‘The Giver’ Takes Too Much From Young Adult Formula

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CHICAGO – “The Giver” must have seemed a lot newer back when it was written than it does now. The Newberry Medal winning, middle school staple predates many other Young Adult series about oppressive big brother-ish societies. But its filmed adaptation, coming on the heels of “Divergent” and “The Hunger Games,” can’t help but feel like it’s riding their coattails.

The film follows a teenager named Jonas (Brendon Thwaites) in a seemingly perfect, peaceful society. The ruling elders have eliminated all war, pain, arguments and conflict – and wiped out free will, choice, art and emotions along with it. Children are assigned which families they will live with, then when they grow up to maturity they are assigned roles within the society, while old people are released to a magical retirement home known as “elsewhere.” However, Jonas is chosen to become the new receiver of memories, and learn from the current office holder (Jeff Bridges).

Bridges holds court in a multi-level library in a home on the edge of society looking out over a ledge into a misty realm. Sounding a bit like a cross between Marlon Brando in “The Godfather” and Foghorn Leghorn, Bridges teaches the young prodigy about the awful past so he can advise future leaders to learn from those mistakes.

Brenton Thwaites, Odeya Rush
Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) and Fiona (Odeya Rush) in ‘The Giver’
Photo credit: The Weinstein Company

This – for reasons known only to the author and director Phillip Noyce – requires Bridges and Thwaites to go through some acting gymnastics trying to make pensive hand clasping look interesting. And those memories of the past come off more pedestrian than profound. We are asked to find a deep meaning in the sight of Jonas sledding down a hill, or attending a raucous family wedding. We darn well better enjoy scenes like that because that – and one solitary punch between friends – is about all the action we’ll get in the entire movie.

As he learns more about the past, Jonas slowly begins to question the logic of the ruling elders and the only life he has ever known. Before long he hatches a plan with Bridges to bring emotions and those memories of past back to their civilization and bring down oppressive rulers.

“The Giver” bears many of the same flaws of other novels in the Young Adult genre. It lacks a subtlety and sophistication of other works, and requires an almost superhuman suspension of disbelief at times. To illustrate its points, the screenplay often simply has a character illustrate his points in the clunkiest way possible. But Bridges – who fought for years to bring the story to the screen – brings both humor and emotion to lines other actors might have had a tough time saying with a straight face. Meanwhile, Meryl Streep, as the ruling elder. turns her icy glares up to 11 while trying to stamp out any trace of dissent, emotion or individuality.

When “The Giver” works, it’s largely because of the cast, which also includes Odeya Rush, Cameron Monaghan, Alexander Skarsgard, Katie Holmes, and Taylor Swift. They are mostly talented actors who sell the hell out of their lines and try to tap into the emotions underneath their sometimes clumsy exposition. They seem to understand why the book is so beloved, but director Phillip Noyce most certainly does not.

Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges is the Title Character in ‘The Giver’
Photo credit: The Weinstein Company

Noyce’s direction comes off as desperately lost and hacky. Time and time again he goes for the most obvious visual imaginable. He films the early scenes in a pale gray black and white to illustrate the dull, colorless world the ruling elders have created. Other time he seems to just be grasping at straws hoping that a herky-jerky camera style and other corny visual tricks will get some kind of point across.

He also relies far too much on stock footage to illustrate actual emotions that start rushing back to Jonas as he gets deeper into his training. As Luc Besson showed in “Lucy,” that when used with wit and flare, some stock footage can be an effective tool – but Noyce goes to the well ten times too often. It becomes not a tool, but a crutch, something to pull out of the vault to do his job for him. It’s the movie equivalent of clipart and just as ineffective.

“The Giver” opens everywhere on August 15th. Featuring Brenton Thwaites, Oyeda Rush, Meryl Streep, Jeff Bridges, Alexander Skarsgard, Kaite Holmes and Taylor Swift. Screenplay adapted by Michael Mitnick and Robert B. Weide, from the novel by Lois Lowry. Directed by Phillip Noyce. Rated “PG-13”

HollywoodChicago.com contributor Spike Walters

By SPIKE WALTERS
Contributor
HollywoodChicago.com
spike@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2014 Spike Walters, HollywoodChicago.com

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