The Giver

Author(s): Bryce Marrero
Location: Los Angeles, CA

“The Giver"

Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Written by: David Koepp and James Cameron
Produced by: Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, and Bonnie Curtis
Original Score: Danny Elfman
Editing: Zach Staenberg
Visual F/X: John Gaeta, Michael Lantieri, and Joe Letteri
Cinematography: Vilmos Zsigmond
Art Direction: Richard L. Johnson, and Paul M. Sonski

Principal Cast:

Alexander Gould as Jonas Mills
Patrick Stewart as The Giver
Tom Hanks as Jason Mills (Jonas' Father)
Rachel Weisz as Jennifer Mills (Jonas' Mother)
Abigail Breslin as Lily Mills
Bonnie Wright as Fiona
Austin Rogers as Asher

Tagline: "Even a perfect society, can be the worst kind of society"

Genre: Science Fiction Drama

Synopsis: The movie is set in a futuristic society that has gotten rid of all pain, fear, war, and hatred which was suppose to create the perfect community. There is no prejudice or competition, because everyone looks and acts the same. At age twelve every member of the community is assigned a job based on his or her abilities. When it comes to making a family, people must apply for a suitable spouse, and each couple is assigned exactly two children, a girl and a boy. The children are born to "Birthmothers", who will never see the babies they give birth to, and the babies spend their first year in a Nurturing Center with other babies, or “newchildren,” born that year.

When a family's children are grown, the family dissolves and adults live together with other childless adults until they are too old to function in society. In the community, release is death, but it is never described that way. Most people think that after someone is released, they go to a place called "Elsewhere" which is rumored to be another society from their own. Flawed "newchildren" are the ones that get mostly released, so that the community won't be overpopulated. Occasionally, people have an outburst of emotions and must take pills to suppress those emotions. Everything is planned and organized so that life is as convenient and pleasant as possible.

Jonas lives with his father, a mild mannered nurturer of new children, his mother, who works at the Department of Justice and is very serious about her job, and his little sister Lily. Jonas' friends include Asher, a joyful individual, and Fiona, a simpleton girl. At the Ceremony of Twelve, they will be given an official job as a new adult member of the community. Jonas is different than most people. He has pale eyes, while most people in his community have dark eyes. he also has unusual powers of perception. He alone in his community can perceive flashes of color. Everyone else can not see color, because it conjures up emotions of pain and fear. At the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas is given the honorable job of Receiver of Memory. The Receiver is the sole keeper of the community’s collective memory. When the community first adapted it's lifestyle it abandoned all memories of pain, war, and emotion. However the memories cannot disappear completely. Someone must keep them so that the community can avoid making the mistakes of the past. No one but the Receiver can bear the pain the memories can bring. Jonas receives the memories of the past, good and bad, from the current Receiver, a wise old man who tells Jonas to call him the Giver.

As Jonas receives memories of pleasure and pain, he realizes how empty life in his community is. The memories make Jonas’ life richer and more meaningful, and he wishes that he could share it with others. But in exchange for their peaceful existence, the people of Jonas’ community have lost the ability to feel passion about anything. Jonas grows more frustrated with his community, and the Giver, who feels the same way, encourages him to keep trying. The two grow very close, and develop a grandfather and grandchild relationship.

Meanwhile, Jonas is helping his family take care of a problem "newchild", Gabriel, who has trouble sleeping through the night at the Nurturing Center. Jonas begins to develop a relationship with Gabriel. When Gabriel is in danger of being released, the Giver reveals to Jonas that release is the same as death. After learning this, Jonas becomes full of rage and horror. He is inspired by the Giver to devise a plan to change things in the community forever. Jonas plans to escape the community and enter "Elsewhere". Once he has done that, his memories will disperse, and the Giver will help the community learn about the new feelings and thoughts that will come to them, thus changing the community forever.

Jonas is forced to leave earlier than planned when he finds out his father will be releasing Gabriel the next day. Desperate to save Gabriel, Jonas steals his father’s bicycle and sets off for "Elsewhere". Gradually, he enters a landscape full of color and animals, but also he goes through hunger, danger, and exhaustion. Avoiding search parties from his community, Jonas and Gabriel travel for a long time until heavy snow make bike travel impossible. Will they reach "Elsewhere"? Is "Elsewhere" real? Or will they not even make it to "Elsewhere".

What the press would say:

Steven Spielberg's latest film is the book adaptation of "The Giver" that is set in a utopian world that is also a dystopia world. The movie follows Jonas, a twelve year old boy who is selected to become the next receiver of memories, a job that requires Jonas to learn old memories of how society use to be like before it was a utopia. During this time, the new memories effect Jonas' emotions and after becoming attach to a newborn baby, he attempts to change society, and look elsewhere for a new society. This movie is stunningly beautiful. One of the best visual films of our time. This is another Spielberg masterpiece. The movie has the thrills and suspense of Indiana Jones, and the emotional acting of Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. Audience can feel the emotions going through Jonas as he receives more memories, and start to despise society. Alexander delivers the emerging new emotions with such expertise, that audiences will really get into Jonas' character and feel for him. Patrick Stewart gives an inspiring performance as The Giver that reminds me of the Master/Teacher role that the brilliant Alec Guiness delivered in Star Wars. Tom Hanks delivers another powerful performance as a father who always suppresses his emerging emotions he has about the babies he takes care of. It is truly a heartbreaking performance that rivals his performance in Philadelphia. The Giver is another Spielberg masterpiece, that is entertaining and touching. It is the best movie of the year, and I recommend everyone to go see it in theaters.

Best Picture
Best Director- Steven Spielberg
Best Actor- Alexander Gould
Best Supporting Actor- Patrick Stewart
Best Supporting Actor- Tom Hanks
Best Adapted Screenplay- James Cameron and David Koepp
Best Editing
Best Visual F/X
Best Original Score
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction