Line #54 YMMV/BridgeToTerabithia


1	!!General
2	* AccidentalAesop: If your kids are swinging on a rope swing that's been there before you moved in, [[spoiler:maybe talk to them about installing a newer, safer one, or a plank bridge. Otherwise, the rope could snap at any time, and the person holding onto it can end up in the river]].
3	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Jesse's father's annoyance at him could just be a WellDoneSonGuy thing. Or alternately he clearly cherishes little May Belle - and shows her the most affection throughout the film. Perhaps he's annoyed at Jesse excluding his little sister so much?
4	* FandomSpecificPlot: "LDD" plots, obviously short for [[spoiler:"Leslie doesn't die"]]. Some fics that spare [[spoiler: Leslie]] will kill off someone else to preserve the theme.
5	* HesJustHiding: Most fanfics for ''Bridge to Terabithia'' fall into two categories: [[spoiler:"What If Leslie didn't die?"]], and [[spoiler:"Leslie didn't die, period"]]. This is actually done In-Universe as well, with [[spoiler:Jesse believing that her death is all lies, believing he saw her over at her house when they went to pay their respects, and finally mistaking May-Belle's voice for Leslie's.]]
6	* ItWasHisSled: [[spoiler:Leslie dies.]] Spoilered because it's not as well known as, say [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Vader being Luke's father]], but since it is one of the most discussed things about the story, it's hard to avoid hearing about it whenever the book or movie is brought up.
7	* MisaimedFandom: The book is often said to have been written to help children cope with death. According to Katherine Paterson, her intent in writing it was to help her process her own feelings when her son's friend was killed, but she did not feel it was the best way to introduce the topic to children.
8	* OneTruePairing: There's one kind of ''Terabithia'' fan, and that's the kind that ships Jess/Leslie.
9	* ParanoiaFuel:
10	** There's always a chance someone who is close to you [[spoiler:could die in a freak accident.]]
11	** Even more so when you consider the fate of Lisa Hill, on whom Leslie was based. While [[spoiler:Leslie's death]] is subtly foreshadowed throughout the book, with [[spoiler:the use of a rope swing that could be reasonably expected to weaken with time, the days of rain that flood the creek, and Jesse's own misgivings about going to Terabithia; Lisa's death was even more freakish. She was struck by lightning '''on a sunny day'''.]]
12	* SignatureScene: [[ItWasHisSled You know the one]]: [[spoiler:"Your friend Leslie is dead."]]
13	* ToyShip: Jesse and Leslie.
14	* TheWoobie:
15	** Jesse starts out as one already, though with AgeAppropriateAngst about having four sisters and having to wear hand-me-downs. [[spoiler:The angst quickly gets less age-appropriate.]]
16	** Leslie's parents [[spoiler:after their daughter dies in a freak accident, right in their backyard. They act gracious at the memorial service, thank Jesse for being such a good friend to her, and apologize for wanting to keep Prince Terrien as a memento. Within a few weeks, they move, just after they had finished painting the living room]].
17	** May Belle, given she worships her brother but he sees her as an AnnoyingYoungerSibling. [[spoiler:Fortunately by the end they patch up.]]
18	** Ms Meyers comes across as a SternTeacher, but after [[spoiler: Leslie's death]], she reveals that she lost her husband. In the 2007 movie, the way her voice breaks as she says "I didn't want to forget". Not to mention that [[spoiler: losing Leslie]] clearly saddens her as well.
19
20	!!Book
21	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Are Jesse and Leslie platonic best friends or is there a budding PuppyLove? On the one hand, the book clearly plays the NoHuggingNoKissing trope straight. On the other, Jesse' internal narration twice refers to Leslie as beautiful, and he becomes inexplicably angry (inexplicable even to himself), when Brenda makes a disparaging comment about Leslie's femininity.
22	* MemeticMolester: Miss Edmunds. 21st century audiences view her less innocently than audiences in the 70s did. Her closeness to Jesse in itself isn't unusual, but her taking him on a trip alone is less justifiable.
23	* UglyCute: Jesse describes May Belle as this.
24	* ValuesDissonance:
25	** A comparatively minor one in the book: Jessie laments that Leslie has a TomboyishName, which makes it [[LadyLooksLikeADude difficult to tell her gender]]. In the modern day, Leslie is almost universally a girl's name, as it's fallen out of style for boys. Reflecting this, the 2007 film cuts out Jesse's confusion and gives Leslie a GirlinessUpgrade.
26	** In the book, Jesse's ''mother'' is worried about his best friend being female. Because, according to the time's values, ''it means he might be gay''. In order to preserve the awkwardness, the film changes it to him receiving odd looks from his family when they meet Leslie, as if they're surprised that Jesse might have a girlfriend.
27	** In the book, when Leslie tells Jesse that Janice's father is abusive, Jesse at first responds that [[CorporalPunishment most kids' fathers beat them]]; Leslie then has to clarify that ''[[AbusiveParents this]]'' kind of beating is the kind that gets you sent to prison. The reason why Janice was crying was that she had told her friends looking for sympathy, and they instead told the school. Jesse just thinks that it's stupid that was because KidsAreCruel. Understandably, in the movie this is changed to Leslie starting by saying that Janice's father hates her, hits her, and got the cops called on him, hence how everyone at school knows.
