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The Giver

2014

Phillip Noyce

Meryl Streep, Jeff Bridges, Brenton Thwaites, Alexander Skarsgård ...

5.6

3,258

Sci-Fi. Fantasy. Drama In a seemingly perfect community, without war, pain, suffering, differences or choice, a young boy is chosen to learn from an elderly man about the true pain and pleasure of the "real" world.

	Author	Review
United States	Scott Foundas Variety	“'The Giver' reaches the screen in a version that captures the essence of Lowry’s affecting allegory but little of its mythic pull"	NEU
United States	Claudia Puig USA Today	"It changes some plot points, but more important it lacks the resonance and mythic quality of Lowry's literary allegory (...) Rating: ★★ (out of four)"	NEU
United States	John DeFore The Hollywood Reporter	"An agreeable YA riff on Orwell (...) while the film may see enough success to justify follow-ups, this franchise won't come close to competing with The Hunger Games"	POS
United States	Sara Stewart New York Post	"A film that feels more like a fable than a thriller (...) t the central premise is an enduring one, and well served by Jeff Bridges in the title role (...) Rating: ★★½ (out of four)"	POS
United States	Ty Burr Boston Globe	"A family-friendly dystopian nightmare that won't offend anyone but won't get them very excited, either"	NEU
United States	Manohla Dargis The New York Times	"The enervating hash of dystopian dread, vague religiosity and commercial advertising-style uplift is nothing if not stale"	NEG
United States	Mick LaSalle SFGATE	"'The Giver' lacks the wit and political sophistication of 'Snowpiercer,' but it avoids the sentimentality and teen romance quality of 'Divergent'."	POS

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