After nearly two decades of worldwide popularity, Lois Lowry’s young adult dystopian novel “The Giver” has finally received a big-screen adaptation. Since its publication in 1993, the book’s dedicated fanbase has contested any transition off the page. Members of the novel’s original audience, then, may take issue to significant plot and character alterations — though the finished product works fine as a standalone film.
The film version of “The Giver” finds leads Jonas (played by Brenton Thwaites) and Fiona (Odeya Rush) upgraded from 12-years-old to 16. As is the case with most young adult books shifted onscreen, this decision was probably made to foster a silver-screen romance. Regardless of plot, a love story becomes integrated into a Hollywood retelling.
Artistically speaking, however, the movie hits all the right spots. Since the society Jonas and Fiona live in is black-and-white, the film’s first 20 minutes match this color palette. Scenes are shot in ways which deepen the film's artistry. The transition from black and white to color makes sense in “The Giver;” color only starts to appear after Jonas receives memories of color from the omnipotent Giver. Ardent fans of the book’s universe could argue the entire movie should have been filmed in black and white — but given the movie’s younger audience, this may not have translated well.
In addition to Jeff Bridges’ performance as the Giver, the film features Meryl Streep as the stern but charismatic Chief Elder. Neither veteran actor fills an Oscar-worthy role, but their star power underscores the film’s reliance on unknown talent for major roles and a reorganized plot structure.
Though certainly not comparable to its source material, “The Giver” does no harm as a late summer family film, and it is still worth the experience for any reader of the beloved classic.
