Graveyard of the Fireflies.
Posted on 02/16/2007 9:56:53 PM PST by Milwaukee_Guy
A 10 year old boy and a 10 year old girl combine their art and writing talents to create a magical kingdom. Not being like all the other kids and not being fully appreciated by their parents, they embark on their own fantasy journey.
Evoking images of the "Chronicles of Narnia" and "Harry Potter" Disney paints an image of a high tech journey into yet another magical realm that children and parents can both enjoy and share together at their local theater.
HUGE SPOILER - Scroll Down at your own risk! - - - - - - -
Jessie and Leslie spent an hour and fifteen minutes feeling the taunts of their peers and the demands of their parents and begin to fantasize about a kingdom they create on a piece of abandonned property next to their homes. Fleeting glimpses of magical creatures begin to draw them into their new world.
Before the fantasy world really begins to start there's only one small problem.
Leslie (Anna Sophia Robb), venturing to their secret meeting place alone. falls off the rope they use to swing over the creek and CRACKS HER HEAD OPEN AND DROWNS.
The balance of the movie depicts the shock, horror and sadness that Jessie, his family and Leslie's parents endure during the aftermath of Leslie's demise. Jessie makes ammends with his little sister and the movie sputters to a fitfull conclusion with Jessie building a wooden bridge over the creek that Leslie drowned in.
The last 45 minutes of the picture found the audience in a shocked silence.
As we left the theater 5 to 8 year olds were crying and holding their parents as they trudged off to their cars.
This -is- an exceptionally -good- movie but my goodness IT IS DEPRESSING!
"Bridge to Terabithia" defeys classification as either a children's movie or as an adult movie. Disney had to know that to be the case and chose to market the movie as a lighthearted fantasy journey.
Bottom line, it's really an adult movie being passed off as a kids movie. Notice the PG rating on this one.
I wouldn't take a pre-teen to this movie knowing what I know now.
Regardless, it is an outstanding movie. Jessie and Leslie (Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb) put in exeptional performances for child actors and will do very well in the future.
This movie gets my 4 out of 4 hankie rating!
I have never seen so many very young children crying at a movie. Rather disturbing. The paradox is that this -is- a very very good movie.
My 14 year old could handle it, but I wouldn't take younger kids to see this.
You just saved my 4 year old daughter from trauma. Thank you.
I read this book in school when I was 10(5th grade) but anyone younger would be upset by the ending, I agree.
I remember air raid drills in the 50s.
I was upset!
"You didn't take your kids to BABY, Secret of the Lost Ledgnd when it came out years ago (1985 IIRC).
Evil "soldiers" machine gun the mama dinosaur to death...children were screaming....
Not to mention the gratuitous full frontal nudity of natives, talk about exploitation."
Did you read the book?
I remember air raid drills in the 50s.I was upset!
The '50s? I was doing 'em in the'70s! 'Course, I was living in Germany at the time...
Where in Germany? I have family there.
Bend over, put your head between your knees, and kiss your a*s goodbye. LOL!
Back then it was stop, drop and cover.
They never told us your version! :-O
What is it about?
The saddest movie ever made. I felt really sad for the girl, but anger towards the boy for continually making wrong decision after wrong decision even when told he should do something different by the adults around him.
>>What is it about?
All I can say is don't watch it if you can't take a downward spiral into sorrow. And not melancholy sorrow, but simply abysmal, painful, deep and unforgiving sorrow. It's a war movie about WWII, except children are involved. And lemme just finish by saying children should not watch this movie.
You can read a synopsis at this site.
Hillsdale college's monthly journal has an article with the head of Walden that explains it. Very good insight as to the company's future release plans:
http://www.hillsdale.edu/imprimis/
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