Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

I read this for the first time when I was an adult, in preparation to lead a lunch-time discussion group in my son's fourth-grade class. This is the book that's responsible for reminding me how truly amazing children's literature can be and that got me reading through the Newbery Award-winners. It was so impressive -- a meaningful and consequential book that really got to me.

While some of that deep content remains, huge chunks have been softened up to the point of ineffectiveness. I especially hated that they excised the very real reason for Jesse's guilt out of the script and turned it, instead, into one of those false "it's my fault" moans leaving the audience wondering how he'd come to that conclusion. Why would they do that? Did no one love the source material enough to fight for its integrity?

Also, the child actors (save the lead pair) were just this side of incompetent.

C+