Bridge to Terabithia (1985 film)
Encyclopedia
Bridge to Terabithia was the name of a telefilm shot in Edmonton
, Alberta
for PBS
in 1985, starring Annette O'Toole
, Julian Coutts, and Julie Beaulieu. The film is based on the children's novel of the same name by Katherine Paterson
.
The story was based on the death of Lisa Hill, the best friend of Katherine Paterson's son David L. Paterson
, who was struck and killed by lightning when she was eight years old.
In a 2007 interview, David L. Paterson, who later co-wrote the 2007 movie version, referred to this version as being "like the crazy cousin that nobody talks about" and goes on to say that "no one on our side was either involved with it or happy with the final product."
on the people that give them a hard time at school.
Their teacher, Ms. Edmunds (Annette O'Toole
), notices Jess's artistic skills and decides to take him on a field trip to an art museum. Jess has an unspoken crush on the teacher and does not want to share the trip with Leslie, so he goes to the museum without inviting her.
When Jess returns home, his family is worried sick, as Jess neglected to tell them where he was going, then tells him the horrific news: Leslie died after trying to cross the fallen tree over a rain-swollen creek, only to fall into the creek and drown; though she was a good swimmer the current was too strong for her. Jess at first denies after reciting his infamous line "You lie!" to his family, but grieves for his lost friend, and he and his parents visit Leslie's parents together.
Jess feels overwhelming guilt for Leslie's death, thinking that it would not have happened had he invited Leslie along on his trip with Ms. Edmunds. He is consoled by his father that their intense friendship should be kept alive for her sake. Later, after crossing the creek, he hears a girl's voice calling for help and finds his little sister May Belle on the fallen tree trunk, frozen with terror after trying to follow him across. He rescues her and then invites his sister to be the new princess, who is delighted after being previously denied every opportunity to enter Terabithia. She and Jess bring back Terabithia in even greater splendor; Jess the king and his sister the new princess, and they rule over the free peoples of the kingdom together forever.
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
for PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
in 1985, starring Annette O'Toole
Annette O'Toole
Annette O'Toole is an American actress, dancer, and singer-songwriter. She is most recently known for portraying Martha Kent, the mother of Clark Kent on the television series Smallville.-Early life and career:...
, Julian Coutts, and Julie Beaulieu. The film is based on the children's novel of the same name by Katherine Paterson
Katherine Paterson
Katherine Paterson is an American author of children's novels. She wrote Bridge to Terabithia and has received several of the major international awards for children's literature.- Early life:...
.
The story was based on the death of Lisa Hill, the best friend of Katherine Paterson's son David L. Paterson
David L. Paterson
David Lord Paterson is an American screenwriter, actor and producer.When Paterson was a boy, his best friend, an eight-year-old girl named Lisa Hill, was struck by lightning and killed. His mother, author Katherine Paterson, used this real-life experience as the basis for her children's novel...
, who was struck and killed by lightning when she was eight years old.
In a 2007 interview, David L. Paterson, who later co-wrote the 2007 movie version, referred to this version as being "like the crazy cousin that nobody talks about" and goes on to say that "no one on our side was either involved with it or happy with the final product."
Plot summary
Ten-year-old Jess Aarons (Julian Coutts) is an aspiring yet shy elementary school boy living in a financially-struggling family. Ten-year-old Leslie Burke (Julie Beaulieu) is the new girl at Jess's school, just arriving on the school's athletics day. She enters a running event which she wins with ease, despite her classmates calling it a "boys only" race. Jess is, at first, quite sour about this and wants nothing to do with Leslie, but Leslie's persistence in meeting him soon pays off, with the two becoming friends. Jess shares his secret love of drawing with Leslie; Leslie shares with Jess her love of fantasy stories. Together they venture into the woods, where they go across a creek on the trunk of a partially fallen tree, and later build a "castle" (actually a small shed) on the other side. Here, the two friends invent a whole new world—Terabithia—and it comes to life through their eyes, which they explore together. Jess and Leslie base the Creatures of TerabithiaCreatures of Terabithia
Terabithia is a magical land from Katherine Paterson's Newbery Medal winning novel Bridge to Terabithia. The land has many magical creatures living inside the kingdom, ranging from soldiers, fairies and giants - but all are only the products of Leslie Burke and Jesse Aarons's imaginations.In the...
on the people that give them a hard time at school.
Their teacher, Ms. Edmunds (Annette O'Toole
Annette O'Toole
Annette O'Toole is an American actress, dancer, and singer-songwriter. She is most recently known for portraying Martha Kent, the mother of Clark Kent on the television series Smallville.-Early life and career:...
), notices Jess's artistic skills and decides to take him on a field trip to an art museum. Jess has an unspoken crush on the teacher and does not want to share the trip with Leslie, so he goes to the museum without inviting her.
When Jess returns home, his family is worried sick, as Jess neglected to tell them where he was going, then tells him the horrific news: Leslie died after trying to cross the fallen tree over a rain-swollen creek, only to fall into the creek and drown; though she was a good swimmer the current was too strong for her. Jess at first denies after reciting his infamous line "You lie!" to his family, but grieves for his lost friend, and he and his parents visit Leslie's parents together.
Jess feels overwhelming guilt for Leslie's death, thinking that it would not have happened had he invited Leslie along on his trip with Ms. Edmunds. He is consoled by his father that their intense friendship should be kept alive for her sake. Later, after crossing the creek, he hears a girl's voice calling for help and finds his little sister May Belle on the fallen tree trunk, frozen with terror after trying to follow him across. He rescues her and then invites his sister to be the new princess, who is delighted after being previously denied every opportunity to enter Terabithia. She and Jess bring back Terabithia in even greater splendor; Jess the king and his sister the new princess, and they rule over the free peoples of the kingdom together forever.
Cast
- Julian Coutts as Jesse Oliver Aarons, Jr.
- Julie Beaulieu as Leslie Burke
- Annette O'TooleAnnette O'TooleAnnette O'Toole is an American actress, dancer, and singer-songwriter. She is most recently known for portraying Martha Kent, the mother of Clark Kent on the television series Smallville.-Early life and career:...
as Miss Edmunds - Gloria Carlin as Mrs. Nancy Aarons
- Tom Heaton as Mr. Jesse Oliver Aarons, Sr.
- Peter DvorskyPeter DvorskýPeter Dvorský is a Slovak operatic tenor. Possessing a lyrical voice with a soft, elastic tone, and warm and melodious timbre, Dvorský's repertoire concentrates on roles from the Italian and Slavic repertories....
as Mr. Bill Burke - Darlene Bradley as Mrs. Judy Burke
- Sharon Holownia as Brenda Aarons
- Jennifer Matichuk as Maybelle Aarons
- Tyler Popp as Gary Fulcher
- Bridget Ryan as Janice Avery