Wonderworks - Bridge to Terabithia (DVD, 2007)

This 60 minute made-for-tv movie is a wonderful re-telling of this timeless story, more sweet and innocent than either the Katherine Paterson book or the 2007 Disney production. Here you will find excellent acting, beautiful music and fine photography, but without any expensive visual effects. I highly recommend this as a family movie, or to any fans of the book.

Beware - this is a Wonderworks dvd re-release of a one hour 1985 PBS made for TV movie (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0​088853). While the reviews of this movie were quite good in 1985, it is definitely not the 95 minute, 2007 Walt Disney release of the same title (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0​398808) that most people have in mind when ordering Bridge to Terabithia.

I may be few and far between with my feelings on this film but I enjoyed it much more than I enjoy your average family film. Annasophia Robb and Josh Hutcherson are almost guaranteed solid performances in the future and I'm excited to see them act as adults. The symbolism and aesthetic qualities of the story are outstanding. It's like I'm reading a classic piece of literature in school, I really think there's more to this film than a stupid 90 minute piece of entertainment parents throw their kids at.

There are two different films called Bridge to Terabithia. One from the early 1990's and one current. Unknowingly I bought the old one. It is a Feature Film for Families so it is an okay film, but shorter and not as good as the new one.

This is the original movie and it is very similar to the actual book. My students LOVED the opportunity to visually connect the movie to their own imaginations. Being in an area where the population is financially mixed, there are some children who would never have the opportunity to go to the movies. In this way, my students get to share their own viewing experience immediately following the video. It also enables an extension of Language Arts so having this video created a wonderful classroom atmosphere! I would have never been able to find this video if it weren't for Ebay!