The Giver

Inside the theatre you're welcome to discuss your favorite television shows, musical artists, video games, books, movies, or anything popular culture!
User avatar
~JCGJ~
Autumn is a Glorious Season
Autumn is a Glorious Season
Posts: 2567
Joined: September 2011
Location: Orlando, FL
Gender:

Post by ~JCGJ~ »

Wait... It's in color? Obviously, I haven't seen the trailor. My computer isn't in the mood to play videos, evidently. And how are they raising the ages? I mean, it's a coming of age type of story...
I really hope they don't botch it completely...
They/Them
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Image
User avatar
Petrichor
Popsicle kid
Posts: 458
Joined: July 2012

Post by Petrichor »

I literally just read this a few days ago. One of my family members bought it and it showed up on my Kindle, so I decided to go for it. =P I didn't even know they were making a movie until I looked it up afterwards. I really enjoyed the book, so hopefully the movie will try to live up to that standard. The trailer did look teenager-ish, though. All the actors look like they're in their mid-20s, and I think I saw that Taylor Swift was cast as Rosemary. :-s
Image
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

Wait, it's a trilogy? I had no idea.

Edit:

Sure enough, just found this thread. Wow that is news to me.
Image
User avatar
Amethystic
Random Rebel
Random Rebel
Posts: 13261
Joined: April 2008
Location: Somewhere between this world and the planet Xoltac.

Post by Amethystic »

They actually released a fourth book in the series relatively recently. It was quite good, I thought.
Image
User avatar
~JCGJ~
Autumn is a Glorious Season
Autumn is a Glorious Season
Posts: 2567
Joined: September 2011
Location: Orlando, FL
Gender:

Post by ~JCGJ~ »

I haven't read the fourth one yet. Our Library hasn't gotten around to aquiring a copy.
They/Them
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Image
User avatar
Shennifer
Random sister
Random sister
Posts: 5774
Joined: June 2009
Location: norcal
Contact:

Post by Shennifer »

I've only read The Giver, and thought it was quite interesting/heartbreaking/thought provoking.

I want to read it again now, and then compare it to the trailer because I feel like it wasn't necessarily set in a city type setting, but whatever
Image

Till the end of the line.
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

I read the book. I was impressed, it was very deep. Much more than I expected from just knowing the general story.

It will be interesting to see how they adapt it onto film. Now that I know the full story I understand the comments about the age and the color, because they are details that are central to the story. So I share the concern about changing them, but at the same time I'm glad they did. I don't really want to watch a movie featuring a bunch of kids, or a movie that is primarily black and white, and certainly not one that is both. So just from an audience perspective, I approve of the change. But then again, they are such a fundamental part of the story, from an adaptation perspective I am concerned. Hopefully they can portray the same concept without the exact details.
Image
User avatar
~JCGJ~
Autumn is a Glorious Season
Autumn is a Glorious Season
Posts: 2567
Joined: September 2011
Location: Orlando, FL
Gender:

Post by ~JCGJ~ »

Shennifer wrote:I've only read The Giver, and thought it was quite interesting/heartbreaking/thought provoking.

I want to read it again now, and then compare it to the trailer because I feel like it wasn't necessarily set in a city type setting, but whatever
I kind of felt the same way... I feel like it was more of a tight-knit town, than a city... Sort of like one of the Districts in the Hunger Games, I guess. :mrgreen:
They/Them
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Image
User avatar
Amethystic
Random Rebel
Random Rebel
Posts: 13261
Joined: April 2008
Location: Somewhere between this world and the planet Xoltac.

Post by Amethystic »

~JCGJ~ wrote:
Shennifer wrote:I've only read The Giver, and thought it was quite interesting/heartbreaking/thought provoking.

I want to read it again now, and then compare it to the trailer because I feel like it wasn't necessarily set in a city type setting, but whatever
I kind of felt the same way... I feel like it was more of a tight-knit town, than a city... Sort of like one of the Districts in the Hunger Games, I guess. :mrgreen:
I've always envisioned the community as being a dull but seemingly pleasant suburb.
Image
User avatar
~JCGJ~
Autumn is a Glorious Season
Autumn is a Glorious Season
Posts: 2567
Joined: September 2011
Location: Orlando, FL
Gender:

Post by ~JCGJ~ »

Amethystic wrote:
~JCGJ~ wrote:
Shennifer wrote:I've only read The Giver, and thought it was quite interesting/heartbreaking/thought provoking.

