Posted on 08/16/2014 5:15:59 AM PDT by Kaslin
Editor's note: This article is cross-posted at JohnHanlonReviews.com
The first amendment to the Constitution prevents the federal government from infringing on five fundamental freedoms. The amendment states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Those are basic freedoms we all enjoy as Americans and ones that are often still under assault (the incidents this week in Ferguson, Missouri prove that).
They are also freedoms denied to the inhabitants of the world featured in the new movie The Giver. Adapted from Lois Lowry’s young adult novel of the same name, the film tells the story of a Community (capitalized in the book and film) that has been “protected” from the messiness of freedom. The staunch Chief Elder (Meryl Streep) and her fellow Elders — the leaders of this world— have chosen to keep the people unenlightened about their past and the freedoms they once enjoyed.
The people, including main character Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) believe that the limited world of controlled information they live in is all there ever was. It’s not stated outright but one can assume that religions don’t exist in this world (things that differentiate people from each other — like race and ethnicity — are forbidden). Freedom of speech is clearly looked down upon (Jonas’ mother, for one, reminds Jonas of the importance of “precision of language” when any word she hears isn’t exact). Freedom of the press is also a distant memory (with Jonas not knowing what books are when the story begins).
And the right to peaceably assemble and petition the government? Forget about it. Those who think differently or don’t fit into the perfect mold of the Community (one boy and one girl for each family unit with twins being forbidden), they get released (read: killed).
As the story begins, Jonas doesn’t realize that he lives in a brutal dictatorship but when he’s chosen to become the new Receiver of Memory, he starts learning about the past (something no one ever discusses) and the freedoms that we as Americans so often take for granted. Jeff Bridges, starring as the Giver, starts showing Jonas that freedom once existed and differences were once celebrated, not eliminated.
Of course, through these memories Jonas sees the wrong choices often have terrible consequences. “When people have the freedom to choose, they choose wrong,” the Chief Elder notes in her defense of the status quo. In witnessing the past, Jonas sees brutality and hatred and repression and he can’t bear some of it. But he realizes that even though people sometimes make the wrong choices, they should be given the freedom to have the choice.
It’s never clear where the Community exists but the story’s themes are abundantly clear. It is a movie that celebrates life (Jonas’ mission towards the end includes saving a baby who would otherwise be killed). It is also a movie that celebrates differences. But it is at its heart a timely and urgent movie that celebrates freedom and subtly shows what the world would look like if we as Americans lost the freedoms that the founders intended for us to have.
Click here for a full review of The Giver.
The actors in the movie will probably blame Bush for the bad things that happen in the movie.
I haven’t seen this movie, but I came across Laura Ingraham subbing for O’Reilly the other night. She was interviewing famous leftie Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and he was talking about his involvement in this movie project.
Then she asked him whether he was still supporting Obama, and he indicated that he was. He started explaining why, but I grabbed the remote and turned the channel because I really didn’t need to see that.
I see some of the lefty critics are calling the movie an indictment of “the old ways” like its the society created by the right or something.
This may be one of those Rorschach movies where people see what they want to see. It would be interesting to know the political leanings of whoever wrote it.
It’s been a dozen or more years since one of my kids had it as assigned reading in middle school. I don’t remember it clearly, but it struck me as a bit creepy with some controlling overtones in the teacher/child relationship. But, then again, movies and books are often quite different.
This is the way the US would have been if Reagan had been elected in 1980.
It's just kinda funny how much the right-wing Christian dictatorship looks so much like what the Progressives have given us.
The “Hunger Games” also — it’s aimed at George Bush’s America, but it sure feels like Obama’s America.
Sounds like a “perfect” world! Was THE GIVER by any chance based on this song?
“Imagine”
Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one
“The Community is a world of control. It is a place where the weather doesn’t change because of climate control. It is a land where pain doesn’t arrive because of medical control. It is an area where heartbreak doesn’t exist because of emotional control”
It’s Agenda 21/Sustainable Development fully implemented. Amazing that after almost two decades of it being adopted as the policy of every federal agency, almost every city, town state and county government that very few know about it.
Thanks for confirming that others are quick on the remote too.
I’m a little quicker though! I NEVER put it down when news or politics is on.
Obama is muted about 97 1/2 % of the time. Jane F. 110% of the time, Nancy Pelosi 150% of the time and so on!
Thank god for giving us the remote about the same time liberals started running their mouths on TV.
Oh, I forgot Juan Williams. I NEVER listen to a word he says anymore, or Kirsten Powers!
And, I haven’t listened to or watched ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC or NPR in over 30 years.
SOUL BROTHER! This house is not armed!
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A few years ago an 86 year old liberal, now deceased, who tried to claim he was NOT a liberal, began ranting to me about gun control. When he paused for breath I suggested that maybe he should put a sign on his lawn saying that there were no guns in his house. He went ballistic!! He thought I was nuts for suggesting that he practice what he preached. It is not unusual for gun owners to put up a sign warning potential intruders that they DO have weapons but those who preach against using guns for self defense never seem to want to let people know they are unarmed.
Weinstein teamed up with Walden Media (a conservative filmmaking outfit) to make this movie. You and I may not agree with him on many things, but I would certainly agree with him on this.
The fact Meryl Streep is in it, should automatically disqualify from consideration as the most Pro-American movie of the year.
“If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.” — Yogi Berra
We saw it last night, and it lived up to this billing.
It is VERY powerful. It is VERY chilling. I liked it and highly recommend it.
So you are judging a book by it’s cover. So to speak
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