Jeff Bridges‘ return as Kevin Flynn in Tron: Ares next month is set to be one of the biggest movie events of the year, but ahead of its arrival in theaters, one of Bridges’ older movies has become an unexpected streaming hit. Bridges stars alongside Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada) and Alexander Skarsgård (Murderbot) in The Giver, the 2014 dystopian sci-fi film following a young man who lives in a perfect society with no pain or suffering, who is chosen to learn about the real world from an elderly man. The Giver is streaming on Starz globally, where the film has entered the top 10 in Jordan and other countries.
In the United States, The Giver is streaming for free on Pluto TV. The film was not welcomed with open arms by critics or audiences, with many criticizing the poorly executed narrative and lazy plot twists. The film earned poor scores of 34% from critics and 55% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, but it didn’t struggle to find success at the box office. Largely due to its extremely modest $25 million budget, The Giver became a financial hit after grossing only $66 million, putting it well over its break-even point. Taylor Swift can also be seen in The Giver briefly.
The Giver is based on the controversial novel of the same name by Lois Lowry, with Robert B. Weide and Michael Mitnick writing the script for the film and Philip Noyce directing. Noyce most recently teamed up with Pierce Brosnan for Fast Charlie, the 2023 action movie that has also become a sleeper hit on streaming this week. He’s also known for directing Salt, the CIA thriller starring Angelina Jolie that’s currently streaming on Starz.
How Many Oscars Does Jeff Bridges Have?
Jeff Bridges only has one Academy Award, which came for his performance in Crazy Heart, the 2009 romantic musical starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and Colin Farrell. However, he’s been nominated six other times in his career, including for The Last Picture Show, which was released 53 years ago. He followed this with a nomination in 1974’s Thunderbolt & Lightfoot before earning another Leading Actor nomination for Starman (1984). In 2001, he earned a nod for his role in The Contender, and his most recent two nominations came from True Grit and Hell or High Water, which were released in 2010 and 2016, respectively.
Check out The Giver on Pluto TV in America and on Starz globally, and stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates.
- Release Date
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August 15, 2014
- Runtime
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97 Minutes
- Writers
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Michael Mitnick
