Bridge to Terabithia was a movie that shocked audiences with its shift from childhood escapism to heartbreaking grief. It dealt with several serious topics, from neglect to death, in ways that children could understand, and continues to leave its mark on children and adults to this day.
The movie focuses on Jess and Leslie as they use their fantasy world of Terabithia to help escape the realities of the world around them. In handling so many serious topics, the film has several excellent quotes that will help fans remember all the happiest and saddest moments the movie had to offer.
Dealing With Bullies
"Seems To Me, She Gives It Out Whether You Ask For It Or Not. Might As Well Have Some Fun."
When Leslie comes to school for the first time, she quickly gets a feel for how things work, including who should be avoided. She then promptly antagonizes bully Janice for the fun of it.
Jess tells Leslie not to ask for trouble, but Leslie counters by explaining that Janice will be a bully whether she draws attention to herself or not, so she might as well enjoy herself before receiving the punishment that was coming either way.
An Approach To Life
"You Know, The Best Prize That Life Offers Is The Chance To Work Hard At Work Worth Doing."
After Leslie's parents finish writing their book, they decide to paint one of the rooms of the house gold to catch the light of sunset. They talk to Jess about his love for art and Leslie's dad quotes Teddy Roosevelt to share some words of wisdom.
Jess parrots the words back to his parents, who pile him down with chores and work because he's the only boy in the family. He is hopeful that the words might communicate some of the fun-loving nature of Leslie's parents to his own, but he remains distanced from them for the majority of the film until they realize they could've lost him forever.
How To Access Terabithia
"You'll See. Just Close Your Eyes, And Keep Your Mind Wide Open."
One of the most important elements of Bridge to Terabithia was how powerful imagination was, giving Jess and Leslie an escape from their lives and building up their courage. Terabithia is a fictional place that everyone wishes were real, with the beautiful imagery that the film provides of it and the power of imagination over it.
But in a world with so many forces pressuring us to be realistic, it can be hard to access a realm of pure imagination. So, as Leslie says, fans will need to close their eyes to see it, but keep their minds wide open.
Leslie's Approach To Religion
"I Seriously Do Not Think God Goes Around Damning People To Hell. He's Too Busy Running All This."
After going to church for the first time, Leslie discusses God and death with Jess and his little sister May Belle. May Belle insists that doubting God and the Bible will send someone to Hell after they die. Jess expresses some doubt about that, and Leslie shares her own opinion.
Leslie sees the world as a beautiful place where her imagination can bring her anything she could want. With such a positive attitude toward life, Leslie scorns such a pessimistic look at death. Her words will likely be a comfort to Jess after she dies, allowing him to believe that Leslie is in heaven regardless of her faith in Christian beliefs.
Lies Versus Fiction
"No, I Made It Up. That's Different Than Lying."
Leslie gets honored in class for her essay on scuba diving, and when Jess discovers that it was fictional, he gets upset with Leslie, claiming she has lied. She pushes back on that idea since lies are harmful to other people. What she did, she specifies, was make her scuba diving experience up.
Leslie is a strong proponent of imagination and fiction and makes it clear to audiences that something can be untrue without being a lie. Fantasy can improve everyone's lives, and they shouldn't be bound by only what they've had the opportunity to experience for themselves.
Blaming Yourself For Mortality
"It's A Terrible Thing. It Doesn't Make Any Sense. But It's Not Your Fault."
Bridge to Terabithia provides audiences with one of the best portrayals of grief on screen, with Jess breaking down over Leslie's death. She died because the rope they swung on every day broke, and she ended up drowning in the creek beneath it. But Jess blames himself.
Instead of being with Leslie, he had gone on a trip to a museum with a teacher he had a crush on. Had he asked Leslie to go with them, she wouldn't have been there to swing on the rope. Had he been with her, he might have been able to get her help. But despite these endless what-ifs, the message this film sends is that Leslie's death was not Jess's fault; it was just a tragedy.
Using Fantasy To Gain Courage
"And The Guy Who Can Stand Up To A Sqrogart Is Scared Of A Hogart? / A Girl Who Can Stand Up To A Giant Troll Is Scared Of Some Dumb Eighth Grader?"
What's a good coming-of-age movie without a bully to defeat? Leslie and Jess both have enemies at school, in the form of Janice and Hogart. While their base instincts might be to just avoid trouble, they use their experiences in Terabithia to help them gain the strength for Jess to stand up to Hogart and Leslie to check on Janice when she was crying.
This shows off the beneficial power of imagination. Jess and Leslie don't just have an escape from their everyday lives; they are stronger in their normal lives as well. They support each other and draw on the battles they have fought together to stand against any new threats they have to face.
Remembering Lost Loved Ones
"When My Husband Died, People Kept Telling Me Not To Cry. People Kept Trying To Help Me Forget. But I Didn't Want To Forget."
After Leslie's death, Jess gets into a fight with another student who made a cruel comment mocking her death. Jess's teacher pulls him out of class, but rather than scolding him for fighting, she tries to empathize with his struggles.
When someone is grieving, those around them try to help them by telling them any number of well-meaning but ultimately unhelpful things. Rather than telling Jess that she's sorry, or any other standard grief sayings, she tells him about her own experience and opens the door for him to share what he needs whenever he's ready, whether it's what other people expect or not.
Terabithia's War Call
"We Rule Terabithia! And Nothing Crushes Us!"
Children often see themselves as powerless, being controlled by their adults and teachers, as well as the bullies among their peers. But by creating and living in Terabithia, Jess and Leslie feel strong and capable of taking on any task that their kingdom needs from them.
Although audiences might wonder why the children were left unsupervised often enough to create an entire world where they felt valuable, many children live with similar circumstances in the real world. This film gives them somewhere to turn when they feel powerless, and a battle cry to shout in their minds when they feel defeated.
Remembering The Best Of Those We've Lost
"She Brought You Something Special When She Came Here, Didn't She? That's What You Hold Onto. That's How You Keep Her Alive."
It can be hard to hold onto the good parts of someone who has died without being crushed under the weight of everything that has been lost. Though Jess's dad is often an antagonist in Bridge to Terabithia, he does offer Jess important advice on how to approach his grief and cope with the loss of Leslie.
Pretending that there was never a person to lose is not the way. Embracing all of the good that they gave you is, which leads Jess to build a safer passage to Terabithia and share it with his sister, to keep the magic of imagination alive.