Loner ten-year-old Jess Aarons and new neighbor Leslie Burke become best friends, creating together an imaginary land across a creek behind their houses, where they can escape rejection at school and, for Jess at least, invisibility at home.
Leslie joins Jess's family one day at church, and a lively children's conversation about just what happens to people who do not believe in Jesus provides excellent material for discussion. When tragedy later strikes in the movie, themes of God's love and vengeance arise again in a real way.
The film is rated PG and is suitable for adults or youth or an intergenerational setting. The study assumes participants have seen the film. Three scenes from the film are described, and discussion questions are provided. The Leader's Guide has suggestions for leading those discussions.