Director: Phillip Noyce
Writers: Michael Mitnick (screenplay), Robert B. Weide (screenplay)
Stars: Brenton Thwaites, Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep
Release Date: August 15, 2014
In a seemingly perfect community, without war, pain, suffering,
differences or choice, a young boy is chosen to learn from an elderly
man about the true pain and pleasure of the “real” world.
I know I said earlier that The Giver movie would ruin a childhood classic and I must now eat half my hat. It wasn’t horrible, it was actually okay.
Meryl Streep
Her role has been scrutinized as being unnecessary. She was mainly there as a mouth piece to explain events/facts from the book that could not be conveyed on-screen. Since I have read the book countless times I did find her character irrelevant but for a person like my mom who has never read the book it was very helpful and for this I understood her place.
Jonas/Fiona relationship
They beefed up Jonas and Fiona’s “stirings” for each other I get doing that for an audience who grew up with Twilight etc and every movie needs its romance, but I thought it felt stilted on both sides and could have gone without.
Age Difference
Jonas’ age group looks like their 25. Weren’t they suppose to be 12 in the book?
Bicycles become Motorcycles
In the book I pictured the community riding around on 1950s style bikes but the movie presented futuristic ones and just as Jonas and Gabriel are escaping wala it turns into a motorcycle! What happened to a community of sameness ans simplicity. There is also an ET Elliot on the bike moment.
Taylor Swift
I was really nervous about this one as I am not a fan of hers but fortunately she was only in 10 intolerable minutes of the film.
Black, White, and Red
I liked how they integrated color as Jonas learned about each one. It was like the transformation Dorothy takes when she walks through the door into Munchkinland
The Giver
For people who grew up in the 90s there is a lot of pressure on The Giver. I think Jeff Bridges did a good job, but in my mind’s eye I had pictured him more Grandfatherly where as here I thought he came off as the kind uncle
Gabriel
Personal I think he’s the star of the show, his impending release is what sets this all in motion
Overall, I thought it was still a bit of a disappointment although I think it would be hard to match any expectation I may have had.
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