The Giver tells the coming-of-age story of Jonas (Brenton Thwaites), a young man raised in a seemingly utopian world where everyone appears to be happy. This sense of harmony is created by a strictly engineered existence where the community is deprived of the so-called burden of memories. They have no notion of suffering, hunger, or violence. On the other hand, there's no freedom, no choice and no individuality. Being treated with a regimented daily injection, the humans are genetically designed not to feel emotion or see color, and the scientifically-controlled environment prevents any visual distinctiveness that may stimulate sensation and alter the order of their seemingly utopian world. They live in sameness: identical homes, identical clothes, and an identical family structure.Families in this unusual society are coordinated by the Council of Elders' matching of husbands and wives, but who do not conceive the two children allowed per family unit: one male and one female who are born to designated "birthmothers" and then family units can apply for each child. The family unit ceases to exist after it has served its purpose of raising the children in a controlled environment. As the children grow older they forget their 'parents'.Apart from a bright intelligence, and integrity, there is something slightly 'different' and exceptional about Jonas: he has light eyes. At the Ceremony where youth is assigned their vocations, the Chief Elder (Meryl Streep) selects Jonas to inherit the position of the community's Receiver of Memories. In this, most-honored position in the community, he will become the keeper of ancient memories before the time of 'Sameness'. Jonas enters into training with the current Receiver of Memories, known as the Giver (Jeff Bridges). The old man is kind, but weary as he carries the burden of memory. His coaching with the Giver isolates Jonas from his friends. Absorbing memories from the Giver, Jonas learns about joy and pleasure, as well as true pain, sadness, war and death in the real world. As the dark and deadly truths of the community's secret past are revealed, Jonas realizes that the model society in which they all live, is actually dystopian; and by depriving the community of memories they will never be conscious of joy, if they haven't experienced suffering.Together, Jonas and the Giver come to the understanding that the time for change is now, that the Community has lost its way and must have its memories returned.  Experiencing emotion for the first time Jonas falls in love, with his friend, Fiona, (Odeya Rush), and he must race against time to escape and save his own life and the lives of others he loves. With the power of knowledge Jonas discovers that the stakes are worse than imagined, a matter of life and death for Fiona, his younger brother Gabriel, and even the Giver. At extreme odds he must escape to protect everyone - a challenge that no one has ever succeeded at before. 
Classification 12A
Films are released by KRS Releasing Ltd