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The Weinstein Company
Walden Media
Not part of a collection.
Search for truth. Find freedom.
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.
dmaloir
Nov 13, 2014 · via TMDB
Although the cast is good (for the young actors), and excellent for Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep, this movie just has no scenario. The no-emotion dystopia has been covered many times in the literature and movie industry but, here, the story is just too simplistic and gives no satisfaction at all. The subject had a lot more depth in 'A brave new world'. Heck, even Equilibrium had more content. I got through the 90 minutes of the movie and ended up with the sour feeling that the director skipped from the exposition to the conclusion without developing anything. Really not worth the time.
Grant English
Nov 4, 2014 · via TMDB
I like this genre of film plus with Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep, I was expecting more. Bridges and Streep deliver top-shelf performances it's just there is not enough of them in the film. There's a scene where Streep and Bridges get into the conversation of whether free will is worth the hurt and pain that comes with it. It's 10 minutes of acting every one should watch. The problem is this scene comes near the end of the movie and it's not enough to offset the other 100 minutes of complete blandness. There isn't this sense of dread or tension in the movie at all. There really isn't any sense of drama or pace to the movie and what results is a movie that feels like a late night documentary. I'm tempted to blame the young actors on drawing the audience in but that's completely fair. The film utilizes the voice of the main character - Jonas - as its narrator. While this is a quick way to give the film its voice, it also diffuses all the drama out of the film. We know that the narrator 'makes it out okay' since he's telling the story. There are so many themes - free will, destiny, joy, war, hope, emotion vs. rationalism - that completely get overlooked because the narrator is trying to get us through the story instead of just inviting us into the story. As a result, there isn't any tension in the first act to make you care about any of the characters.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Jeff Bridges
The Giver
Meryl Streep
Chief Elder
Brenton Thwaites
Jonas
Alexander Skarsgård
Father
Katie Holmes
Mother
Odeya Rush
Fiona
Cameron Monaghan
Asher
Taylor Swift
Rosemary
Emma Tremblay
Lily
Renate Stuurman
Dinah
Vanessa Cooke
Elder
John Whiteley
Elder
Kira Wilkinson
Chief Elder's Assistant
Meganne Young
Bride
Thabo Rametsi
Robbie
Vaughn Lucas
Security Officer
Katharina Damm
Nurturer
Jefferson Mays
Community (voice)
Randall Balsmeyer
Title Designer
Phillip Noyce
Director
Barry Alexander Brown
Editor
Mary Vernieu
Casting
Venus Kanani
Casting
Alison Owen
Executive Producer
Bob Weinstein
Executive Producer
Harvey Weinstein
Executive Producer
Ralph Winter
Executive Producer
Ron Burkle
Executive Producer
Scooter Braun
Executive Producer
Genevieve Hofmeyr
Producer
Jeff Bridges
Producer
Mark DeSimone
ADR Mixer
Marco Beltrami
Original Music Composer
Ryan Tedder
Songs
Tori Kelly
Songs
Lois Lowry
Book
Michael Mitnick
Screenplay
Robert B. Weide
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Lady Against the Odds
The Shawshank Redemption
The Godfather
The Silence of the Lambs
A Clockwork Orange
Anne of Green Gables
Das Boot
Les Jeunes Filles
The Wages of Fear
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Rebecca
All Quiet on the Western Front
Donnie Darko
The Terminator
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Leave Her to Heaven
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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
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People Don’t Know Everything
Chocolat
The Lake in the Sky
Animal Control
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Oliver!
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It's the Heart That Dies Last
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The Shoes of the Fisherman
Hannah Montana: The Movie
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Pop Culture Paganism
2009
Eden Lodge
2015
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Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Top Gun: Maverick
2022 · 11 wins
Joker
2019 · 11 wins
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