Day #4890 (Sat., May 27, 2023) – Road To Terabithia
My wife received a “Paint By Number” kit about Butchart Gardens in Victoria from her old boss Jeannette (see photo to the left).
Both kids are feeling much better today. Better, but still not 100%. Katie is so much better than last Saturday that we decided to have Daddy/Daughter Day #132 and watch the movie “Road To Terabithia”. In fact, the whole family joined in… I went and got Chick-Fil-A, a kids meal with grilled chicken nuggets for Katie and two Cobb Salads for my wife and I. Bobby had just finished two bowls of cereal so he opted out of Chick-Fil-A food. He doesn’t like Chick-Fil-A anymore, and will always vote for McDonalds if given the chance. Since Katie was sick last week when we watched “The Spiderwick Chronicles”, she got to choose today, so Chick-Fil-A it is! Bobby was a bit upset once the movie got going, but had one of Katie’s waffle fries and then some ice cream and he was good to go.
No, to the movie… We were wondering all the way through the movie what was going on. It had some fantasy elements in it, and I kept thinking that it was one of those movies where the person wakes up in the end and it is all a dream. Well, the movie was worse than that actually, and had us scratching our heads as to what was up. We watched a few YouTube videos to try and help us wrap our heads around it, and they didn’t help much. I went to Bard, the Google AI engine, and this is what it told me:
Bridge to Terabithia is a 2007 American fantasy drama film directed by Gábor Csupó from a screenplay by David L. Paterson and Jeff Stockwell. It is based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Katherine Paterson and stars Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Bailee Madison, Zooey Deschanel, and Robert Patrick. In the film, Jesse Aarons (Hutcherson) and Leslie Burke (Robb) create “Terabithia”, a fantasy world, which they use to cope with their troubled reality and spend their free time together.
The film was released on February 16, 2007, by Walt Disney Pictures. It received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the performances of Hutcherson and Robb, but criticism for its handling of the novel’s more emotional content. The film was a box office success, grossing over $171 million worldwide against a budget of $50 million.
The film follows Jesse Aarons, an overweight and unpopular fifth grader, who is struggling to find his place in the world. One day, he meets Leslie Burke, a new girl in school who is everything that Jesse is not: outgoing, athletic, and fearless. Jesse and Leslie quickly become friends, and they soon create an imaginary world called Terabithia, where they can be anything they want to be.
Terabithia provides Jesse and Leslie with a safe haven from the troubles of their everyday lives. In Terabithia, they are free to be themselves and to explore their imaginations. However, their friendship is tested when Leslie dies in a tragic accident. Jesse is devastated by Leslie’s death, but he eventually finds comfort in the memories of their time together in Terabithia.
Bridge to Terabithia is a story about friendship, loss, and the power of imagination. It is a film that will stay with you long after you have seen it.