Before my kids were born, I was quite content working at movie theaters. Sure, the money sucked, but I truly and honestly loved my job. Think about it: surrounded by popcorn, soda candy and nachos; all the free movies you want; you don’t have to get to work until 10:30 am at the very earliest. But of course with kids comes more responsibility and the need for more income than even a theater manager can earn so I was forced to find new work and have paid the price — I rarely see new movies anymore.

This weekend I was granted the opportunity to actually get out and see one for a change. It was just the kids and I — an 11 year-old and twin 9 year-olds — so I had to take caution not to drag them in to see The Number 23 or Zodiac. While it’s true that two of the three like horror movies, I didn’t want to bore or frighten the third one. Unfortunately were still a few weeks out of summer movie season (which appears to be earlier and earlier every year) so our choices were limited to Ghost Rider (which I have absolutely not interest in seeing) and Bridge to Terabithia. I was thankfully able to convince the kids to see the latter. But before I give you my critique, you need a bit more background.

I’m just like any other guy. I don’t cry in movies. Mostly that is, quite honestly, because there is so little worth crying over. Sure, I’m touched by various scenes in one way or another, but I’m very rarely moved to tears. The wife and I have a long-standing joke about this, though: I have been known to let a few tears shed in a couple of movies. My worst moments are Skye McCole Bartusiak’s heart-wrenching delivery of the word “Papa!” in The Patriot and, god help me, Anna Chlumsky’s tearful pleading in My Girl. I do not possess the writing skills required to express the emotions and what blubbering ensues when I watch those two scenes. I’m man enough to admit it — even I have been known to cry in a movie.

Back to present-day, more specifically yesterday, and an engagement with Gabor Csupo’s Bridge to Terabithia and refreshingly great performances by Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb and a wee-one by the name of Bailee Madison. Because I’m not one to ruin movies for anyone (within reason; if you don’t know Darth Vader is Luke’s father you have no one to blame but yourself) I will not give away what scenes effectively turned me into the Falls of St. Anthony, but I have never cried in a movie like that before. Ever.

Needless to say, this movie is fantastic. While I was expecting to see a movie like Chronicles of Narnia-light, this movie is actually much, much more. It’s not the epic fantasy flick with overblown CG scenes that are meant to get off the ILM Geek Squad en masse, but more of a story about big brothers, little sisters, being outsiders with wonderful imaginations and, most importantly, best friends. It truly struck a chord with me and I was so moved that I’m actually admitting to the world that I was bawling like a baby in a public movie theater.

Make it a point to see this one. Trust me.