Rated PG-13

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Brenton Thwaites, and Katie Holmes

Directed By: Phillip Noyce

Written By: Michael Mitnick & Robert B. Weide

Rating: 2.5/5

The haunting story of “The Giver” centers on Jonas (Brenton Thwaites), a young man who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Yet as he begins to spend time with The Giver (Jeff Bridges), who is the sole keeper of all the community’s memories, Jonas quickly begins to discover the dark and deadly truths of his community’s secret past. With this newfound power of knowledge, he realizes that the stakes are higher than imagined — a matter of life and death for himself and those he loves most. At extreme odds, Jonas knows that he must escape their world to protect them all — a challenge that no one has ever succeeded at before.

Lowis Lowry’s best-selling novel is one that most of us read back in school at some point.  I say “most of us” because I can admit, I read the Spark Notes on this one.   On paper, this tale is a classic and truly unique for it’s time, but on screen The Giver isn’t really worth receiving.  Though the film is decent enough, there isn’t much oomph to the story.  The acting is solid, but as a whole The Giver is an insipid movie that will soon be forgotten as its competitors’ (Hunger Games, Divergent) sequels began to surface.

The Giver hits theaters August 15.

“The Giver” Official Trailer HD