Thisfunktional Magazine Issue 8 B | Page 13

The Giver’s 18 year journey: Coming to the big screen after finding the right fit, right cast Jesus Figueroa Writer The world of black and white, no pain and no emotions comes crashing down as a young man starts to see the colors and possibilities of the world in new film “The Giver.” During the Los Angeles Press day on August 2 in Beverly Hills, California the cast and crew of the film discussed the 18year long process of bringing the film to the big screen. Producer and actor Jeff Bridges, who plays the title role of “The Giver,” began by expressing his admiration for the film. “I originally wanted to direct my father Lloyd Bridges in the movie. I wanted to make a movie my kids could see, they were all young kids at the time. I was looking at a catalogue of children’s books and I came across this wonderful cover of this grizzled old guy with a Newberry award stamp on it,” Bridges said. “I thought this is great. I read it, I was knocked out on a kid book level but also as an adult. I thought this was a movie is love to see be made,” he said. “I am thrilled bout the film we have now. You can’t make something happen before it’s time and evidently this was the time of ‘The Giver.’ What Jeff (Bridges) was saying is that it’s every side of this film that P AGE 14