Before The Hunger Games, before Divergent, before the movie Equilibrium, there was Lois Lowry’s The Giver (and Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451). Like many of my generation, The Giver was my favorite book growing up and it was my first foray into Dystopian Literature. But despite the film’s star power, despite actor Jeff Bridges’ involvement and wanting to get an adaptation on the screen for decades, and despite Ms. Lowry’s co-screenwriting credit…this looks like a Hunger Games rip-off. Now, maybe I’m just saying that because Dystopian Teen Lit has made it to the screen faster than The Giver has and my view is tainted, but see for yourself below.
And I agree with my friend Lindsay: The movie should not start in color.
The film opens August 15.
http://youtu.be/iJNNugNe0Wo