What age is The Giver appropriate for?

The Giver is rated PG-13 and PopcornCheck recommends it for ages 12+, based on reading the actual screenplay. The film includes a graphic memory of a father figure administering a lethal injection to a newborn baby as part of the 'Release' program, along with intense war combat footage showing a soldier shot and killed and a memory of elephant poaching — themes too disturbing and morally heavy for younger children.

Does The Giver have swearing or bad language?

The Giver has Very Mild language. The word 'stupid' is used once in the entire film.

Is The Giver violent?

The Giver has Moderate violence. A memory sequence shows soldiers ambushed in combat, with gunfire and a soldier named Robbie shot and killed as a medic is called — presented as a vivid, disturbing war memory Jonas experiences firsthand.

Is The Giver scary for children?

The Giver has Moderate scary scenes. The central twist — that 'Release to Elsewhere' is actually a euphemism for euthanizing infants and the elderly — is revealed gradually and is genuinely disturbing once understood.

Is The Giver OK for Kids?

Name: The Giver
Director: Phillip Noyce
Genre: Drama, Science Fiction
Released: 2014
Duration: 97 min
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Brenton Thwaites, Alexander Skarsgård, Katie Holmes

DramaScience Fiction

12+

PG-13⭐ 6.4 / 102014 · 1h 37m

Phillip Noyce

Where to Watch

United States

Stream

Rent

Rent or Buy on Amazon

Streaming data by JustWatch

What's In It

Based on the actual screenplay

🗡️Violence

Extreme▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Cartoon / Comedic

Action & Peril

Injuries & Death Shown

Graphic & Disturbing

A memory sequence shows soldiers ambushed in combat, with gunfire and a soldier named Robbie shot and killed as a medic is called — presented as a vivid, disturbing war memory Jonas experiences firsthand.
A memory of elephant poaching shows animals being killed for ivory, framed as evidence of humanity's past cruelty.
In one of the film's most disturbing scenes, a Nurturing Center worker (revealed to be Jonas's father) injects a newborn baby with a lethal injection, and the baby dies on screen — this is the film's darkest moment and is played seriously, not for shock value.
Jonas physically attacks his friend Asher during his escape from the Community, a tense but non-graphic physical struggle.
Jonas falls over 'the Edge' while carrying baby Gabriel during the climactic escape, resulting in a fall injury.
Overall violence is used to convey moral weight and consequence rather than for entertainment, but the infanticide and war memory scenes are unusually intense for a PG-13 film.

💬Language

Very Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mild Words

(damn, hell)

Moderate

(ass, b**ch)

Strong

(sh*t)

Extreme

(f**k)

The word 'stupid' is used once in the entire film.
No cursing, near-profanity, or creative insults are present beyond this single mild word.
No f-words, s-words, or any strong profanity of any kind detected in the script.

👻Scary Scenes

Extreme▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mildly Tense

Startling Moments

Genuinely Scary

Deeply Disturbing

The central twist — that 'Release to Elsewhere' is actually a euphemism for euthanizing infants and the elderly — is revealed gradually and is genuinely disturbing once understood.
Jonas has a scary realization that his love interest Fiona will be trained to perform these mercy killings herself as part of her assigned role.
A community-wide alert is issued naming Jonas a dangerous fugitive, creating a sudden, startling shift in tone as the peaceful society turns hostile.
Jonas and baby Gabriel are hunted by search parties in a tense extended escape sequence.
In a highly disturbing scene, Fiona is placed on a Release table as the Chief Elder prepares to euthanize her, cut short only by Jonas's actions elsewhere — this scene is resolved off-screen but is tense throughout.
These scenes are resolved through Jonas's escape and the community's eventual awakening to memory, but the emotional weight is not softened for younger viewers.

💕Romance

Moderate▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Crushes & Holding Hands

Kissing & Dating

Suggestive

Sexual Content

Jonas experiences 'Stirrings' (early feelings of attraction) toward his friend Fiona through memory and emotion, portrayed innocently.
Jonas has a dream about Fiona as he begins to feel emotions for the first time.
Jonas and Fiona share a tender, non-sexual moment of closeness in the forest, tied to a memory of dancing together.
The Chief Elder makes an unsettling suggestive remark, 'I'll be very gentle,' while preparing to euthanize Fiona during her Release ceremony — this is disturbing rather than romantic, but included here due to its phrasing.
No nudity, sexual content, or anything beyond a single kiss-adjacent embrace is depicted.

🍺Substances

Moderate▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mentioned in Passing

Shown Casually

Featured Prominently

Glorified or Abused

Citizens are required to take daily injections that suppress emotions and 'Stirrings' — a chilling metaphor for medicated conformity, shown as normal and expected.
Jonas deliberately stops taking his injections in order to feel emotions and retain memories, marking his first act of rebellion.
Fiona also skips her injection at Jonas's urging, allowing her to begin feeling emotion.
The same injection system is used lethally — 'Release' by lethal injection is administered to infants and the elderly, most disturbingly shown with a newborn baby.
Substance use here is depicted very negatively, symbolizing societal control and literal death rather than recreational or glamorized use.

⚡Stimulation

Extreme▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Gently Engaging

Exciting

Intense

Overwhelming

The pacing begins gently, with Jonas's first memory transfer showing peaceful snow and sledding imagery.
Memory sequences intensify with vivid color — such as red appearing in Fiona's hair — building sensory and emotional impact.
A war memory sequence involving combat, gunfire, and death is described as 'Overwhelming' in intensity and could be startling for sensory-sensitive viewers.
The elephant poaching memory is similarly overwhelming, showing animal cruelty in a jarring sensory sequence.
A joyful memory involving music and dancing offers an intense but positive emotional and sensory experience.
Sensory-sensitive children may be affected by the sharp contrasts between muted 'Sameness' scenes and the overwhelming bursts of memory imagery.

The Giver — Heads Up for Parents

Despite its PG-13 rating and dystopian YA-novel origins, the film includes a startlingly explicit scene of infanticide — a father figure lethally injecting a newborn baby, who dies on screen — which is more intense and disturbing than many parents might expect from the marketing.

About The Giver

In a strictly controlled 'utopian' community where emotions, color, and memory have been erased for the sake of peace and sameness, a teenage boy named Jonas is selected to become the Receiver of Memory, inheriting the world's forgotten history of joy, pain, war, and love. As he uncovers dark truths about how his society maintains its calm — including the real meaning of 'Release' — Jonas must decide whether to preserve the lie or risk everything to restore feeling and freedom to his world. The tone is somber and thought-provoking, blending sci-fi dystopia with coming-of-age themes.

👨‍👧

Best watched together

The heavy themes of euthanasia, the disturbing infanticide scene, and the near-Release of Fiona are emotionally complex and benefit from parental discussion, especially for viewers ages 12-14 who may need help processing the moral weight of the story.

Family Takeaways from The Giver

What it gets right

✓The film portrays childhood friendship and loyalty realistically, especially through Asher's final choice to let Jonas escape rather than enforce the Community's rules.
✓It shows genuine emotional growth — Jonas's compassion for Gabriel and his refusal to accept a sanitized version of 'Release' models empathy and critical thinking.

The Giver Cultural & Values Guide

Cultural & Values Guide

Values & Themes

●Traditional family values

The film's core message centers on the importance of genuine family bonds, love, and sacrifice - Jonas's quest to restore these authentic connections to his community drives the entire narrative. The contrast between the sterile, emotionless family units and real family love is the heart of the story's moral vision.

Cast:Jeff BridgesMeryl StreepBrenton ThwaitesAlexander SkarsgårdKatie Holmes