The Giver Page #2

Jonas possesses all four attributes:

intelligence, integrity, courage,

and one I can name,

but I cannot describe

the capacity to see beyond.

But I must warn you,

your training involves pain.

Pain far beyond anything we know.

Are you strong enough?

Do we think Jonas is brave enough?

Jonas, you have been selected

as our next Receiver of Memory.

Thank you for your childhood.

Jonas...

Jonas. Jonas. Jonas. Jonas.

Jonas. Jonas. Jonas. Jonas.

Jonas. Jonas. Jonas.

Jonas. Jonas. Jonas. Jonas. Jonas.

- Help me up, please.

- Okay, this foot, yeah.

That one, you got it.

Sit back, sit back.

Is Jonas now more powerful than you?

- Shh.

- What did the Chief Elder mean

when she said, "We cannot

afford another failure"?

Well, ten years ago, the Receiver...

We do not speak of it.

You've been greatly honored.

You've got it! Go, go, go!

You've got it, got it, got it!

- I can do it.

- I should probably catch Lily.

- Good!

- I can ride!

Good, Lily!

Receiver of Memory.

Five rules.

One:
Report directly to

the Receiver of Memory

for your training.

After training, return

immediately to your dwelling.

Two:
From this moment,

you are exempt from all

rules governing rudeness.

You may ask any question.

Three:
Aside from

your daily injection,

you may not receive other medicines,

especially those for pain.

Injected. S-7- 5- 2.

Four:
You may not discuss

your training with anyone.

Ever.

Yours look so important.

I don't know. I stick out.

Well, yeah, there's only

one Receiver of Memory.

Two.

What did they say again?

You have the capacity to see beyond?

Yeah.

Can't wait to hear

every single detail.

Five:
You may lie.

Asher and I, we used

to dare each other

to get close to his place.

It was built right on the Edge.

We'd all heard of people

getting lost to the Edge,

never to be seen again.

And yet, here I was,

being told that I'd have to

get close to it every day,

for the rest of my life.

Welcome.

Hi.

- I'm Jonas. I'm...

- Please gaze at the sensor.

Welcome, Receiver of Memory.

They're called books.

Your books.

- My name is...

- I know who you are.

Of course.

I apologize.

I apologize.

Don't say that.

"I apologize."

Don't apologize to me ever again.

Not here.

We haven't the time.

"I apologize."

That's an automatic pleasantry.

It doesn't mean anything.

I apologize. I'm sorry.

I mean...

We are here for only one purpose.

Simply stated, although it

isn't really simple at all,

I will transmit to you all the

memories that I hold within me.

Memories of the past.

I would be very interested

to learn about your life.

No, no. Not...

Not my life.

You will learn the secret

history of the world.

Before me, before you, generations...

Back and back and back.

When things were different,

when there was more.

More?

The chair.

You see, no one in our Community

has any memory of the past.

Only me.

When the... Elders need

guidance on matters that are

beyond their experience,

I provide wisdom.

That is now your role.

To provide guidance in the present

using memories of the past.

Move closer.

Where to begin?

Move closer.

Closer.

There is no way for me to prepare you

for what I'm going to do now.

You can take comfort in knowing

you are completely helpless.

If any of this proves too much

for you, tell me immediately.

I just have...

Holy night

All

That was...

It was...

How did that happen?

What do you mean, how? It happened.

But it's impossible.

And yet, it happened.

Well, why?

Why don't we have...

Th...

That thing?

Go on. The memories,

they give you the word.

It's not a "thing." It's...

- Sled.

- Sled.

And the...

- Snow.

- Snow.

Did my parents have them? Did you?

No, no. It's a very distant memory.

Simply stated, there is no snow

because of climate control.

But why don't people know about them?

I mean, what's so dangerous

about the memory of a sled?

What's so dangerous?

For a sled, you need snow.

Snow is cold.

Cold destroys crops.

Which meant farmers couldn't farm.

Unpredictable weather,

hills, mountains,

made it difficult to transport food.

Then we had hunger,

starvation, famine.

Everything is connected,

everything is a balance.

With good there is always bad.

- The two...

- Show me more.

Let's go for a walk.

A real one, with your legs.

At the bottom of the hill,

I saw something.

Like a place.

- Home.

- Home. Yes.

Home? Like a dwelling?

- Receiver.

- Afternoon.

No. It is different.

A dwelling is not a home.

A home is more.

Your instructions said I can lie.

Do you lie?

All the time.

Mostly for personal amusement.

But I won't lie to you.

How do I know that's not a lie?

There was someone else before me.

What happened to them?

One more question.

If I'm now the Receiver,

what does that make you?

Well, then that must make me...

The Giver.

So, how was it?

It was good.

What'd you do?

We just talked.

What else?

That's it.

- You seem different.

- How do you mean?

He can't settle down,

no matter what I do.

And you said you'd look after him.

- I know, I know.

- I apologize.

I accept your apology.

- Thank you, Dinah.

- Thank you.

Hey.

Gabriel?

How does Jonas know the child's name?

Jonas met Gabriel the other day.

Look at him! He's so cute!

- Hello. Hi.

- Would you like

to issue me a warning,

Director of Justice?

It's just for a while, Mother.

Till the little guy catches up.

I think we're all in agreement

that he sleeps in my room.

Only if the Elders say it's okay.

They will.

Yeah. Lily, give me

your Comfort Object.

Come on, Lily. It's time for bed.

- Look at this.

- Bye, baby.

This is a mythical

creature called a hippo.

And it's incredibly fast,

because it has two, three, four,

five legs.

We had the same mark.

I almost didn't need

to see his to know.

But I felt it.

Felt that one day,

Gabriel would be chosen, too.

A hippo, Gabe.

Yeah.

That's the pain they all talk about.

No. Not even close. Did you...

It had a face.

Wait, was that thing alive?

Don't skip ahead.

Did you notice anything about it?

Yes. It hurt.

No. Any quality?

Well, maybe.

I think I saw it in my

friend Fiona's hair.

My first was yellow.

If you thought the

sled was special...

Oh, whoa!

It's...

red.

- Just like her hair.

- Yes.

There's red, green, blue,

many different colors.

You'll see them all in time.

When our people, they chose

to do away with all of them,

color, race, religion,

they created Sameness.

If we were different,

we could be envious,

angry, or resentful,

consumed with hatred.

We need Sameness.

Don't you think?

Oh, I completely agree.

But still...

It's all so beautiful.

They'd always said

Elsewhere was so far away,

but it wasn't.

It was right there.

Close enough to touch.

Jonas?

Have you fallen?

Do you need immediate help?

No. I was just...

What's going on with you?

Nothing is going on with me.

No, you're right, it's totally normal

to lie in the grass

Rate this script:4.7 / 9 votes