It's been 15 years since we were collectively traumatised by a seemingly innocent fantasy movie: Bridge to Terabithia.
Everyone's experienced the regret of watching a really scary horror too early in life, but there's a collective of films that appeared to cater for younger audiences but left them shaken to the core: Bambi, for obvious reasons; My Girl, for killing off Macaulay Culkin with bees; and Artax's demise in The Neverending Story, to name a few.
For a particular generation, the mere mention of Bridge to Terabithia provokes puffed cheeks in remembrance; lest we forget the plight of Jess and Leslie, and one of the most heartbreaking kids movies of modern times.
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Spoiler warning for Bridge to Terabithia:
Bridge to Terabithia, based on Katherine Paterson's novel of the same name (the movie is also penned by David L. Paterson, the author's son) and directed by Gábor Csupó, follows Jess (Josh Hutcherson), an aspiring artist from a poor family who strikes up a friendship with Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb), a fellow fifth grader who beats him in a footrace. They soon learn they're neighbours, and in an effort to escape the woes of their lives, they create a fantasy world called Terabithia to cope with reality.
Up to a point, it's largely very whimsical, affable and potently imaginative, with two likeable stars at the helm. Alas, their adventures were doomed from the start: Jess is later informed that Leslie died after hitting her head on the creek after trying to swing on a rope. It completely blindsides you on your first watch, but its pain isn't diluted on second, third, hell — even your 10th viewing.
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As well as grossing more than $137 million worldwide, it earned plaudits from critics, with the movie earning an 85% Rotten Tomatoes rating. 'A family film that recognizes that there are some interesting, intelligent fifth graders out there who aren't obsessed with fart jokes or potty humour,' Brian Tallerico wrote for UGO.
'Terabithia picks up a lot of emotional punch as it rolls along, and anyone leaving the theatre with a dry eye should be checked for a pulse,' Tom Long also wrote for Detroit News.
While Bridge to Terabithia appeals to our need for escapism, it's firmly rooted in a rather grim pillar of life: people die, even when you least expect it. We may have walked out the cinema or ejected the DVD with tears streaming down our faces, but who knows: maybe it prepared us for grief more than we ever realised.
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Topics: Film and TV, Entertainment
Cameron Frew