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Jeff Bridges Imparts Father’s Joyful Lessons With ‘The Giver’

One of the many takeaways from The Giver, aside from it being yet another solidly crafted film from director Philip Noyce (The Quiet American, Salt, Patriot Games, to name a few), is its seamless mixture of top level talent (Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep) with promising young actors (Brenton Thwaites, Odeya Rush).

Jeff Bridges & Brenton Thwaites in The Giver (Weinstein Films)

As the titular character, Bridges gives profound life advice to an initiate named Jonas (Thwaites) who discovers that his society isn’t as perfect as it seems. Although humanity begets violence, envy, and inevitable tragedy, there are a multitude of emotions and experiences that are gone from Jonas and The Giver’s world. It’s Jonas’ mission to bring back humanity’s memories into his emotionally sterile universe – no matter what the cost.

Bridges, who brings a relaxed yet yeoman like work ethic to acting, received valuable life and work advice from his late father, actor Lloyd Bridges. ” “You kind of relax when you’re feeling joyful and then all of the good stuff gets to come through,” said Bridges, who worked with his dad in Tucker and Blown Away. Click on the media bar to hear Bridges talk about the importance of bringing a sense of “joy” into his work:

 

 

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Jeff Bridges Praises ‘The Giver’ Co-Star Taylor Swift

As Taylor Swift continues to flourish and branch out as a musician, writer, and singer, she’s also branching out in the acting field. She explored her comedic chops in the 2010 comedy Valentine’s Day, and with The Giver she ventures into the dramatic arena.

Based on Lois Lowry’s evocative and prescient novel, The Giver has Jeff Bridges playing the titular character, a man who holds the memories of humanity before his environment turned into a safe yet emotionally empty society. Swift plays Rosemary, a youth who attempted to learn life’s valuable lessons and experiences from The Giver, but their bond leads to tragic results.

“I hope she continues (with) the acting,” said Bridges about his co-star. “She’s very talented, as well as being a great songwriter/performer. She was just wonderful.”

The Giver, which co-stars Brenton Thwaites (he’s The Giver’s latest pupil) and Meryl Streep, opens Friday.

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Brenton Thwaites Bonds With Babies on ‘The Giver’

Opening August 15, The Giver centers on a seemingly halcyon society where violence and crime has been erased. The citizens’ memories of their past have also vanished, however, and when a young prodigy named Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) discovers that the government is restricting the individual freedoms of its people, he goes on a quest to find a newer way to live. Jeff Bridges is the titular character, a sage mentor who teaches Jonas about how the beauties and horrors of humanity’s past.

Brenthon Thwaites in 'The Giver' (Weinstein Films)
Brenthon Thwaites in ‘The Giver’ (Weinstein Films)

For Thwaites, having a more relaxed yet inquisitive approach to acting was a lesson he learned (or maybe reaffirmed) from his work with Jeff Bridges. “I guess every movie has its uniqueness,” says Thwaites, who was recently seen in the first rate sci-fi feature The Signal. “That’s the wonderful thing about being an actor. . . every job is kind of a different thing. Every movie is its own wild beast that you have to kind of roll with it and do the best you can and try to enjoy it along the way.”

One of Thwaites’ more endearing aspects is his sense of humor, and during the press conference he was asked about working with the baby twins on The Giver. In his answer, Thwaites gave a ribbing to fellow Aussie Phillip Noyce, the stoic and talented director behind The Giver.

Click on the audio link to hear Thwaites joke around about his bond with the babies, with Noyce chiming in with a rather dry response.

Noyce’s impressive body of work includes Salt, Patriot Games, The Quiet American, and Catch a Fire. Along with The Giver and The Signal, Thwaites was also starred in Oculus and Maleficent.