- In a seemingly perfect community without war, pain, suffering, differences or choices, a young boy is chosen to learn from an elderly man, the true pain and pleasure of the "real" world.
- A youth named Jonas lives in an equalized, colorless, but pleasant society with no knowledge of love or pain. When he and his best friends Asher and Fiona come of age, they receive their societal roles, with Jonas given the rare position of Receiver (of Memories). Because of this, he meets a mentoring elder Receiver (later called The Giver). They look at memories of the past world, of joy, pain, and love. As Jonas receives these memories, he breaks the cardinal rule against sharing them with others, thereby getting in trouble with the watchful Chief Elder. When Jonas discovers that an infant boy named Gabriel will be terminated, his efforts to save the child put him squarely against his society. Deciding that all must re-learn to see color, feel pain, and show and receive love, Jonas becomes public enemy number one.
- A young man living in a future where complacency is valued above all else discovers the sinister secrets that hold his fragile society together after being selected to become the Receiver of Memory in this adaptation of author Lois Lowry's Newbery Medal-winning young-adult novel. Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) was raised to believe that conformity is the key to contentment. The society Jonas lives in is a peaceful one, in large part because their collective memories have been entrusted to the Giver (Jeff Bridges). A mysterious yet seemingly benevolent figure, the Giver is the sole guardian of the community's dark and hidden history. When that history is revealed to Jonas over the course of his illuminating sessions with the Giver, the young man learns that the wisdom he now holds could dictate the fate of the entire society. Later, as the weight of that responsibility becomes too great a burden for Jonas to bear, he realizes that his only hope of saving the ones he loves most is to flee. Unfortunately for Jonas and perhaps his entire world, every previous attempt to escape has ended in failure.
- Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) was raised to believe that conformity is the key to contentment. The society Jonas lives in is a peaceful one, in large part because their collective memories have been entrusted to the Giver (Jeff Bridges). A mysterious yet seemingly benevolent figure, the Giver is the sole guardian of the community's dark and hidden history. When that history is revealed to Jonas over the course of his illuminating sessions with the Giver, the young man learns that the wisdom he now holds could dictate the fate of the entire society. Later, as the weight of that responsibility becomes too great a burden for Jonas to bear, he realizes that his only hope of saving the ones he loves most is to flee. Unfortunately for Jonas and perhaps his entire world, every previous attempt to escape has ended in failure..
- Born in a peaceful, perfect world where everyone is happy, the eighteen-year-old man, Jonas, receives an unexpected honor. Chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories, Jonas enters into training with a mysterious, silver-haired man who imparts memories of the "real" outside world hidden from the rest of the society. As Jonas learns from the "Giver" not only of love, family and home but also of pain, war, death, and all the unhappy truths the world holds, before long, he comes to realize that everything he knows is a lie and that those who govern this seemingly Eden-like realm are fake and immoral. Now Jonas has his back to the wall, confronted with a bleak new reality, pressing dilemmas, and above all, difficult choices. Can he ensure the freedom and the future of his people?—Nick Riganas
- In the year 2048, after a war, the community has decided to get rid of different races and feelings. All the citizens have had their memories erased; except for the Receiver of Memory. Since the Receiver of Memory is the only individual in the community who has the memories from before, he must advise the Chief Elder (Meryl Streep), and the other Elders, on the decisions for the community. The world has many communities, all headed by the chief elder. The Chief Elder holds an annual ceremony to "assign" careers to all boys and girls turning 16. The careers are assigned based on observed traits throughout their childhood. The community has no concept of differentiation or emotions or sex or violence. The climate is controlled, so it never rains or snows, the folks are genetically modified not to see any color (as that is a form of differentiation).
Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) is a 16 year old teenager who is anxious about the career he will be assigned (along with everyone else). He has two best friends: Asher (Cameron Monaghan) and Fiona (Odeya Rush). On the day of graduation, everyone is assigned a career. Jonas is briefly skipped, as he has not been assigned a career. Instead, Jonas is to become the next Receiver of Memory, and progressively receive memories from the past receiver, The Giver (Jeff Bridges). Upon assuming his role as The Receiver, Jonas learns of the Giver's past and of his child, Rosemary (Taylor Swift). She preceded Jonas as Receiver of Memory, and was so distraught from the memories that she committed suicide, by what the Community calls releasing. Thru The Giver, Jonas learns about emotions like love, hatred, war, colors. He finds a map which shows a "boundary of memories" around the community & within the surrounding area called "The Elsewhere", which Jonas speculates to be the area outside of which Jonas's & The Givers memories will be released to the entire world & will no longer be "contained" within them.
They regard the nature of releasing as mysterious; the audience learns that it is death by lethal injection. Jonas begins to teach his findings to his friend Fiona, with whom he decides to share the idea of emotions. Fiona, who is unable to fully comprehend the idea of emotion, is unsure how she feels. Jonas then kisses Fiona, an action which is antiquated and unknown to the community, which Jonas gained through memory.
Jonas also shares his memories with the baby his father brought home to their house, Gabe, and develops a close relationship with him after discovering he shares the same mark on his wrist Jonas does, the mark of a potential Receiver of Memory. Jonas decides that everyone should have the memories of the past and eventually, the Giver and Jonas decide that the only way they can help the community is to go past the border of what they call Elsewhere, beyond the community, therefore releasing the memories back into the community. Jonas sneaks out at curfew, and decides to get Gabe at the Nurturing Center, who is to be released due to his general weakness. Asher, his other longtime friend besides Fiona, tries to stop him before he leaves the neighborhood, but Jonas quickly punches him. Asher lies on the ground, stunned, and Jonas rides his bike to the Nurturing Center. He tells Fiona his plan and wants to take her with him, but she refuses and instead helps him retrieve Gabe. Before he leaves, she kisses him and helps him escape.
Meanwhile Jonas's mother (Katie Holmes) and Asher, go to the Chief Elder to tell them Jonas is missing. Guards are sent to contain Jonas, who they say has become "dangerous", but Jonas gets one of their motorcycles and drives off the cliff near the Giver's dwelling into "The Elsewhere". Asher is assigned, by the Chief Elder, to use a drone to find Jonas and "lose" him but when Asher finds Jonas stumbling through the woods, he captures him with the drone. After Jonas implores Asher to think that if he ever cared for Jonas to let him go, Asher drops him into a river, setting him free. Jonas stumbles through the land of Elsewhere, while Fiona has been condemned to be "released" for helping him. Just as she is about to be released by Jonas's father, the Giver steps in and stalls the Chief Elder with memories of his daughter, Rosemary, trying to call out the Chief Elder, in which she succeeded.
Jonas's mother begins to cry starting to understand the feeling of love. Eventually, Jonas finds a sled like one he rode in a memory from the Giver and makes his way beyond the border of Elsewhere, releasing memories and color back into the community and saving Fiona because Jonas's father realizes what he was really doing. Jonas and Gabe return to the house of his memories, where people are singing Christmas carols, and his voiceover says that back in the community, he swears he hears music too, or possibly just an echo.
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