Bridge to Terabithia

Kara and I saw Bridge to Terabitha a few weekends ago, thanks to Mike's recommendation. What a surprisingly wonderful film! If your kids aren't old enough to sit through Pan's Labyrinth, Terabithia may well be a great alternative. I was particularly drawn into the story of a young boy named Jesse who lives in the country and have a love for drawing. Reminds me of someone I know...

Jesse deals with what most kids do, bullies and the like. But this school year Jesse meets an interesting new girl named Leslie who just happens to live next door to him. Leslie is a poet. Together the artist and the poet learn to use their imaginations to build a whole new kingdom in the forest where bullies can be bested in battle. The imaginary kingdom of Terabitha begins to inform the real life world at school that Jesse and Leslie encounter everyday. They are able to draw on their imaginations to change things at school in some really redemptive ways.

One day Leslie invites herself to Church with Jesse's family and during the service she is enthralled by the stories and the stained glass. In the truckride home she says "that whole Jesus thing is very interesting isn't it?" The conversation that ensues between Leslie, Jesse and his younger sister May Belle is priceless. Leslie says these insightful words after May Belle and Jesse proclaim that you have to go to church and believe the bible or you'll burn in hell... "You have to believe it and you hate it. I don't have to believe it and I think its beautiful."

Amen.

Labels: Film, Theology