It seems as if most YA adaptations are the same: an ordinary teenager becomes the unlikely savior of a dystopian/futuristic society where values have been inverted, and at first glance The Giver is no different. Based on the 1993 novel by Lois Lowry, the story is set in a society that has renounced all traces of humanity in order to achieve perfection. Here we meet Jonas (Brenton Thwaites), a 16-year-old who is given the task of becoming Receiver of Memories, a job which will have him be the sole carrier of all the memories the Elders have chosen to eradicate. This knowledge is transmitted to him by the Giver (Jeff Bridges) a stoic man, who despite his important position appears to be more self aware than the rest.
Directed by Phillip Noyce (from a screenplay by Robert B. Weide and Michael Mitnick), The Giver excels at creating a world unlike most we see in modern science fiction, while there are parallels to similar films and series, the world we see here feels slightly more wondrous. Perhaps it’s the gorgeous, streamlined architecture or the overall cleanliness observed in the city, but it seems as if every thing in this world is “real”, in a way not every science fiction movie can achieve. It’s also interesting how Noyce makes stock characters (“the mom” played by Katie Holmes, “the father” played by Alexander Skarsgård) feel like essential parts of the plot, as opposed to being pawns meant to advance the hero’s story, and this is precisely why The Giver succeeds, it’s YA for grown ups.
From Bridges’ magnetic performance which suggests he’s indeed the wisest man in the world, to Meryl Streep’s masterful part as the Chief Elder (how she makes “villains” so compelling is pure magic) and even the serene lack of self-awareness from Holmes, this is the rare YA film where the adults are much more intriguing than the kids. Newcomers Thwaites and Odeya Rush, who plays his love interest, are good and it helps that they look a bit like Andrew Garfield and Chloe Grace Moretz, respectively, which makes them serviceable if not particularly memorable.
The visuals are also fascinating, given that the film borrows a theme from the book which makes the emotionless world, look black and white, and gives the Memories actual color. It’s a technique that has worked before in films like Stalker and The Wizard of Oz, which happens to seem refreshing in a YA movie. If the ideas in the film are somehow undeveloped (remind us again, why are emotions that beneficial when passions can bring violence and cruelty?) it’s certainly not because the actors aren’t putting their best work onscreen. If anything, The Giver should be a reminder that there are few things as revolutionary as great acting.