28	** Jesse's teacher calls him up to spend the day with her in Washington. In the 70s, it would have been a sign that she was conscientious and willing to go above and beyond for her students; nowadays, a young boy and his female teacher going anywhere alone would raise more than a couple of eyebrows. It's not helped by Jesse's PrecociousCrush, which was controversial even at the time, though the scene is often misremembered as worse than it really is (the trip is for educational purposes, and she explicitly calls the Aarons house to ask for his parents' permission). The film attempts to address this by having Ms. Edmunds say that she had planned to go with her nephew, but he couldn't make it, rather than her calling up Jesse on a whim.
29	** Leslie being a secular atheist is at odds with her religious small-town; May Belle has no issue telling Leslie that she'll go to Hell for it. Being openly an atheist was much rarer in the 1970s, especially in rural America. Many viewers find the character's a bit too bigoted towards Leslie's lack of religious beliefs, despite the fact that such reactions weren't uncommon (and still aren't, to a degree, in certain areas).
30
31	!!1985 Film
32	* MemeticMutation: The 1985 film gives us "[[DullSurprise No. I don't believe you. You are lying to me. YOU LIE!]]"
33	* {{Narm}}: The acting. Especially the scene where [[spoiler:Jesse learns Leslie died]]. The sadness is ruined by the awful acting on his actor's part, as well as the obvious poor dubbing when he cries into his dad's arms. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv-F7a7jgSE The "You lie!" line is particularly laughable.]]
34	* ViewerGenderConfusion: Many fans of the 2007 movie get confused about Leslie in the 1980s adaptation. Some even think she's a boy. This is how Leslie looks in the book; in fact, she is even more androgynous in the book. The 2007 film gave her a huge GirlinessUpgrade.
35
36	!!2007 Film
37	* AdaptationDisplacement: Though the book is a popular children's book and is often required reading, the 2007 film is often more well-known, and the 1985 TV film tends to be forgotten altogether. Most fanworks are based on the 2007 film and a lot of fans complain that Leslie is too tomboyish in the 80s film, despite that being book accurate. Meanwhile, there are some fans that are only aware of the movie.
38	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
39	** From the film, [=AnnaSophia=] Robb's "Keep Your Mind Wide Open", a sweet little song that reads as an anthem for {{cloudcuckoolander}}s everywhere.
40	** The song that plays in the credits, "[[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x4SGSgu8GUE A Place For Us]] by Leigh Nash, is equal parts melancholic and inspiring, all at once.
41	* CantUnhearIt: [=AnnaSophia=] Robb may as well ''be'' Leslie for how beloved her performance tends to be among fans. This is especially surprising on account of the character getting a GirlinessUpgrade from the book.
42	* CatharsisFactor: Watching Jesse sending Scott the bullying-jock flying into the wall with a MegatonPunch for [[spoiler: making a disrespectful joke about Leslie's death]] was oh so satisfying. As was seeing Gary Fulcher's bloody nose, courtesy of Janice, after he pushed Jesse in the hall.
43	* EnsembleDarkhorse: Zooey Deschanel as Miss Edmunds. She may not have much screen time, but her scenes are always memorable, and she captures the CoolTeacher persona perfectly.
44	* EpilepticTrees: It's not uncommon to find an LDD fan believing that [[spoiler:Terabithia was real all along and that Leslie was really abducted by the Dark Master]].
45	* FandomSpecificPlot: Along with the EpilepticTrees, common LDD fanfiction involves [[spoiler:Jesse returning to Terabithia to rescue Leslie from the Dark Master.]]
46	* {{Fanon}}:
47	** Virtually any fic with Jesse and Leslie as teens will have [[SheIsAllGrownUp Leslie growing up gorgeous]], probably because Creator/AnnaSophiaRobb did indeed grow up gorgeous.
48	** Leslie and Jesse have feelings for one another. In the original book they're just friends who happen to be of opposite genders. The 2007 film upped the ShipTease between them.
49	** In fanon, Terabithia really is secret. In reality, although the parents don't know the details, it turns out they knew that the kids played across the creek and used a rope swing to get there.
50	* FightSceneFailure: That punch Jesse threw at Scott, while [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome pretty awesome]], was pretty fake as well. [[FridgeBrilliance Makes sense]] because it's a CallBack to Jesse punching the Scrogres in Terabithia.
51	* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Leslie in the 2007 movie is popular on several Russian ImageBoards.
52	* HarsherInHindsight: Jesse asks Leslie if she encountered any sharks when he assumes her scuba diving was for real... [[Film/SoulSurfer Well, maybe not in this film]].
53	* HilariousInHindsight:
54	** Jesse having a crush on his teacher played by Creator/ZooeyDeschanel becomes funny when she stars in ''Series/NewGirl'' playing a character named ''[[GenderBlenderName Jess]]''. Additionally, said character is also a teacher.
