The Giver

This week’s film is more appropriate for older viewers.

In a seemingly ideal society that has managed to eradicate all human pain and suffering, the young Jonas is chosen by the community’s elders to become the “Receiver of Memory”, tasked with holding humanity’s past experiences. As he begins his training with the enigmatic Giver (Jeff Bridges), Jonas begins to experience the fullness of what human life once entailed, from joy and love to death and sorrow, upturning everything he thought he knew about the world.

As Jonas delves deeper into the memories of the past, he begins to question the very foundations of his society, ultimately facing a moral dilemma: should he follow in the Giver’s steps, helping to protect the world from pain it forgot, or risk everything to bring back the richness of human experience, along with its sorrows, to his community?

Based on Lois Lowry’s award-winning book, The Giver affirms the sanctity of life by exploring classic and profound themes, such as what it means to be human, to make choices, and to bear great sorrows for the sake of love. The film is rated PG-13 as it touches on some mature themes and includes some minor sci-fi action and violence.

Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes
Rated PG-13
USCCB Rating: A-II
IMDb Parents Guide
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