Bridge to Terabithia
Short description
Bridge to Terabithia centres on Jess Aarons, a boy who feels out of place at school and at home, where money is tight and his drawing goes unnoticed. He spends the summer training to be the fastest runner in his class, only to be beaten by Leslie Burke, a new girl with a lively imagination. The two become friends and invent a secret kingdom called Terabithia in the woods near their homes, crossing into it by a rope over the water and ruling there as king and queen. Their made-up world of strange creatures gives them a place to escape the pressures of ordinary life.
The film was directed by Gábor Csupó and released in 2007, the first of two features he directed in that period, followed by The Secret of Moonacre. It was adapted for the screen by Jeff Stockwell and David Paterson, who also produced alongside Hal Lieberman and Lauren Levine. Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb play the two leads, with Zooey Deschanel, Robert Patrick and Bailee Madison among the supporting cast. Made for about 60 million dollars, it took roughly 138 million worldwide.
Audience response has been warm and steady: on IMDb it holds 7.2 out of 10 from around 190,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.4 from a much smaller base. Critics' ratings sit close to that level, at 7.1 from 162 reviews.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film is based on Katherine Paterson's novella "Bridge to Terabithia" (1977).
- David Paterson became the screenwriter and one of the producers of the film. The novella “Bridge to Terabithia” was written by his mother, Katherine Paterson, and his name is mentioned on the first page, where it is indicated that the book is dedicated to David Paterson and Lisa Hill. The story written by Katherine Paterson is based on the real friendship between her son David and Lisa Hill, who died from a lightning strike when they were eight years old.
- This is the last film by cinematographer Michael Chapman.
- AnnaSophia Robb's single "Keep Your Mind Wide Open," from the film's soundtrack, ranked 90th on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a week.
- The word “Terabithia” sounds very similar to the name of the island Terabinthia in The Chronicles of Narnia. The author does not deny that she allowed this coincidence intentionally. However, the similarities do not end there – the film was shot in New Zealand, where the film adaptation of “The Chronicles of Narnia” was also created, and WETA, the company responsible for the visual component of “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Chronicles of Narnia,” worked on the special effects.
- The animal trapped in the greenhouse is a common opossum, or brushtail possum, an Australian marsupial that has become established in New Zealand, where the film was shot, and is not found in North America.
- In the first scene, before Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb) first appears in the new class, someone rewrites the inscription “Mrs. Myers” on the blackboard three times.
- The role of Leslie was originally offered to Dakota Fanning.
- The story in Katherine Paterson's novel takes place in 1977. In the film, it has been moved thirty years forward, to the present day.
- During casting, the director initially considered AnnaSophia Robb too attractive for the role. However, during the audition, the girl demonstrated a deep understanding of the character Leslie and received the role.
- The television series that Jess's sisters constantly watch is "Hannah Montana", also produced by Disney. The song "I Learned from You" from the soundtrack of the first season of this series also appears in the film and was included in its soundtrack. However, in the series it is performed by Miley Cyrus and her father Billy Ray Cyrus, while in the version featured in the film, it is performed solely by Miley Cyrus.
- In the scene where Jess plays with a toy car with his father, the radio plays "You've Got to Keep Your Mind Wide Open" performed by AnnaSophia Robb.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
