So I took the kids to see "Bridge to Terabithia..."

[NNadir]

I thought it was going to be some kind of fantasy adventure movie or something.

I didn't expect to see a grown up movie about grief and struggle and cruelty and poverty.

[MountainLaurel]

1. The trailers were VERY misleading

Out of curiosity, did you check out any reviews before you went? Or looked up the plotline on IMDB?

[LizW]

2. Sad, sad book, too

I read it before my kids did because I was tipped by another parent that it was very, very sad. And it was. I cried.

[MassLiberal]

3. it's my daughter's all-time favorite book

so we knew about it before we went. The trailers were very unfairly misrepresentative.

[liontamer]

4. sorry you had a bad experience. I always hated that book.

if it's any consolation, the author wrote that book to help children deal with death (Author's child had a friend die suddenly), so it's at least age appropriate (i think i was 9 when I read it)

[NNadir]

5. I'd never heard of it.

It really bothered me. I thought it was well done, all the actresses and actors were great but man, it hurt.

[liontamer]

12. i'm not surprised you hadn't

i think it was written when I was a kid.

[Shine]

7. I read an article about the author after I'd seen the movie

apparently the kid who died in real life was actually struck by lightening. Wow, what a way to go. It's interesting that they changed it to a drowning in the movie.

[liontamer]

11. edited to remove spoilers from heading

it's not lightning in the book either. i think she breaks her neck when the rope snaps then drowns. I always thought it had kind of a messed up message as in "if you develop sexual feelings and act on them in any way no matter how innocent, your friends will die"

[Shine]

6. Yeah, it was a real tear jerker, wasn't it?

It took us by surprise, too.

[tigereye]

8. this book is very popular reading at my son's school

I'll have to check it out before he gets to that class...

[HuffleClaw]

9. VERY badly marketed from what i could tell **spoilers**

but what studio is gonna say, 'hey, bring the kids to watch some girl drown!'

i am looking forward to seeing how true to the book it is.

[Spacemom]

10. Thanks for the heads up

I was thinking of taking my boys to see that one. Now I think that may be one that I just take the older one to. (He's 11)

[NNadir]

13. My oldest, like yours is 11, my youngest 8.

They didn't seem as upset by the movie as their parents.

[youthere]

14. I really liked that book when I was a kid,

and I was not planning on going to the movie (from the trailers it looked as though they destroyed the major themes). I'm glad to hear they stayed true to the book. I may go see it now.