AllMovie

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. Meryl Streep, Alexander Skarsgård, and Katie Holmes star in a film from director Phillip Noyce (Rabbit-Proof Fence, The Quiet American).