Bridge to Terabithia (Widescreen Edition)
The 14-minute featurette "Behind the Book: The Themes ofBridge to Terabithia" discusses such topics as friendship and family as presented in both the book and the movie through interviews with the young lead actors, the book's author, Katherine Paterson, and several librarians and school teachers. Paterson and her son, producer-screenwriter David Paterson, also recall how an actual incident in David's life inspired the book. A six-minute visual-effects featurette looks at the film's creatures from sketch to computer design to screen, including how the features of the school kids helped shape the creatures. Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb, "chaperoned" by producer Lauren Levine, recount their experiences on one commentary track, while the second, by director Gabor Csupo, writer Jeff Stockwell, and producer Hal Lieberman, is drier but informative. Topics covered include praise for young Bailee Madison, how Zooey Deschanel wouldn't have been considered a predator back in the '70s, and the somewhat-controversial marketing campaign that focused heavily on the film's fantasy elements. Also included is Robb's music video for "Keep Your Eyes Wide Open."--David Horiuchi