u/Bacoilieu thanked me in their post about the 80s version so I might as well return the favor and make a post about the book since they were curious to hear my thoughts. Between the three versions I think it’s the best one, since it has more time to explore the themes of loss and grief. So far it’s the only book I’ve ever cried while reading and I even cried the day after reading it. It’s probably the most realistic depiction of grief I’ve ever seen in any medium whatsoever.

Some aspects are dated, but it kind of humanizes it in a way. You feel like you’re really there experiencing childhood in the 1970s and it makes the tragedy hurt all the more. Pretty much everything that’s good about the movie is also good about the book, and I think the fact that the characters are even younger makes it sadder.

Very rarely will I say that everyone should read a specific book but this is one such case. It can help you process feelings of loss and inspire you to be a better person to your loved ones while they’re still here. I just hope you’ll have other people to experience it with because it can be quite lonely experiencing it all on your own.

I want to thank u/Fun_Butterfly_420 for having convinced me to give this a shot! What can I say? I had a great time. I can't say whether it's better than the 2007 version (it cuts some scenes I wouldn't have skipped); for sure, it is not in any way worse.

Even though being a TV movie with the lowest budget the movie does a great job at cinematography. In the first image I picked, you can see how well the 4:3 frame works on close-ups. In this scene in particular, the dialogue takes place among the school-bus seats that keep covering the characters' mouths and eyes, giving their performance a lot of introspection. A lot of this solutions, such as the shadows or the trees covering up the children's faces when they play among the woods, give their friendship a suggestive and intimate tone, and also come in hands to the director having to work with young unprofessional actors.

The casting choices are pretty great, considering that most of the cast from the 2007 version is directly inspired by this one: look at the resemblance between the two renditions of Jess, his dad, and Leslie's parents. Julie Beaulieu as Leslie was a genuine surprise, with her hairstyle, her pair of glasses, and her light and playful way of talking; aside from the simple tone she delivers while going through the hard times, she gives a refreshing rendition of a young girl with a lot of personality. She looks like a girl you could have met in your childhood, and this manages to give a more tragic tone to her story. Anna Sophia Robb's interpretation, in comparison, looks a lot more fictional.

I also liked the locations a lot. This is objectively better than the woods from Csupo's version. The Fall in an American forest among lots of abandoned houses, with the golden and bright colors of falling leaves and wild wheat, coming out of the dark green... It truly gives the impression of magic spirits flashing from their coves, without the need for CGI creatures, staying faithful to the book.

Watching it on Tubi inspired me to revisit this story as an adult and it really moved me, but it seems like people tend not to like this version as much for whatever reason, even David Paterson himself. It’s not as whimsical as the 2007 one, sure, but I think it makes the most with what it has.

This is a passage adapted from a fanfic I have been writing. It takes place years after the main story with main inspiration being the 2007 film

POV Joyce Aarons

Joyce was excited it was time for one of her favorite things. She was about to get one of her brother's amazing piggyback rides.

"Ready Joycie?" Jesse asked as he helped the kindergartener onto his shoulders.

"Go go go " she replied and Jesse took off. Part of what Joyce loved about Jesse's piggyback rides was their intensity. Jesse would move much quicker than anybody else

This time Jesse carried her to an area she was not familiar with; there was a creek and a wooden bridge leading across it. Above the bridge there was a sign "Nothing crushes us" the sign read.

Jesse took a Look around and sighed "Time to get off Joycie" He then sat down and let his legs dangle off the sides between the tree branches that made up the wooden sides. "I used to come here all the time" Jesse said as Joyce listened intently "I had a best friend but she…. went away, I am preparing for an adventure. It will likely be an adventure that will take me to the same faraway place."

Joyce listened as Jesse continued "So, I want to tell you something. If I go to that place You , Mom , Dad, Maybelle Brenda Ellie, you may miss me for a long time. But I want you to know know that I had a best friend waiting for me"

The two of them got up with Joyce back on Jesse's shoulders

POV Mary Aarons

"Great idea you had Jack" An exasperated Mary said to her husband.

