The Giver

About The Giver

The Giver (2014) is an American social science fiction film directed by Phillip Noyce and starring Jeff Bridges, Brenton Thwaites, Odeya Rush, Meryl Streep, Alexander Skarsgard, Katie Holmes, Cameron Monaghan etc. Based on the 1993 novel of the same name by Lois Lowry, in an seemingly utopian society, a young boy named Jonas is selected to learn from an elderly man about the true pain and pleasure of the real world, which their society has chosen to give up long ago.

Making / Production

The Giver was produced by On Screen Entertainment and Walden Media, with a screenplay by Michael Mitnick and Robert B. Weide. Despite the long trajectory of the project, from fictional work to major motion picture, the film successfully encapsulates the essence of Lois Lowry's novel.

Actors

• Jeff Bridges - as The Giver. He played the role with a profound wisdom and a sense of tortured honor.
• Brenton Thwaites - as Jonas. Thwaites' Jonas showed the curiosity, fear, and bravery of a boy charting unknown territories.
• Odeya Rush - as Fiona. Rush played Fiona with a quiet dignity and warmth.
• Meryl Streep - as Chief Elder. Streep's Chief Elder reflected the stern belief in protecting her society from past calamities.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The creator of the book, Lois Lowry, makes a cameo in the film as one of the elders.
• After twenty years of development hell, it took Jeff Bridges who bought the film rights to finally get the movie off the ground.
• This is also the first film role of singer Taylor Swift.

Awards

The Giver was nominated for a People's Choice Award for favorite dramatic movie, and a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Drama.

Quotes

• "Memories are not just about the past. They determine our future."
• "When people have the freedom to choose, they choose wrong, every single time."

Music, Soundtrack

• "Here Today"
• "What's the Use of Wondering"
• "Silent Night"