The newest trailer for Phillip Noyce’s The Giver stars Oscar-winners Meryl Streep (Sophie’s Choice) and Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart), providing hope that the movie will inspire and flourish. The movie is adopted from Lois Lowry’s Newberry Award-winning novel, about a society devoid of color, pain, and emotions.
The story centers on Jonas’s (Brenton Thwaites) journey, to receive memories of the past from “The Giver.” He is uniquely perceptive to how history is shaped, as a result of both the good and evil actions of the past. Conflict arises when Jonas attempts to reveal the “real” world to the utopian society.
The trailer illustrates Jonas’ quest, with bold letters displayed across the screen: “To free his world, he must defy it.”
In the trailer (below), Streep is the captivating cruel villain, a chief elder with straight hair and set views. When Jonas’s knowledge becomes a threat, Streep is willing to take extreme actions to prevent the spreading of unearthed information. Alongside her, Bridges is the Giver who helps Jonas realize that their world is ignoring inconveniences. Bridge explains to Jonas, “The way things look and the way things are, are very different.”
In addition to Bridges, Streep, and Thwaites, Katie Holmes (Batman Begins), Taylor Swift (Valentine’s Day), and Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood) are also featured in The Giver’s newest trailer. With a similar theme to Peter Weir’s The Truman Show (1998) and Michael Bay’s The Island (2005), The Giver will examine the ramifications of a society pretending to be perfect.
The novel’s theme is a timeless one (see: 1984, Brave New World, Divergent), as we are constantly trying to move forwards, and challenge our boundaries. The Giver will be in theaters August 15, 2014.
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