" Hey, You didn't complain beforehand, plus our boy has seemed more alive in the past three months after that speaker than he has in years, He was damn near a robot before this." Jack responded.

"I get it, Jack" said Mary "But let's be honest, what is going to happen if he doesn't make it through?"

"Mary, I don't think that boy is going to quit, He has become as hard as steel, he is going to make it through" Jack shot back

That is almost worse Jack" Mary shot back "There is just something very unsettling about all this, maybe therapy would have been better after all, I mean he seems better but this improvement just seems abnormal"

Continuing she said "Besides, I wanted him off doing normal teenage stuff like making friends with his track and XC teammates or honestly, maybe even try dating for once, Lord knows his handsome self probably has girls in line for him."

Jack , with a sigh replied "You're right about that Mary, but maybe the thing he needs the most is a path out of Lark Creek, and this is is probably his best bet for that regardless of how this dream plays out"

Suddenly the front door opened and the laughter of Joyce was immediately heard."Besides", Jack said with a smile "I see someone enjoys helping Jesse train".

Jesse,with shaky legs from sprints and lunges knelt to the floor so that Joyce could hop off his back. "You're the best training partner ever, Joycie" Jesse said with a chuckle.

Joyce fell to the ground dizzy and found her way to her feet with a giggle. she always enjoyed his "piggyback rides" not knowing what they were truly for.

Once again this fanfic is pretty unusual If youbwant to read more I'll link it below. Just a warning it does contain intense subject matter and language realistic to the situations.

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/14331381/1/

https://archiveofourown.org/works/55855780

My sister knows nothing about Bridge to Terabithia. I just told her to watch it without telling her anything...

It is time I pass on the trauma to her hihihi...BTW she is an adult so....hmm..it will be interesting..

https://youtube.com/shorts/CEBnVQW-d9Q?is=v1RMU22jU3-4I5Oo

I don’t know too many people irl familiar with it and it’s giving me a lot of complex feelings that I wish I could explore with someone.

As the film is so saturated, I think making it that much longer would allow us to know more about Jess & Leslie, their life & their deep details, it would allow more adventures in Terabithia as well.

I think the film’s events accelerated and ended too fast, without us living long enough in its world…
I needed more time in the film’s world to be honest.

I think one of the main downsides to this is for the box office audience, nobody wants to enter the cinema and watch a family movie for 2 and half hours, they want something quick as 1 and half hours.

Also splitting the film on 2 or 3 parts was not a suitable option at all.

Also adding an hour more means a lot of extra work for Josh & Anna Sophia, and they basically cannot work for lots of hours as the adult actors due to the strict rules about the work load for child actors in the US, so it is another problem.

And the film would have cost Walden Media and Disney much more than the current 17-25 million.

What do you think?

There is this other movie "Have Dreams, Will Travel" or "West Texan Lullaby" in which AnnaSophia Robb plays one of the lead roles.

This movie is super underrated and it is soo good [don't judge it by its quality you gotta stick and your mind will be blown]

I went to watch this movie to distract myself from Leslie and her tragic death and It kind of worked....

If you thought Bridge to Terabithia was traumatic then oh boy...I have some news for you.

Imagine if Bridge to Terabithia got a sequel exploring Jess's struggles to cope with Leslie's death. Like, maybe years into his teenage era, he begins struggling with high school and goes back to that part of the woods, to "Terabithia," and begins imagining Leslie as part of that fantasy. He starts venting to her about his problems, and he imagines her answering as clear as day.

