The Giver panel and Nerd HQ Conversation for a Cause gave us a great look at the film and the how the actors prepared for their roles.

Footage

The Hall H panel showed an extended trailer which included an in-depth look at Meryl Streep’s character, Chief Elder, including the ceremony of twelve. The trailer revealed how they will use both black and white footage with color footage to show the progress of Jonas’ change. It also highlighted just how few choices the people are given based on the beliefs of the elders. The scenes with Brenton Thwaites and Jeff Bridges are compelling. For those who have waited decades for this film, it feels right.

Lois Lowry

Lois Lowry participated in both the Hall H panel and Nerd HQ conversation. She is a very sassy lady who spoke her mind, especially when it came to Meryl Streep. Lowry recalled watching Streep do ADR for a scene and telling her it was wrong. Lowry said, “the line she said was ‘If you don’t like it, close your eyes and go sit down over there with the other elders.’ How was he supposed to sit down if his eyes were already closed? I told her the line should be ‘If you don’t like it, go sit down over there and close your eyes.’ She changed it.” Lowry also talked about how she wishes she could rewrite The Giver based on what Streep did with the character. That is high praise coming from an author.

The baby

At both panels the baby was a hot topic of discussion. The baby plays an important role in the film and Thwaites had much to say about his interactions with the twins playing Gabe. “The first time I held the baby he cried, so of course it became a joke on set that I made people cry. I think I have a couple of gray hairs at the back of my head now from that.” Jeff Bridges noted that the baby was a wonderful actor and did a great job of just being. Lowry joked that he was her favorite actor.

The source material

None of the actors (except Bridges) had read the novel before being offered the part. Bridges had read the novel eighteen years earlier, and originally wanted to direct the film with his father as the Giver. After years of being shelved, it was Bridges who helped finally bring it to the big screen. Now he plays the role of the Giver and has a passion for the project that is apparent when he speaks about it.

Like any adaptation there are changes from the source material. The most noticeable is the change in age of the main characters. Bridges admits that he was against the change at first. He wanted the material to remain as close to the source material as possible, knowing that fans would want the story that they grew up on. After much discussion with the producers and meeting Brenton and the others, he knew the change would work.

Meryl Streep

Even though Streep wasn’t at the panel she was mentioned several times by the cast. Thwaites remembers meeting her for the first time and just trying to play it cool even though he was incredibly excited to meet her. Cameron Monaghan said she and Jeff were the reasons he wanted to be in the film in the first place. While Bridges had never been in a film before with Streep, their children did play soccer together. Overall, her performance as the Chief Elder adds a level of depth to the character that wasn’t present in the books.