"The Giver" by Lois Lowry is, arguably, one of the most ingenious and influential pieces of literature to be written. It is a Newbery Award winning book, and has been on shelves in book stores for two decades. Aside from that, it has touched and changed countless lives. It stands out as a book because you cannot convey the importance of the concept of it through your own words; it has to be read to be understood. If we, as life-long lovers of this life-altering classic, cannot express that...how can Jeff Bridges doit as a producer? It is such an emotionally complex book, and the idea of it being transferred to the "big screen" is almost unbearable. That being said, if the casting had been well done this movie may have had a chance at doing justice. We now present you with a list of disastrous mistakes and how they completely contradict Lois Lowry's work: 1) Brenton Thwaites, who has been cast as 12 year old Jonas, is 24 years old. This is not just a distracting physical flaw, but completely removes an entire piece of Jonas' character. Jonas is supposed to be presented to the audience as an innocent, a child. This is why you feel a surge of empathy for him as he is propelled through physical and emotional torments. As readers, we can't help but have our own world paradigms play into how we see this fictional community, so even though ignorance and naivety is equal in children and adults alike, we reading it feel the injustice of having this all thrust onto a child. Seeing an adult actor play this role will take away all that Jonas represents to the audience and to The Giver, who is still in complete peril over causing harm to another child after losing his daughter. In lesser news, Thwaites has deep brown eyes, a complete disregard for an important aspect of the character and the world he lives in. 2) Odeya Rush is playing Fiona, Jonas' close friend. Although the color of someone's hair in another book/movie may seem irrelevant, Fiona's red hair is major plot point. She also has blue eyes which, like Thwaites, disrupts a crucial plot point. 3) Katie Holmes 4) Jeff Bridges is a good actor. But even for the most talented actor, the role of The Giver would be an almost impossible venture. This is the role of the only man in his community who knows what pain and pleasure are. He is the only person who knows about the prior existence of war, weather, love, and family. He alone can grasp the concept that all of the pain and terrible things of the world can be worth living through if you can also feel the importance of love and loyalty. This is not going to be something that can be conveyed through a person on to the big screen. The impossibility of this character aside, Jeff Bridges cannot provide half of the depth that is required for The Giver. He is just an actor who is trying to break out of his typecast, and is ruining one of the most important books in history in the process. 5) Last, but certainly not least, is Taylor Swift in what is sure to be the role of Rosemary, who is The Giver's daughter and the last Receiver of Memories. This is arguably the most important role in the entire book, and to hand it over to a pop star who has proven herself to be a terrible "actress" (let's not relive Valentine's Day) is heinous, offensive, and completely disrespectful. This role is indescribable, and her character is pivotal to the entire essence of the book. We're sorry if these words and descriptions don't do the book justice, but that is the entire argument against the production of this movie. Nothing can ever do justice to this book. No words, pictures, or people can ever express what has already been perfectly expressed. The "dystopian craze" has taken over Hollywood, which has led to the seize of one of the original "alternate world" books. But this is not a dystopia, and that is the crux of the book. The entire point is that these people have CHOSEN to change their world into what they believe is a "utopia," and it is so far in the process that the entire community ignores that the rest of the world still exists in its normalcy. Read the book! Sign this petition to make them LEAVE THE GIVER ALONE.

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