55	** And Jesse is a brunet boy with a PrecociousCrush on Zooey Deschanel that he must learn to get over somewhat. ''Film/FiveHundredDaysOfSummer'' was released the very next year - featuring a guy getting over her as its main plot.
56	** The name of Creator/JoshHutcherson's (Jess) mother in ''Film/LittleManhattan'' is Leslie.
57	** Leslie's imagination in creating the fantasy world is a little amusing if one watches [=AnnaSophia=] Robb in ''Film/RaceToWitchMountain'' where she's again imaginative - and actually ''does'' have magic powers. What's more is that her brother in that film is played by Creator/AlexanderLudwig, who plays Josh Hutcherson's ArchEnemy in ''Film/TheHungerGames''.
58	** May Belle being crowned the Princess of Terabithia if you've seen Creator/BaileeMadison in ''Series/OnceUponATime'' where she plays a fairy tale princess for real: the young Snow White of all people. And when she gets older she will again live in a neighborhood with [[Series/GoodWitch fantastical beings]].
59	** Leslie's mom using the phrase [[Film/TheHungerGamesCatchingFire "catch fire"]] to [[Creator/JoshHutcherson Jess]].
60	* ImprovedSecondAttempt: The 2007 film is considered a superior adaptation to the 1985 TV movie, which wasn't approved by Katherine Paterson's estate, and David Paterson stating that "no one on our side was happy with the finished product". He was a producer on this version, and the casting and production values are considered far better.
61	* JerkassWoobie: [[spoiler:Janice]] turns out to be one. At the end of the film, it's implied she and Jesse may become friends.
62	* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: Several book fans expected the movie to soften or remove [[spoiler: Leslie's shocking death entirely]] to make it more marketable in the 2000s market. Indeed, they faced trouble getting studios to pick it up because of that, with a lot of them [[spoiler: trying to have Leslie get into a life-threatening accident that she would recover from at the end]].
63	* MemeticMutation:
64	** Leslie as portrayed in the 2007 movie went memetic on several Russian ImageBoards.
65	** "[[FromTheMouthsOfBabes God'll damn ya to hell!]]"
66	* {{Moe}}: May Belle, at least in the 2007 film. This is lampshaded by Josh Hutcherson and Creator/AnnaSophiaRobb in their commentary, the former of whom calls her "just the cutest kid ever".
67	* MoralEventHorizon: Scott and Gary cross it when they up their bullying of Jesse following [[spoiler: Leslie's death]], Scott going so far as to outright taunt Jesse over it in class, complete with a smug smile on his face the whole time. [[spoiler: It made the MegatonPunch Jesse gave him ''very'' well deserved]].
68	* {{Narm}}:
69	** The book was written in the 1970s and as such the 2007 film has a lot of slang that's a little outdated. It's usually the taunts coming from the bullies.
70	** The "free the pee" scene is silly but also amusing too.
71	* OneSceneWonder: Ms Myers only pops up to act like a SternTeacher in a handful of scenes, and gets a small but important moment towards the end -- [[spoiler:where she talks to Jesse about losing her husband]].
72	* RetroactiveRecognition:
73	** [[Creator/JoshHutcherson Jesse]] is a young [[Film/TheHungerGames Peeta Mellark]].
74	** [[Creator/AnnaSophiaRobb Leslie]] is [[Film/SoulSurfer Bethany Hamilton]]. (In fact, the real-life Bethany saw [=AnnaSophia=] Robb in this film and decided she wanted Robb to play herself.) She is also [[Series/TheCarrieDiaries a teenage Carrie Bradshaw]].
75	** [[Creator/BaileeMadison May Belle]] is an even younger [[Series/OnceUponATime young Snow White]] and the daughter of a Series/GoodWitch.
76	* SugarWiki/SheReallyCanAct: [=AnnaSophia=] Robb was mostly known at the time for playing Violet Beauregarde in the divisive second ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' movie adaptation. She acquired a sizable fan base with her spot-on portrayal of Leslie, which even after many more notable credits, is still considered one of her best performances.
77	* SpiritualAdaptation: The film can be viewed as a stealth remake of ''Film/MyGirl'' but with genders reversed. Of course, ''Film/MyGirl'' is arguably this for the book of ''Terabithia'', which predates it by 14 years.
78	* TaintedByThePreview: Those who read the book knew that the story isn't a fantasy adventure, but rather the bonding experiences of two kids in a realistic setting. Seeing the 2007 film adaptation's [[NeverTrustATrailer trailers]], which centered around the fantasy world imagined by the kids but now fully populated by CGI creatures, caused them to believe that the filmmakers had completely missed the point of the book and were instead trying to make a ''[[Film/TheChroniclesOfNarnia Chronicles of Narnia]]'' (the book series that Jess and Leslie compare Terebithia to in the book) [[ShoddyKnockOffProduct rip-off]]. In some cases, this turned them off from seeing the film altogether, even though the film was actually truer to the book than the trailers would lead one to believe.

Context YMMV / BridgeToTerabithia