The Giver is the latest entry in a series of young adult book-to-film adaptations. The original 1993 book has a good reputation and it’s clear that later titles like Divergent have borrowed elements of its story. Yet even if the tale were fresh and new, this production is an awkward and clumsy attempt. One can’t help but think that the movie does an injustice to its source material.
In the future, “The Ruin” has presumably finished off the world as we know it. Survivors live in a uniform society in a city raised into the sky and surrounded by mist. There, everyone takes a daily injection to rid themselves of all emotion. It’s so conformist that all color has been drained from the land and is depicted using black and white imagery. Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) is a young man awaiting his “adult” job assignment. But unlike the others who follow the directions of the Chief Elder (Meryl Streep), our protagonist feels different. His friends sense it and authorities do too, awarding him with the position of “Memory Keeper”.
This means he gets to live in a library and learn about world history (which no one seems to have any knowledge of) in order to eventually advise the Elders. He’s trained by The Giver (Jeff Bridges), who uses a strange form of telepathy (involving color stock footage of various sights and world events) to show his protege both the good and bad side of human nature. Much to the consternation of the Chief Elder, Jonas soon becomes overwhelmed with emotion and begins to wonder if the world be a better place if the public could think and feel as they once did.
Anytime in a film when a new world is introduced with hard rules that all must follow, it’s a tricky sell. And this movie ultimately can’t pull it off. It’s already difficult to establish drama and empathy when most of the young cast must act in a flat, monotone manner. And there isn’t much history or context in this adaptation as to why things are set up the way that they are (with little more than a comment from the Chief that emotions lead to hate and bad decisions).
Of course, there are numerous instances in which the outlawed emotions appear to bubble to the surface, which leads to other sorts of questions. How can one have the ability to properly communicate verbally what they’re feeling when it is their first time experiencing it? Why does a conformist character who tells Jonas that he is breaking the rules seem to be breaking the rules himself to do so? This may seem a bit nit-picky, but these logic issues pop up time and time again.
And there are more problems than with just the concept. Perhaps the most notable one comes when the protagonist learns of a way to bring back memories and emotion to the public by crossing a special barrier around the city. It makes little to no logical sense and the film doesn’t bother to explain it in a coherent manner. Things get increasingly absurd towards the climax, in which Jonas attempts to break free from conformity with a baby and incubator in tow. It’s becomes a lengthy series of action scenes and the two go through so many physical hardships that it comes across as rather absurd and snicker-inducing.
The black and white photography is interesting and the film is quickly paced. But even the rapid rhythm doesn’t work in its favor. It’s full of plot holes that render it confusing and impossible to enjoy as intended. Especially, one would assume, for someone who has not read the source material. Perhaps it was clear on the written page, but the film adaptation of The Giver is a silly effort that takes itself too seriously and is riddled with inconsistencies.