The first trailer for ‘The Giver’ has dropped

I believe that Lois Lowry’s The Giver is one of the best dystopian world books ever written for children. I realize that some might disagree, arguing that the material is far too advanced for some youngsters – but I don’t see it that way. There is a reason that The Giver is a staple on school reading lists, and that it was a Newberry Medal winner: It’s a cautionary tale about what happens when people choose conformity and “Sameness” over freedom and individuality. That’s over-simplifying things, but really, if you haven’t read The Giver, it’s a quick read – but one that will have you thinking about the themes in the book for a long time after the last page is turned.

Now, at long last, the movie adaptation of The Giver is finally going to happen. As proof, I present you with the first trailer:

The Giver - Official Trailer - The Weinstein Company

Thoughts? Personally, several things bothered me about this trailer, not the least of which is the fact that somehow the lead character, Jonas, is now much older than 12. He seems more late-teens. I’d be willing to let that go a bit, but the other major thing that stood out to me is this: The whole movie is in color. Now, for those who haven’t read The Giver, understand that humans do not have the ability to see colors. Jonas does, but only after he becomes the Receiver.

Am I nitpicking too much? At the moment, I’m more than a little disappointed with some of the big changes obviously made in getting this film to the big screen. I’m concerned that The Giver movie might be juiced up simply to appeal to a wider audience – just like so many of the other dystopian films that have come out in recent years. That just seems so, so, wrong.

I am not giving up all hope for The Giver, but I can’t say I’m overly excited for its August 15 release, either.

Photo courtesy of The Huffington Post