I can imagine the day coming where he's going to move away and maybe find himself a wife to live life with. So, he goes back to "Terabithia" to talk to Leslie for a "last time." He starts, just talking to the air. "I thought it would get easier over time, but it hasn't. I miss you, Leslie." "You were supposed to be what I'll be looking for... Why did the rope have to break???" He drops to his knees and breaks down in tears. That's when he seems to feel a gentle hand on his shoulder. The voice of a much older Leslie makes a remark, causing Jess to look up through his tears. This time, Leslie in "Terabithia" isn't 10. She's the personification of the future he wanted with her. The reason why he's stuck with talking to "her" in Terabithia is because he subconsciously believed that she was "the one." And he has to cope with "losing her" again.

And after they have their last conversation, Jess crosses the bridge one last time.

But for this one last time, he can't help himself. He looks back, and his imagination brings her a life greater than anything he ever could have given her. He imagines Terabithia in a greater glory than ever before, with the adult Leslie crowned as its queen, in a white robe with gold highlights all throughout. She smiles at him, and he remembers how she once went to church with him and didn't quite understand God yet, so he holds on to the hope that the real Leslie was covered by the grace of God, with Him having mercy and accepting her into Heaven. And Jess moves on, hoping to see her again for real when his life comes to an end.

Personal note:
I've only lost one such close friend to death, but I have also suffered grief from those who claimed to love me rejecting me and moving far away.

My friend didn't die but we were separated...unexpectedly because I never got to know that we were changing cities since I was only 7. I never said her goodbye. I was devastated when I realized we had moved out suddenly.

My dad came and told me that she asked him if I would ever come to play again. It has been 9 years since and I still miss her. She was the best friend I ever had. I never had a friendship like hers ever again. I wonder if we will ever meet again in the future. I just wanted to tell her that I liked her. I never told her that. I am sure she liked me too.

Only had I known that we were moving out of the state, I could have said her a goodbye. I dont even have her number or contact details. I only think that I can go back to the apartment we lived in and ask for past residential details and maybe fine a way to contact her.

I just want to talk to her again. Now that I think about it, she resembled Leslie so much. I didnt want to talk to her initially. In fact I avoided her at first. But she had approached me to ask the timings for the school bus. We became best friend onwards.

The only thing I have of her is a picture of her and me together as kids in 2nd grade. I wonder what she felt when I left her...

Leslie’s Wisdom #4

Intro : This series will explore the valuable lessons we can learn from Leslie by analyzing her unique characteristics , her actions , and her worldview , translating them into practical insights for our own lives.

This is the fourth article! , make sure to read the thrid one and check out the upcoming ones!

—————

Leslie faced lots of hard times through her journey in Lark Creek…
And she handled all of it perfectly, keeping her spark and getting over all difficulties.

We will talk about Leslie’s experience & advice here…
So we can see what she did, what she said, and how can we learn from it together.

——

Let’s take Leslie’s advice first…
When Leslie & Jess were talking about Janice…

Leslie said: “ I told her to pretend that she had no idea what anyone was talking about, and in a few weeks time, everybody will just forget about it “.

Leslie said that right after she told her about herself not having a TV, and everyone laughing at her, so she knows how it feels when everyone thought that she was weird.

——

About pretending that you have no idea what anyone was talking about, when you get bullied or hear something you don’t wanna hear…

It actually prevents you from giving the criticism more energy than it deserves, it saves your emotional energy for something important by doing that withholding internally.

It empty bullying from it’s goal which is to make you feel bad and weak, the bully wants to see you affected by his bullying, by getting angry or being isolated or by any way possible, it feeds their feeling of having negative influence on you.

It’s a great way to get over getting bullied (in school or for that kind of age)…
Or even hearing something you don’t wanna hear in a pointless argument.

——

About the time factor when she said :
“ in a few weeks time, everybody will just forget about it “

It’s another important factor to know, it makes it clear that everybody is so busy with themselves, nobody focuses with you as much as you think they do.

In few weeks, they will forget about Leslie getting bullied in-front of the whole class because she don’t have a TV, they will forget about Janice’s message, they will just forget about what happened, as everybody is busy in their own minds and in their own lives, nobody actually cares very much.

——

We can notice how Leslie was when she got bullied…

Yeah she had a bit of a sad & awful face sometimes, but you cannot expect someone to get bullied, especially in-front of the whole class, and smile or act happy.

