The Giver takes place in an unspecified time, in an unspecified community on earth, many years after something which is referred to as The Ruin. The protagonist of the movie- and occasional narrator- is Jonas, a sixteen-year-old boy who is nervously anticipating the upcoming graduation ceremony where he and all the other kids his age will be assigned their careers.
At the nurturing center, we are introduced to Gabriel, a baby who Jonas' father is worried about because he isn't settling and learning to sleep through the night. Actually, it was against the rules for him to look up the baby's assigned name, as names are only revealed when a baby is assigned to a family: until then, they are known as "uncertain". But Jonas' father thinks that calling the baby by a name might help him to focus and settle, so peeked at his forms.
That evening at dinner, as each family member takes a turn sharing their feelings, Jonas says that he is terrified about the ceremony, and is immediately chastised by his mother for not using "precision of language". Using precise language- no exaggeration or hyperbole- is one of the strictures of their society. He apologizes and corrects himself- he is anxious. His parents tell him not to worry- the Elders have been watching him since he was a baby, and will know what job he is best suited for.
The Ceremony isn't just a graduation for the Twelves: a lot of other things occur at it as well. The seniors of a certain age are being sent to Elsewhere for retirement, babies are assigned to their families, etc. Jonas' sister Lilly, as she becomes a Nine, is -along with the other children her age- assigned one of the bicycles that everyone in the community rides. The graduation of the Twelves, however, is the main event, which the Chief Elder herself attends in holographic form to announce the job selections for each Twelve.
(To be continued...)