James Berardinelli of ReelViews called "Bridge to Terabithia" "easily the best family feature of the early year". Ann Hornaday of "The Washington Post" praised the script. She said it was "utterly recognizable and authentic", and thought Robb and Hutcherson were "perfectly cast". Hornaday said the final five minutes showed "oversweet sentiment." Viewers would remember the film's "warmth and respect with which it pays homage [respect] to first love," she added. Jessica Grose of "The Village Voice" praised director Csupó for not showing "cutesy tween [neither a child, nor a teenager] stereotypes." She felt Jess' relationship with his father made "Bridge to Terabithia" from "a good kids movie to a classic contender". "The New York Times" Jeannette Catsoulis believed that the fantasy was kept in the background "to find magic in the everyday", and thought Csupó directed "like someone intimate with the pain of being different, allowing each personality more than a single characteristic". She particularly praised Deschanel and Madison. Catsoulis said the movie handled adult topics with "with nuance [cleverly] and sensitivity". Since it was smart and "delicate as a spider web", it was the kind of children's movie "rarely seen nowadays". Miriam di Nunzio of the "Chicago Sun-Times" praised Hutcherson and Robb's performances. "[T]he film's heart and soul rests on the abilities of its young lead characters to make us really see the world through children's eyes. The dynamic duo of Hutcherson and Robb do not disappoint," she noted.