MovieChat Forums > The Giver (2014) Discussion > Odd homoerotic context

Odd homoerotic context


By making the main character 18 years old, the memory bonding scenes were imbued with an odd homoerotic context. If actual memories of sex and sensuality were shown being distributed from the Giver to the Receiver, I think it would have actually been awkward to watch.

That would have been a gutsy choice to make by the director, but I doubt that was the intention.

If he been an actual child, however, as in the books, I don't think that would have crossed any but the most prurient minds. The Giver's memories of human sensuality would have been met with a prepubescent brain, not a repressed young adult one.

reply

First of all Jonas was 16 in the movie and 12 in the book. I honestly cannot believe you are going there with this.

reply

+1

Be the type of person you want to meet

reply

I thought all the graduates were 18. That's why in the montage of the role ceremony, "Nines" are mentioned as being at the halfway point.

reply

Yeah, I'm pretty sure they were 18.

And wha...? What on earth did you find homoerotic? Wishful thinking on your part perhaps?

reply

i'm gay myself and IMO there was NO homoerotic context in this movie. anyone seeing such context in this is projecting and probably in the closet themselves. the passing of the memories was (in essence) Father to son. when Jeff's character says "I LOVE YOU" he said it like Father would to his son.

reply

[deleted]

[deleted]

I think the bonding in the film is very much like a father and son, I can't see how it was homoerotic, unless you feel any sort of touching or hugging between two men is always homoerotic, which would be a shame.

Also the character of The Giver is a very needy chap, he feels so sad to have lost his daughter, and he's looking for another child. He can't express feelings of love to anyone else, so there's more emotion in his interactions with Jonas and maybe compared with the other interactions in the film it really shows.

Really though, it's no different to the bonding between Jonas and Gabe. Jonas comes to see The Giver and Gabe as his family.

reply

No, there was no homoerotic context. It's just elements of heteronormative male culture ingrained into you since your young age that compel you to believe that any physical contact between two males must be somehow homoerotic. You should lose this ingrained habit, actually.

reply

[deleted]

Just FYI the training was over the period of about 9 months. Gabe is a 3 month old at the beginning and 12 months old at the end. Meryl Streep's character is also heard asking to see Jonas's footage for the past year and she looks back at the days leading up to the graduation all the way to when he and Fiona kiss.

reply

I think only people with repressed odd homoerotic emotions would consider that any close physical proximity between men necessarily means a homoerotic moment.

reply

The only homoerotic context to me was the title giver and receiver. But only because of Family Guy.

reply

The only homoerotic context to me was the title giver and receiver.

The comment of the century???


--------------------
Krillin: Man, that android is toast!
Piccolo: Yeah... More like, burnt toast.

reply

Well, it IS only 2015, so let's not get too crazy, although, yes, GREAT comment!

reply

Sounds like someone just learned the word "homoerotic" and was just dying to use it. Big stretch and bigger fail.

reply

LOL!

#NotMisogynistic #SeeThisInsteadOfHarrassingMe https://youtu.be/HMF__YJ_gn8?t=25s

reply