History Literature / BridgeToTerabithia

** Ms Myers the SternTeacher [[spoiler: lost her husband]].

** Jesse has this reaction when he sees Maybelle trapped on a fallen log across the river, while it's still roaring and high. He quickly goes to rescue her and pull her to the safety of the banks. As they catch their breath, she reveals she was following him because she noticed he was missing that morning and got scared. Jesse is more relieved that she didn't fall in the river [[spoiler:the way that Leslie did]].

* AloofBigBrother: Jess is one to Maybelle. Their two oldest sisters are also not pleasant.

* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Maybelle and Joyce to Jesse. He gets better towards Maybelle.

* BigBrotherInstinct: While Jesse doesn't challenge Janice directly in a fight, he and Leslie scheme to get revenge on Janice for stealing Maybelle's Twinkies. Much later, he quickly runs to help her when she gets stuck on a fallen log trying to follow him to Terabithia.
* BigBrotherWorship: Maybelle to Jess. Jess finds it mostly annoying.

* FiveStagesOfGrief: [[spoiler:Jesse]] suffers these in alternating waves [[spoiler:after Leslie dies]] in a very realistic sense. First there's denial, in the book because as he mentions that [[spoiler:Leslie is a good swimmer]]. Then he runs out in anger and kicks his wardrobe before going to bed. For a long time he talks as if [[spoiler:Leslie is alive]] which doubles as bargaining, and lashes out at Maybelle for following him [[spoiler:across the log in the movie; in the book he's more relieved she's okay]]. He only breaks down into depression when [[spoiler:his emotions catch up to him in the woods, as does his father]] and finally comes to accept what happens.

* MiddleChildSyndrome: Jess gets a pretty bad deal out of this trope, since he's not only the very-middle child out of ''five'', he's also the only boy. Not to mention his older sisters bully him and the youngest daughter is a particularly bratty baby; the only one who really likes him is Maybelle, and even she gets annoying because she always wants to be around him, whether he wants it or not. Oh, and he's a WellDoneSonGuy to boot.

* MyGreatestSecondChance: Jess blames himself for [[spoiler:not being there when Leslie fell. He admits he didn't want her to join her at the art museum. When Maybelle gets trapped on a fallen log, in the book Jess is scared about her falling into the river the way Leslie did. He quickly pulls her to safety, and is relieved she wasn't hurt. This convinces him to introduce Maybelle to Terabithia]].

** Mr. Aarons is hard on his son for most of the movie, expecting him to be the responsible sibling while Maybelle is allowed to do what she wants and his older sisters don't have to help with the chores. [[spoiler:When Leslie dies, and they realize Jesse doesn't know, Mr. Aarons looks sober and softens his tone about Jesse being away all day. He spends the rest of the movie doing Jesse's chores, not punishing him for shoving Maybelle down in a fit of anger, and giving him a CooldownHug when his son has a breakdown in the woods]].
* PartingWordsRegret: In the movie, it's implied this is why Mr. Aarons goes easier on Jesse [[spoiler:after Leslie dies, along with the tragedy of the situation. Mr. Aarons's last big interaction with Jesse was yelling at him for misplacing the keys to the greenhouse, and saying he can't draw "damn money". It turns out it wasn't even Jesse's fault; Maybelle was the one who took the keys and gave them to Leslie to use for Terabithian window chimes, not knowing any better. Once Jesse got the keys back, he sullenly returned them to his dad without saying a word, but refusing to put the blame on Maybelle. His dad noticeably looks guilty after Leslie dies, since the family was worried that Jesse had died as well]].

* InvisibleToAdults: Horribly subverted [[spoiler: when it turns out the reason the magical land of Terabithia is only seen by Jess and Leslie is because it's a figment of their imagination.]]

* AdaptationInducedPlotHole: Subverted. In the book, Jess goes to the museum without telling his parents. Having this happen in the film would be unusual in a 2000s setting, so Miss Edmunds calls the house to ask for permission, and Jess's mother gives it while still half asleep in bed - thus making it believable that she'd forget where Jess is [[spoiler: and assume he died with Leslie]].

The story has a BittersweetEnding, and a grade-A example of DeathByNewberyMedal (not being hidden here as the ending has reach ItWasHisSled levels). It has been banned on more than one occasion for TeacherStudentRomance {{subtext}} and other non-existent sexual content [[note]]Jesse [[TeacherStudentRomance has a crush on one of his teachers]], something everyone who's reached the age of 12 can probably relate to. She invites him to the museum, and insists on paying on the grounds that she's a liberated woman (similar to Marlo Thomas' character from the TV show, ''Series/ThatGirl'') and invited ''him'' (and, more practically, she's a teacher and can afford it better). That's literally as far as it goes -- there's zero evidence that said teacher has any inappropriate feelings or is aware of his crush.[[/note]] as well as religious content and some swearing.

The story has a BittersweetEnding, and a grade-A example of DeathByNewberyMedal. It has been banned on more than one occasion for TeacherStudentRomance {{subtext}} and other non-existent sexual content [[note]]Jesse [[TeacherStudentRomance has a crush on one of his teachers]], something everyone who's reached the age of 12 can probably relate to. She invites him to the museum, and insists on paying on the grounds that she's a liberated woman (similar to Marlo Thomas' character from the TV show, ''Series/ThatGirl'') and invited ''him'' (and, more practically, she's a teacher and can afford it better). That's literally as far as it goes -- there's zero evidence that said teacher has any inappropriate feelings or is aware of his crush.[[/note]] as well as religious content and some swearing.

* AwwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Unlike in the book where Brenda was more matter-of-fact in saying [[spoiler:their mother thought Jesse was dead]], she says rather angrily, "We thought you were dead!" when Jesse gets home from the museum.

* BigBrotherInstinct: While Jesse doesn't challenge Janice directly in a fight, he and Leslie scheme to get revenge for Janice eating Maybelle's cupcakes. Much later, he quickly runs to help her when she gets stuck on a fallen log trying to follow him to Terabithia.

''Bridge to Terabithia'' is a novel by Creator/KatherinePaterson, twice [[FilmOfTheBook adapted to film]], first as a 1985 MadeForTVMovie for Creator/{{PBS}}, the second as a 2007 theatrical film produced by Creator/WaldenMedia, and distributed by {{Disney}}.

* AwwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Unlike in the book where Brenda was more matter-of-fact in saying [[spoiler:their mother taught Jesse was dead]], she says rather angrily, "We thought you were dead!" when Jesse gets home from the museum.

* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: Understated. Neither Leslie nor Jesse say this trope out loud, but there are points that Elle's and Brenda's innuendo about the two of them makes them both uncomfortable. Of course, from Jesse's point of view, having a girlfriend entails being SickeningSweethearts.

''Bridge to Terabithia'' is a novel by Creator/KatherinePaterson, twice [[FilmOfTheBook adapted to film]], first as a 1985 MadeForTVMovie for Creator/{{PBS}}, the second as a 2007 theatrical film produced by Creator/WaldenMedia.

* BaitAndSwitch: When Jesse gets back from the museum, we (and in the book, he) expects he's going to get in trouble for going to the museum without permission. (In the book, he knew full well his mother was half-asleep.) The truth is far worse.

* AlphaBitch: Kind of subverted. Janice Avery is a female bully, but she's anything but the stereotypical blonde rich girl who relies on social manipulation. Instead, Janice is large, loud, and relies on physical intimidation, usually the realm of male bullies. [[spoiler: She has a FreudianExcuse.]]

%% * SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl: Jesse and Leslie.

%% * TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth: Leslie
%% * TooHappyToLive: Leslie
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Ms. Edmunds invites Jesse to come to the art museum with her, and Jesse doesn't invite Leslie, [[spoiler: sealing her fate.]] Jesse [[ItsAllMyFault knows this and regrets it.]]

* CheerfulChild: Leslie in the 2007 film. Maybelle as well, given that she has endless amounts of optimism.

* ManicPixieDreamGirl: Funnily enough, the film casts MPDG queen Creator/ZooeyDeschanel as Ms. Edmunds. The character she plays is one of her few roles ''not'' of this type. She comes off that way to Jesse, though, compared with the other adults in his life, hence his infatuation with her.

* SettingUpdate: Instead of the 1970's (when the book was published), the movie takes place in the then-present day of the mid-2000's. This doesn't really affect anything other than the fashion, the [[ValuesDissonance updated values]], the presence of electronics (the Aarons are too poor to afford anything electronic beyond a small television and a landline, Mrs. Myers has a ban on electronics and two kids are seen hiding their gaming devices -- presumably [=GameBoys=] -- and will give detention for plagiarizing off the Internet, and the Burkes don't have a TV in belief that it's bad for your brain), and a couple of pop culture/contemporary references (like Twinkies).

The story has a BittersweetEnding, and a grade-A example of DeathByNewberyMedal. It has been banned on more than one occasion for TeacherStudentRomance {{subtext}} and other non-existent sexual content [[note]]Jesse [[HotForTeacher has a crush on one of his teachers]], something everyone who's reached the age of 12 can probably relate to. She invites him to the museum, and insists on paying on the grounds that she's a liberated woman (similar to Marlo Thomas' character from the TV show, ''Series/ThatGirl'') and invited ''him'' (and, more practically, she's a teacher and can afford it better). That's literally as far as it goes -- there's zero evidence that said teacher has any inappropriate feelings or is aware of his crush.[[/note]] as well as religious content and some swearing.

* MiddleChildSyndrome: Jess gets a pretty bad deal out of this trope, since he's not only the very-middle child out of ''five'', he's also the only boy. Not to mention his older sisters bully him, the youngest daughter is a particularly bratty baby; the only one who really likes him is Maybelle, and even she gets annoying because she always wants to be around him, whether he wants it or not. Oh, and he's a WellDoneSonGuy to boot.

* MiddleChildSyndrome: Jess gets a pretty bad deal out of this trope, since he's not only the very-middle child out of ''five'', he's also the only boy. Not to mention his older sisters bully him, Maybelle worships him and the ''youngest'' daughter is a particularly bratty baby. Oh, and he's a WellDoneSonGuy to boot.

* WhamShot: The Aarons' reactions once Jesse comes home from the museum.

%%* NewTransferStudent: Leslie.

* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: The reason [[spoiler: Janice beats up Scott for accosting Jesse. While he was never nice to her, he was friends with Leslie who was nice to her.]]