The Giver

After The Ruin, we started over,

creating a new society,

one of true equality.

Rules were the building

blocks of that equality.

We learned them as Newchildren.

Rules like:

Injected.

My name is Jonas.

I don't have a last name.

None of us did.

That day, the day before graduation,

I admit it, I was scared.

Tomorrow we'd be assigned

our jobs, our purpose.

It seemed everyone

knew theirs already.

Not me.

I was lost.

I always felt like I saw things

differently, saw things

other people didn't.

I never said anything.

I didn't want to be different.

Who would?

Jonas.

I apologize, we're late.

I got Asher to come say

goodbye to Teacher.

I accept your apology.

Asher and Fiona,

we'd been friends our whole lives.

Asher was the boy who

made everyone laugh.

Fiona, well,

she was the girl who

made everyone smile.

Take that back!

Whoever is listening, please, please,

do not make me Vice Chancellor

of Waste Management!

Please!

We lived in a world

where differences weren't allowed.

There was no "popular."

No fame.

No losers and no winners.

Our Elders had eliminated all of that

so there'd be no conflict between us.

Fear, pain, envy, hate,

they weren't words so much as sounds.

Their echoes were gone,

to the other side of history.

I'm asked if I should

apologize for what I did.

I'll let you decide.

I'm going to miss volunteering here.

Oh, no. If ever there

was a person born

- to work at the Nurturing Center...

- I could be surprised, right?

Jonas, if you had to guess,

of all the positions the

elders picked for me?

Nurturing Center.

Welcome to the Nurturing Center.

I got this. I got this.

- Think heavy. Think heavy.

- Come on, come on.

We win!

Aren't you my chubby champion?

- Which one was heavier?

- Mine.

Asher?

Father, I think Fiona put

her finger on the scale.

I did not.

Aw, this little guy didn't

qualify for tomorrow's ceremony.

He's just not strong enough to

be assigned to a family yet.

He looks so unhappy.

Hey...

It's okay, Jonas, you can open it.

Yeah, it's Jonas.

Here, let me.

Oh, There you go. There you go.

- It's okay.

- Some people have it, huh?

Well, that's just not fair.

Be strong, Gabriel.

You looked at his name?

Isn't that against the rules?

Yeah, it, it is.

I just thought having a

name might help him grow.

So I whisper it to him

when no one can hear.

Sometimes I call him Gabe.

But he's usually so restless,

I, I'm not even sure he can hear me.

You okay?

Huh? Yeah.

I'm fine.

So the old man turns

to the Elder and says,

"Do you know who I am?"

And the Elder says,

"Sir, I know you're old,

but that is no excuse

for being prideful."

And then the old man says,

"No, really, I'm asking.

Who am I?"

I don't get it.

"Who am I?" like, like he

forgot who he was.

Okay, but wouldn't the joke be better

- if the old man says...

- Okay, one...

- What?

- ...two...

...three!

Aren't we graduates now?

You do this every time!

- Come on!

- Okay!

One, two, three!

There you go.

So, I guess this is it.

The last night of our childhood.

I guess everything is

gonna be different.

No.

Tomorrow the only thing

that changes is what we do.

It doesn't change who we are.

Quick question:
Who are we?

Friends.

- Friends forever.

- Yes.

Even when you're both

assigned to be Birth Mothers.

Hey!

Well, I guess we'll

find out tomorrow, huh?

Citizens are reminded

that evening recreation

will end in 30 minutes.

Thank you.

Well, he did need

to be rehabilitated.

And I know he was Lily's Teacher,

but what was I supposed to do?

I feel...

disappointment.

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