The Giver

Movie Title--  The Giver

Release Year--  2014

Running Time--  1 Hour and 37 Minutes

Director--  Phillip Noyce

Cast--  Brenton Thwaites, Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Alexander Skarsgard, Katie Holmes, Odeya Rush, Cameron Monaghan, Taylor Swift, Emma Tremblay

In a society with no emotions, 16 year old Jonah is chosen to be the Receiver of Memory which holds all the pain, suffering and beauty of the past.

After war, famine and death become a way of life, the remaining members of society decide to have their memories erased and all but one, a person known as the Receiver of Memory, will retain his memories.  He will then be able to advise the Chief Elder in times of need.  Every morning the citizens receive a shot that helps them to main sameness.  They live in a black and white world with no last names.  When the children become 16 years old, they are given job assignments based on their talents.

Year 2048, Jonah (Brenton Thwaites) is anxious about the job he will be assigned to.  He meets his two best friends Asher (Cameron Monaghan) and Fiona (Odeya Rush) one last time before they are given their new jobs.  The next day, they are assembled for the ceremony that is designed to give new babies to their assigned families, recognize the 9 year olds for being halfway to adulthood and give the 16 year olds their job assignments.  

Jonah, after being passed by during the initial ceremony, receives his task which is to become the new Receiver of Memory.  That night Jonah gets his orders to go the next day to the receiver's house to begin to slowly take the memories from The Giver (Jeff Bridges).  After a few visits, Jonah's eyes become open to the beauty and pain that is living and begins to wonder why these memories were taken away.  

The Chief Elder (Meryl Streep) notices through closed circuit images that Jonah has started to act strangely.  She goes to the Giver and informs him that he had better get a handle on his student, then reminds him of his failed student Rosemary (Taylor Swift).  Together the Giver and Jonah, decide that the people need to see the beauty that comes with life, even if they have to witness the pain and Jonah sets out to help the people remember.

I liked this film.  This is one of those films that I consider visually beautiful.  It starts completely in black and white and slowly begins introducing color; it begins with just a slight hint of color in Fiona's hair and the color actually becomes it's own character as the film develops.

There are several montage scenes that involved images from the present day and it really stirs the viewer to feel for a humanity that can not handle the effects of living with pain and suffering in order to see the remarkable and beautiful moments that accompany them.  I will say that I didn't really like the love story.  It felt to me like it was jammed into an already full film.  The cast is great and it is good to see the younger cast members getting experience by acting with the talents of Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep.

This is one of those teen dystopian films that takes a turn from the idea of winning by starting a spark and instead encourages the viewer to open their minds.  Watch this one with an open mind and Don't Forget the Popcorn!