I want to read it again now, and then compare it to the trailer because I feel like it wasn't necessarily set in a city type setting, but whatever
I kind of felt the same way... I feel like it was more of a tight-knit town, than a city... Sort of like one of the Districts in the Hunger Games, I guess. :mrgreen:
I've always envisioned the community as being a dull but seemingly pleasant suburb.
Yeah, exactly. Reminiscent of Odyssey, in a way. :mrgreen:
But certainly not the bustling metropolis in the preview.
I'll probably make it a point to go see it, but my hopes aren't all too high at all...
They/Them
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Image
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

New trailer that gives a much more extended look:




It suddenly contains black and white scenes, surprisingly. I wonder if that’s a result of the vocal complaints about that, or if it was always like that and they just didn’t incorporate it into the first trailer because it was so limited.

Deeper preview into the story, which doesn’t look very much like the book.

And, woah, major spoiler right in the trailer. >_> It was a big plot point in the book, learning the truth about releases. Putting it out here from the start must mean it’s not so central in the movie for some reason, or else why would they think it was okay to do it?
Image
User avatar
Shennifer
Random sister
Random sister
Posts: 5774
Joined: June 2009
Location: norcal
Contact:

Post by Shennifer »

I don't know if I entirely like the changes from book to movie, but hey it's inevitable. I do like the trailer though

I think they were trying to make the trailer more exciting by putting in the spoiler, but I agree bookworm it would've been better to leave that out and not reveal it.
Image

Till the end of the line.
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

I was pleasantly surprised by how faithful this was to the book, especially after the trailer made it look like it really wasn’t going to be. The heart of the story was very much the same, and though some details were changed for cinematic purposes there was nothing that stands out to me as a negative change. In book movies you inevitably have at least one alteration that is just completely unnecessary and not from the book at all, but I really didn’t see one here. The primary movie-only content was the stuff that happens back in the community once Jonas leaves, but I was totally fine with all that. It’s not in the book, but only because the book never goes back to the community, it stays with Jonas. That stuff could certainly have been happening while he was traveling and the book just didn’t mention it, it fits into the story quite logically.
I would actually use this movie as an example of how to do a book to screen adaptation. They did it right. They kept as much the same as they could, and what they had to change they did in a reasonable way.

All that said though, I was somewhat underwhelmed by the finished product. As a book to movie, the concept, I thought it was very good. But as The Giver book to The Giver movie, the story, it felt lacking. All the important elements were there, but only if you were already aware of them from reading the book. If you were trying to get the story just from the film it wouldn’t have the same depth because they glossed over a lot.
It was sort of the opposite of the book. The book meticulously sets up the world, all the workings of the society, so you really feel and understand what’s going on, and then pretty much rushes out the ending with not a lot actually happening. ‘Jonas leaves and that’s the end.’ The movie, conversely, starts out with the world already established and seems to assume you understand the workings of the society. It references different topics from the book, but doesn’t explain them. It hardly sets up anything, it’s all about things happening. ‘Jonas leaves and all this takes place.’
Because of this, I believe the book and movie have to be taken together to really appreciate it. You get the story from the book so you understand everything, and then you watch the movie as a way to see some of it from a new perspective, playing out on screen instead of just in your mind.

As a result of all this my opinion of the movie differs depending on what you analyze it as. As the story of The Giver, on its own, it’s not bad, but it’s not really good. It could be better. However as The Giver in conjunction with the book, I think it’s quite good.
As just a movie though, I really don’t think it was that great. The reason I liked it was because I was taking it as a companion to the book, all in context of experiencing the Giver story. But if it were just on its own, just as a movie, out of context of anything else, I don’t think it would probably be very good. If you didn’t know or didn’t care about The Giver and were just watching the movie for what it provided as itself I would say it’s pretty meh.
Image
User avatar
Shennifer
Random sister
Random sister
Posts: 5774
Joined: June 2009
Location: norcal
Contact:

Post by Shennifer »

I saw this movie today actually, and I thought it was better than I expected. It's been a while since I've read the book, but I know there weren't hovercrafts, and that Asher didn't pilot them.

It was good, but I agree with bookworm, you have to read the book to really appreciate it
Image

Till the end of the line.
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

Shennifer wrote:It's been a while since I've read the book, but I know there weren't hovercrafts, and that Asher didn't pilot them.
There were some kind of planes, Jonas had to hide from them when he was leaving.
But you’re right, Asher didn’t fly them. His assignment was changed from the book. But so was Fiona’s. It was to keep all of them involved in the story.
Image
User avatar
~JCGJ~
Autumn is a Glorious Season
Autumn is a Glorious Season
Posts: 2567
Joined: September 2011
Location: Orlando, FL
Gender:

Post by ~JCGJ~ »

bookworm wrote:I was pleasantly surprised by how faithful this was to the book, especially after the trailer made it look like it really wasn’t going to be. The heart of the story was very much the same, and though some details were changed for cinematic purposes there was nothing that stands out to me as a negative change. In book movies you inevitably have at least one alteration that is just completely unnecessary and not from the book at all, but I really didn’t see one here. The primary movie-only content was the stuff that happens back in the community once Jonas leaves, but I was totally fine with all that. It’s not in the book, but only because the book never goes back to the community, it stays with Jonas. That stuff could certainly have been happening while he was traveling and the book just didn’t mention it, it fits into the story quite logically.
I would actually use this movie as an example of how to do a book to screen adaptation. They did it right. They kept as much the same as they could, and what they had to change they did in a reasonable way.

