This adaptation of the children’s novel by Katherine Paterson follows two young friends who create a fantasy world in a forest as a way to escape from the bullies and chores of real life. For the most part, it’s a joy to be able to escape with them. The scenes of Jess (Josh Hutcherson) and Leslie (Annasophia Robb) building their fort in a fervor of creativity are the whimsical heart of the film. The pair must ride a rope swing across a creek to get to their private woods, and director Gabor Csupo wisely pauses to fully immerse us in the freedom they feel while flying through the air.