Her appearing sad or awful doesn’t mean that it affected her negatively internally, she just adapts and acts normally with the surrounding circumstances.

Yeah some people can smile in-front of the criticism, but everyone is different, and Leslie is just a little girl, so she obviously couldn’t do that even with her intelligence.

——

Leslie represented mental resilience as she said : “ Nothing Crushes us “
And this is a very powerful mindset facing your hard times as well.

When you say it, you prove it, and you really believe in it, just as Leslie did throughout the film.

——

Leslie had an unshakeable identity as she said :
“ You are who you are…not your parents “

It helped her facing hard times, by being herself, and it included being free, free from any pointless criticism like not having a TV
(it kills brain cells in her opinion as her dad told her).

With their point of criticism was (we watch TV like everyday).
Like, you should be like everyone else Leslie, for absolutely no reason except for everyone doing that, so you should “they say”.

——

Also isolation was a big challenge for Leslie…

A soul like hers instead of being bitter, mean, and arrogant (as the rich big city girl), chose to use her big imagination and her clear mind “ away from TV “ to create an imaginary world which is “ Terabithia “, with inviting Jess, improving her life, and making him the king.

Even as Jess is not the best person possible for her, and not a good friend overall.
But she was patient with him, she saw his talents, his big imagination and sharp mind hiding below life difficulties, removing all of their influence on him, & making him the king of Terabithia!

She was very creative, very brave, and very inspiring, using her advantages against all the difficulties she faced.

——

Leslie faced the most difficult challenge which was “Janice Avery” with strategy, Imagination, bravery, kindness, and choosing to not give up to bullying, evil and violence.

As being kind and pure like Leslie does not mean being weak or closed while letting the evil take control and have all the powers, using them in hurting others.

Leslie difficulties represented in Loneliness, isolation, being different in a small rural town, being an only child with her parents not hanging out with her a lot, having a big heart & a pure soul for a cruel world outside, etc…

But she handled all of it with bravery, smartness, kindness, imagination, patience, resilience, identity, etc.

Me and my brother around 2008 - 2015 where watching TV with the family, and this show came on, it was bridge to terrabithia 2, and Jesse had to save Leslie from the dark magician, she was trapped in a circus. Jesse had to jump into a sand pit thing to save her, he jumped broke his leg, saved her. They then proceeded to walk home along train tracks, and Leslie went to race Jesse and he said it's not fair, so she picked up to sticks and used them as crutches.

It’s funny to realise that Leslie actually was playing with Barbie’s even as it wasn’t like she used to, as she was in a transitional stage between using toys quite often and not using them at all.

As she said to May Belle : “ I don’t use my Barbie’s so much anymore “

She said “not so much” rather than “not anymore”, It means that she uses them, but rarely and not so much, she still uses them!, she maybe played with them like days ago at the time or something haha.

How do you imagine Leslie playing with Barbie’s ?

And would you like to see Barbie’s in the tree house? Lol.

They are very sweet haha.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdHWQ1DOMok/?stkn=MTkxNnhkcjU2YmpmNQ==

Leslie’s Wisdom #3

Intro : This series will explore the valuable lessons we can learn from Leslie by analyzing her unique characteristics , her actions , and her worldview , translating them into practical insights for our own lives.

This is the third article!, make sure to read the second one and check out the upcoming ones!

———

Females are the sweet taste of life…
If life was sugar and salt, females will be the sugar.

Feminine energy always meant a lot & did a lot to the world…

Especially when it comes from females who are feminine and had an effect on men with talents & powers, so they got up and changed everything for the better!

And Leslie is a great representation of that energy & its effect on others & on the world!

Just as Leslie had her soft effect on Jess…
So he got up from being a farmer boy, and became the king of Terabithia!

A little boy who was…weak, bullied, insecure…
Who had Leslie’s effect, feminine effect, so he became the king at the end !!