All that said though, I was somewhat underwhelmed by the finished product. As a book to movie, the concept, I thought it was very good. But as The Giver book to The Giver movie, the story, it felt lacking. All the important elements were there, but only if you were already aware of them from reading the book. If you were trying to get the story just from the film it wouldn’t have the same depth because they glossed over a lot.
It was sort of the opposite of the book. The book meticulously sets up the world, all the workings of the society, so you really feel and understand what’s going on, and then pretty much rushes out the ending with not a lot actually happening. ‘Jonas leaves and that’s the end.’ The movie, conversely, starts out with the world already established and seems to assume you understand the workings of the society. It references different topics from the book, but doesn’t explain them. It hardly sets up anything, it’s all about things happening. ‘Jonas leaves and all this takes place.’
Because of this, I believe the book and movie have to be taken together to really appreciate it. You get the story from the book so you understand everything, and then you watch the movie as a way to see some of it from a new perspective, playing out on screen instead of just in your mind.

As a result of all this my opinion of the movie differs depending on what you analyze it as. As the story of The Giver, on its own, it’s not bad, but it’s not really good. It could be better. However as The Giver in conjunction with the book, I think it’s quite good.
As just a movie though, I really don’t think it was that great. The reason I liked it was because I was taking it as a companion to the book, all in context of experiencing the Giver story. But if it were just on its own, just as a movie, out of context of anything else, I don’t think it would probably be very good. If you didn’t know or didn’t care about The Giver and were just watching the movie for what it provided as itself I would say it’s pretty meh.
I think I almost entirely agree with each point you made. :mrgreen:
They/Them
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Image
User avatar
The Top Crusader
Hammer Bro
Hammer Bro
Posts: 22629
Joined: April 2005
Location: A drawbridge over a lava pit with an axe conveniently off to the side

Post by The Top Crusader »

I liked the part when they killed a baby and put it down a garbage chute! \:D/

I also thought it was funny they used thinly veiled homosexual terms.

Overall I liked it, but I didn't understand exactly what was going on at the end (maybe the books explain this?), and I thought it was funny Katie Holmes was in it. I kept wondering if it was partially a biopic about her escape from Scientology.
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

The Top Crusader wrote:Overall I liked it, but I didn't understand exactly what was going on at the end (maybe the books explain this?)
Not really. As I said earlier, the book meticulously sets up the story then really glosses over the ending. The movie sort of glossed over the setting and spent a lot of time on the ending. So the movie actually has more on the end than the book did, though neither actually explain much of what is happening.

Basically Jonas and The Giver form a plan for Jonas to leave the community because as he goes farther away the memories slip out and return to the people. They’re giving the people the chance to live full lives again.
Image
User avatar
The Top Crusader
Hammer Bro
Hammer Bro
Posts: 22629
Joined: April 2005
Location: A drawbridge over a lava pit with an axe conveniently off to the side

Post by The Top Crusader »

I guess I didn't understand how a random dude crossing a barrier would do anything... and why there was a cabin with people singing Christmas carols out there. >_> Like was the whole weird place a secret society and the rest of the world beyond it was still normal?
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

Right, none of that was explained in either. In fact, both the book and movie ended exactly the same: right when he got to the Christmas house. I know what it is (see below), but I have no idea why.

About the barriers, no one knows. The magic or whatever they used to trap all the memories inside one person apparently only works as long as he stays within the boundary, once he crosses it all comes undone. That’s the idea, but again there’s no explanation. What I wanted to know was how they trapped the memories in the first place.

The Christmas house is better understood if you read the book, but as I said it’s really no better explained.
If you remember, the first memory Jonas got was the snowy hill and the sled. Later he was given a house with people singing Christmas carols. It was later revealed (in the book, I don’t recall if it was also in the movie) that this was one of The Giver’s most treasured memories because it depicted family love and happiness, which he lost after his daughter killed herself. It may have also been said, at least it was implied (in my interpretation if not in the actual story, I don’t remember for sure) that it was a memory of The Giver’s own family.

When Jonas goes out into the unknown world he eventually reaches an area with snow. Oh look, there’s that same sled from the first memory. He gets on and it takes him to that same house. The End.

So it’s like ‘How is he finding these things from the memories? How are they still there? Where even is he, how is there this apparently normal world outside of the community? Is this final destination even real, or has he gone unconscious from being in the elements so long and is just recalling the memory out of instinct?’ No one knows.
Image
Post Reply