The Giver: The Age Differences Between Book And Movie

When the award winning book The Giver was published, a movie was made in honor of the extreme popularity of its story. The Giver book won the John Newbery Medal in 1994 because of it’s engaging plot, but the movie didn’t get the same reaction. Companies such as New York Daily News and Rolling Stone gave the film horrific reviews. While I watched the movie, I kept an open mind and decided to see what I thought of the movie personally. Yet, because I was a fan of the book, my biggest question while watching the movie was how the film followed the book. There were many changes throughout the entire movie, but they weren't done well.

The first major difference I observed was the age differences in the characters. In the book, the ages

Without the ceremonies of new ages during the story, the conflict of assignments would have never occurred. When the book begins, Jonas is about to become a twelve which means that he will be given his community assignment. The young age of Jonas gives him an innocent quality which makes the discoveries from the Giver more important. As Jonas is exposed to the memories, the profundity of human emotion makes the plot much more entertaining to read. Yet, in the movie Jonas seems to be around 16 years olds, which erases the naive aspect from Jonas’s character. The maturity of the characters also adds a hint of romance. Fiona and Jonas’ relationship in the movie is more thorough than just Jonas’ Stirrings in the book. Jonas’ stirrings were while he was sleeping, and we’re about Fiona in the Bathing Room at the House of the Old. Jonas remembers the urge of wanting Fiona to take off her clothes and get in the tub. He was sure she wouldn’t, but clearly recalls the wanting. Yet, Jonas never acts on his stirrings most likely because he’s only a twelve. In the movie this special bond goes in more depth than the book. The film includes the kissing scene which adds romance to the plot or at least that was the directors