The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Friday, February 23, 2007 - 5 Admit it: "Bridge to Terabithia" made you cry when you first read it. A 'Bridge to film from fantasy lit Museum of the future ART HISTORIAN DESCRIBES NEW IMAGE By MICHELE YANKSON For the Daily Perhaps the second most common question about the University of Michigan Museum of Art's expansion - other than "When will it finally be fin- ished?" - is simply "What will Reimagining it look like?" Vishakha Desai, art histo- the Museum rian and president and CEO L of the Asia Society, attempted ast Sunday to address this question in the At Rackham seven-week "Reimagining the Museum" series's concluding lecture last Sunday at the Rackham Amphithe- atre. Desai's Asia Society is an international edu- cational organization dedicated to strengthening connections between the people of Asia and the United States. Desai, a University alum, began her lecture with a simple qualm: "I'm somewhat nervous," she quipped in a youthful voice. "It's not typical for an art historian not to have slides, or a Power- Point, or something as a visual aid." Her fears proved unwarranted, as her lecture could have captivated even the most avid avoid- ers of museums. Desai refrained from discourse based solely on art or art history, instead asking Hold those tears. The University Museum of Art will be back on its (renovated) feet in no time. By KAI QIN Daily Arts Writer With a trailer featuring comput- er-generated giants and swarms of insect-like war- riors, Disney is far too eager to pawn * "Bridge to Tera- bithia" off as a Bridge t0 standard "Chron- icles of Narnia" replica. With the At Quality16 current popular- ity of children's and Showcase fantasy flicks, you Disney can hardly blame them. "Bridge," however, adapted from Katherine Paterson's award-winning novel, better captures the joys and pains of childhood than other CGI kids' fare. The story follows Jess Aarons (Josh Hutcherson, "Zathura"), a boy tormented hy hollies at school and financial woes at home. He wears hand-me-downs from his older sis- ters, coloring over their old pink sneakers with a black marker. His greatest passion is drawing in his notebook, and he takes any oppor- tunity to drift away from his bleak reality into the refuge of his imagi- nation. When a tomboy named Leslie Burke (Annasophia Robb, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory") moves innextdoor,the two quicklybecome friends and eventually create their own magical kingdom, Terabithia, in the woods where they happily reign together as king and queen. But their togetherness won't last forever - heartbreak's in store. Rather than concerning itself with the imaginary Terabithia and its mythology, "Bridge" focuses on the dynamic between its two young leads. Jess, bogged down by his family's hardships and his father's expectations, is constantly depressed, and Leslie's eccentricity makes her an easy target at school. But these two aren't just friends - they're soulmates. Together they thrive with a charming vivacity nicely captured by director Gabor Csupo (one half of the Klasky-Csupo production team behind such Nick- elodeon favorites as "Rugrats" and "Aaahh! Real Monsters"). Classic kids' novel receives pale update. Unfortunately, the film's great- est strength - Terabithia itself - is also its downfall. In the novel, Katherine Paterson uses Terabithia not only as an enchanting alterna- tive reality, but also as an extend- ed allegory that gives insight into the book's real-life developments. Like recent hit "Pan's Labyrinth," "Bridge" should have taken a more fantasy-heavy route. In failing to develop Terabithia, Csupo aban- dons a critical aspect of the book, stripping away the fantasy of the story and turning it into a familiar rehash of 1991's "My Girl" - strong drama, but little escapism. the audience, in a tone of undaunted optimism, to imagine the art museum inthe year 2050 in order to investigate how current social, political and economic factors would assist an understanding of what shape the institution might take. "By the year 2050, America will no longer be the sole superpower," Desai said. "What that means is that America will have to share the idea of the sole-superpower status with other coun- tries - other cultures." Since UMMA is scheduled to reopen in early 2009, a flash-forward to the year 2050 is a bit of a stretch for the University's purposes, but Desai maintained that "we can only think of where we will be if we think of where we've been." The histories of the museum and nation are, according to Desai, undeniably intertwined. She vividly recounted the journey of the art museum, one that has included presenting colonial legacy, instilling and restoring national civic pride and displaying the triumphs of a civilized nation. "Museums have a solidity with the past," she explained. "As institutions they are products of their time." Desai hopes to inspire a vision in which art museums can more than ever represent the world of which they are a part. She suggested using various elements of pop culture to make museums more appealing to an often-apathetic younger generation. "You might have one room in which there is a single object that kids voted on," she said. An art museum "American Idol" of sorts Although it may seem outlandish, muse- ums are beginning to reflect these nuances of American culture. Desai cited the San Francisco Museum of Art: "One of the biggest discussions (in designing the building) was how to fit cor- porate functions for 300 or more," she said. Indeed, if museums are products of their time, the UMMA will be grandiose, intricate and awe-inspiring - but it will also be, accord- ing to Desai, "a space that competes for leisure activity - museums are competing against football games, or theatres or plays." The crux of Desai's lecture was her insistence on bolster- ing museums' status as recreational endeavors. She argued for diminishing their connotation of antiquation and making them "stand separate from the current 'virtual' reality" she believes characterizes American culture. For the Univer- sity, that means making it not such an absurdity to see students spendingtheir football Saturdays at the UMMA. The "Reimaginers" have their work cut outfor them. But as Desai said, in reference to a Chi nese proverb: "Every challenge has possibility for opportunity." An evening of pure folk tonight at The Ark By JACKIE BLADZIK For the Daily With live concerts, either the musician makes the venue or the venue makes the Richie musician, but Haens there's always a significant rela- Tonight at tionship between 8p.m. the two. The Ark, a bed- $27.50/$32.50 rock Ann Arbor At the Ark venue known for its intimate folk, blues and bluegrass shows, will go full-circle this Friday. Singer-song- writer, acoustic guitar player and folk-legend Richie Havens will per- form his soulful repertoire tonight at 8 p.m. Havens got his first taste of fame when he opened for the 1969 Wood- stock festival. Since then, he has performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival and the 1993 inauguration of President Clinton, has released more than 25 albums, was the voice of McDonald's and Budweiser and even earned small roles in movies like "Free Tibet" and "Perfect Har- mony." It's amazing any artist with such a demanding schedule has the time to tour the country and per- form - let alone at the ripe old age of 60. Performingis obviously still a top priority in Haven's life. He began by singing in gospel groups at 14 and refined his talents in the early '60s when he lived in Greenwich Village. Thatbackground isreadily apparent in his music. Havens has a soulful, dark voice with lyrics celebrating freedom and unity. Not to men- tion that he's also a guitar player extraordinaire, known for opening every performance with an on-the- fly instrumental intro in open D. This makes The Ark, a staple of the modern folk circuit, a per- fect venue for Havens. It will be refreshing to have Havens perform Folk star Richie Havens returns to Ann Arbor. at a place built on the foundation of musical entertainment and, more important, the celebration of folk: music. T-" Gain real world experience at at Midin tfila FRESHMEN!. SUMMER SOPHOMORES!. 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