Leslie and Jess create the secret kingdom of Terabithia, a land of monsters, trolls, ogres and giants where they spend their free time ruling as king and queen and fighting evil creatures.
Growing up in the redneck country isn't easy for shy Jess Aarons, with a father struggling to make ends meet and two arrogant bigger sisters. In class he bonds with cheeky newcomer Leslie Burke, whose writer parents moved into the neighboring house, despite her taking his only local prestige by beating him in a school race. Having wandered off into the woods after school, they invent a fantasy land called Terabithia, where they can be the superheroes of imaginary feral races. Together they also stand up against bullies, but then tragedy strikes, and Jess must adjust again.—KGF Vissers
With their creativity and imagination, two young kids, a female and a male, create a fantasy world near their homes that is filled with all types of creatures. Along the way, an accident happens that completely changes the outlook of the imaginary world and everyone.—RECB3
A little imagination can sometimes go a long way. The story of young and artistically talented Jess Aarons, who is sharing concerns and money problems with his family. He's having trouble at school with the bullies and a bully like troll who charges the kids a dollar to go and pee. He is fighting for the attention of his father against his baby sister. Life for him isn't looking up until the adventurous, imaginative and non-conformist Leslie Burke arrives in town. Together they form a bond and Jess' life shall never be the same again. Adventures and amazement in other worlds center around these two kindred spirits, and for once, life for Jess isn't so bad after all.—Cinema_Fan
Jess Aarons comes from a poor farm family with four annoying sisters, and he finds no haven at school where he's teased by everyone. The only thing he has is running; after training all summer for the big race on the school athletic day, he and every other boy racing are beat by newcomer Leslie Burke. Like him, she is teased by her schoolmates, but unlike him she doesn't let it bother her. After a rocky start, they find common ground and together create the imaginary world of Terabithia as a haven from their struggles at school and home. Leslie teaches Jess to open his mind to every possibility and leave reality behind. But, after a tragedy occurs, he must trust in what she has taught him to help overcome the horrors that reality can bring.—O.G.
Jesse Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) is a fifth-grade aspiring artist living with his financially-struggling family in Lark Creek, Virginia. He rides the bus to school with his little sister May Belle (Bailee Madison), where he avoids the school bully, Janice Avery (Lauren Clinton). In class, Jesse is teased by classmates Scott Hoager (Cameron Wakefield) and Gary Fulcher (Elliot Lawless) and meets a new student his age by the name Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb). At recess, Jesse enters a running event, for which he had been training at home. Leslie also enters and manages to beat all the boys, much to Jesse's irritation. On the way home, Jesse and Leslie learn that they are next-door neighbors.
Later in the evening, Jesse becomes frustrated when he finds that May Belle drew in his notebook, but his mom who favors her daughters and his strict father (Robert Patrick) sides with her. He later watches them gardening together, disappointed that his father never spends time with him. The next day at school, Leslie compliments Jesse's drawing ability after seeing his notebook, and they soon become best friends. After school they venture into the woods and swing across a creek on a rope. Jesse and Leslie find an abandoned tree house and a broken-down truck on the other side, and invent a new world, which Leslie names "Terabithia". The fantasy world, which is a reflection on their lives, comes to life through their eyes as they explore the surroundings. For the next few days, Jesse and Leslie spend their free time in the tree house getting to know each other.
Leslie gives Jesse an art kit for his birthday, much to his delight. Later, he gives her a puppy, whom she decides to name Prince Terrien (P.T. for short). Once in Terabithia, they fight with various creatures, including a troll resembling Janice. In one particular scene, Leslie walks onto a log and shouts "We rule Terabithia, and nothing crushes us!" At school, May Belle shows her friend Alexandra what she got in her snack, which are Twinkies. Jesse tells her that she should not brag about the Twinkies. At recess, May Belle screams towards Jesse and Leslie saying that Janice stole her Twinkies. Afterwards, Janice puts a fee on entering the bathroom.
Leslie becomes frustrated by her fee and she and Jesse play a prank on Janice. Once Leslie's parents finish writing their book, she and Jesse help paint their house. Jesse is impressed by her parents' happiness, and smiles as he watches their family. At school on Friday, Leslie hears Janice Avery crying in the bathroom. After Leslie talks with her, she discovers that the reason why Janice is a bully is that she is abused by her father, and they become friends. Jesse and Leslie take P.T. to Terabithia, where they fight off several creatures resembling students at their school. They decide to go home when it starts raining and the creek gets higher than ever, and Jesse realizes that he has fallen in love with Leslie as she runs back to her house.
The next morning, Ms. Edmunds (Zooey Deschanel), Jesse's music teacher, calls to invite him on a one-on-one field trip to an art museum. Jesse tries to ask his mother's permission; however, she is half-asleep and he takes her mumbling as approval. Jesse does not ask Leslie to accompany him, and merely looks at her house as they drive by. When he returns home, Jesse finds that his father and mother are worried sick because they did not know where he was. His father tells him that Leslie drowned in the creek after falling in (possibly due to head injury) because the rope broke in the same morning when Jesse went to the museum. Jesse is heartbroken and says he doesn't believe that Leslie drowned.
The following day, Jesse and his parents visit the Burke family home to pay their respects. Leslie's father, Bill Burke (Latham Gaines), tells Jesse that she loved him, and thanks him for being a very good friend to her, since she had trouble making friends at her old school. Jesse feels overwhelming guilt for Leslie's death because he didn't invite her to the museum trip and for not being there for her. He runs back into the forest and breaks down in tears. His father tells him that it's not his fault and says, "She brought you something special when she came here, didn't she? That's what you hold on to. That's how you keep her alive".
Jesse decides to re-imagine Terabithia and builds a bridge with a sign saying "Nothing Crushes Us" across the creek to welcome a new ruler. He invites his sister May Belle to enter Terabithia; she is delighted because she was previously denied every opportunity to enter. She and Jesse bring back Terabithia in even greater splendor, with Jesse as king and his sister as princess.