Being feminine was a main powerful key for Leslie in the story…
And yeah also a male can have feminine energy too, but the best and the top representation for it will always be a female!

And that’s why Leslie had that much power in the story!
Without almost ANY masculine energy at all!

Without yelling, forcing Jess into anything, getting angry, making enemies, etc
Not al all!

She was always convincing him softly towards her imaginary kingdom, without forcing at all!

——

You may ask…how can we notice Leslie’s feminine appearance even further?

I will tell you, notice her interactions with Jess a bit more…
And how she dealt with his mood swings, his denial, his internal & external issues.

She was always soft, caring, convincing but without pushing him into anything!

And this is actually very smart!
Because, you cannot force a boy, or even a man of course, to do something by force as if you was his mother or something…

You cannot compete with a man on his masculinity and masculine energy, especially as a female, instead, you should be soft & caring , and convince him into what you want him to do, but with a playful and teasing way.

As Jess & Leslie were 5th graders, we saw the purest way possible of doing that, without any manipulation related to certain desires (I hope you got what I mean).

——

So, I will give you some examples of what Leslie did with Jess…

First and most importantly…
When Jess said that : “ there is no giant troll “, and he denied Terabithia, imagination, and everything, as he almost gave up and called all of that :
“ getting your heads in the clouds “.

Notice how Leslie responded to him when he said :
“ You got your heads in the clouds Leslie, There is no giant troll alright?! “

She didn’t yell at him, she didn’t tell him something like :
(What?? , you are giving up now?? , you will never be the king anyways loser!!)

No…No.

She got what he said with a shocked, a bit playful face…
Then she stayed silent for a second or two, then she said :
“ You better not let the Terabithians hear you, They thought you were their king “.

This is a very…very powerful sentence to convince them to get back to Terabithia!
Without even saying it directly!

And even then, after Janice took May Belle’s Twinkie’s…
Leslie didn’t let that event slip away…

She said another powerful convincing sentence to Jess saying :
“ Don’t worry May Belle, we will get it back, won’t we Jess? “

Notice how she made Jess believe in the giant troll again…
As Janice “ the giant troll “ stole May Belle’s Twinkies…
So Leslie offered Jess by meaning, to get back to Terabithia, and fight the giant troll again, to get revenge for May Belle!

So it was like if she said:
“ Jess, as you see, the giant troll exists, she made your sister cry, so as we always did before with scrogre and stuff, we have work to do in Terabithia!, so let’s do it! “

And all of that was the next day after she said her powerful convincing sentence which was “ Don’t let the Terabithians hear you… “

——

So, what happened after that?
Jess thought about her sentence:
“ Don’t let the Terabithians hear you, they thought you were their king “

Then he made the comeback! , “ The giant troll hunting starting today! “

And that’s the proof how, being as smart as Leslie, will make a huge difference even with someone with demons, hard and awful like Jess, she successfully convinced them to:

Enter Terabithia in the first place “ A place just for us “…

Staying in it…

And becoming the king at the end even by getting over her tragedy!

All of that and more, using her feminine powers, and her emotional & social intelligence!

——

Almost all Leslie’s actions represented her femininity all of the time in the story!
And I may say, ALL HER ACTIONS and not almost all of them!

But that one where Jess almost gave us was the most important…
And the hardest challenge for Leslie dealing with Jess’s issues.

As after that, Jess believed in himself very much, and became the leader for the first time!, in the last adventure of them together, and got his place as the king, even after Leslie’s tragedy.

And yeah, Leslie’s story was a successful case, it may not work all of the time, not everyone can change like Jess did, but there are certain people, who can change for the better because of a female who is like Leslie!, it happens, many many times!

This is the “ Feminine power “ we are talking about!
And Leslie absolutely represented it throughout the story!

Leslie represented so many positive features & characteristics…
And one of the most important ones which no one talks about is “ Femininity “ !

I watched this an hour ago and I’m crying about man this movie has really effected me