I thought I might sniffle a little (I tend to tear up at most movies half as emotionally wrenching as this) but certainly didn't expect the onslaught that was to come.

There have only been three other movies I can remember what I call "couching" in (that's facedown on the couch sobbing). Saving Mr. Banks and Steel Magnolias are two of them, and Bridge to Terabithia is now my fourth. The amount of wailing I did in this movie is second only to Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (in that one, three of my family members came running from downstairs when they heard my screams).

When people say this movie hurts, believe them. I took their warnings too lightly and ended up sounding like a dying camel and missing the entire scene where Jess talks to his teacher because of my bawling. I proudly held in my tears until then, but when my older brother came down the steps and asked what we were watching, I gave a howl and faceplanted.

It's a great movie, but don't watch it while wearing mascara.

[–] Odie33 9 years ago

One of the reasons it's so powerful is because the story's told in an authentic perspective (of Jesse's experience).

When Jesse gets informed by his parents about Leslie's death, we (the audience) are hearing the news for the first time as well. In other words, Jess didn't witness the accident, thus we didn't. Then, when Jesse goes into woods looking for her due to his doubt, we have the same hopes Leslie will jump out from behind a tree. It's still possible, right? This disbelief continues, even at Leslie's wake. However, when Leslie doesn't show up at school or anywhere else, the truth finally sinks in, and so does the sadness, anger, plus guilt.

As for my reaction... I had never read the book and had no awareness of the story. So, when the aforementioned scenes occurred, I laughed in complete dubiety. That's how shocking it was. Every time I've watched it thereafter (knowing very well what's to come) I choke up.

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W-a-a-a!..W-a-a-a!..How do you like it?!?..W-a-a-a!

[–] ellanegri 9 years ago

That's true, I didn't realize that because I already knew that she stayed dead, but I can see how that would have even more impact for someone who didn't know.I personally found it effective because of how they handled the grief process with so much care and time. Usually in movies someone dies, someone cries, it's over. This felt so real.

[–] Odie33 9 years ago

I personally found it effective because of how they handled the grief process with so much care and time.

MadTom (http://www.imdb.com/user/ur0111844/) would disagree with you. 

I, on the other hand, agree that Jesse's responses were believable/logical. In fact, I feel Josh (and the rest of the cast) did a marvelous job at portraying his (and their) character(s).

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W-a-a-a!..W-a-a-a!..How do you like it?!?..W-a-a-a!

[–] MadTom 9 years ago

To clarify Odie33's comment:

As I've said on a few other threads on this board, most of which have expired, I'm a retired school psychologist, mostly at the middle school level. The book by Katherine Paterson was ubiquitous, and frequently on the Recommended Reading List, at the library of pretty much every elementary and middle school I ever worked in. As Katherine Paterson explained several times, the story was based on the death of her son David's (the same person who produced the movie and co-wrote the screenplay) best friend, a girl named Lisa Hill, when they were about seven.

I retired about a year and a half after the movie came out. I occasionally showed movies during group counseling as starting points for discussion. During my last year, I seriously considered using BtT for that purpose, in discussing dealing with loss. As much as I like this movie, I had to decide against it for the same reason that the ending left me empty (as did that of the original book): Jess blew through the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance) in about a week when in real life it normally takes about a year (specifically going through the four seasons without the lost loved one), and two years is still considered within normal limits.

You just can't rush or force the five stages; they have to come at their own times. My own theory, based on what Katherine Paterson has said or written, is that she was losing patience with David's (and probably her own) grief over Lisa and tried to rush him through the five stages through the book. Jess learns of Leslie's death at the end of Chapter 10 and he's crowning May Belle the new queen/princess at the end of Chapter 13. The grieving process needed to be both fleshed out and lengthened considerably for the readers/moviegoers as well as Jess to grieve Leslie's death properly.

The viewer/reader going through Leslie's death is what the military calls "practice bleeding": enduring suffering and draining resources with no real gain or benefit.

[–] PenTheater 9 years ago

You are right, 1-2 years = maybe longer.

In this case I am still grieving. And I saw this in 2007.

Ephemeron.

[–] itz_theo 8 years ago

You just summed up how I felt. I wish I could go back to that age and have a friend like her and imagine stuff and be happy like them minus the sad part though.

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You're just one bad day away from being me. - Frank Castle.

[–] Bluenoser76 8 years ago

I've never seen the movie, but when I was in elementary school my teacher read this aloud. Remembering what happened to the girl, I don't think I ever will unless one of my own children do. Mascara isn't an issue with me because I was always sensitive and I only wear waterproof mascara. 😀

[–] MadTom 8 years ago

Remembering what happened to the girl, I don't think I ever will unless one of my own children do.

You can always do what I do: watch it up through the part when they get back his dad's keys and walk home in the rain together. Then turn it off. It's still a great movie about two social misfits who find each other and support each other through a lot of trials and stresses of childhood.

[–] dnelson198 8 years ago

I have that reaction to "The Time Traveler's Wife."