Hunger Games

[Jordan]

Last week I just finished reading "The Hunger Games" this week I am reading "Catching Fire" from the same series. I was wondering who all has read these books and who all will be attending the movie in the next few weeks? I would like to start a discussion about the differences between the movies and the books, the good the bad, and what everyone thinks about the cast. I really have enjoyed this series and would recommend it to everyone! It is very fast passed and easy to follow. Even though they have made it into a movie I don't feel that it is something to be passed over or skipped like a lot did with the twilight franchise.

[Daphne]

I am going to be starting the Hunger Games as soon as I can finish City of Bones! But I can't wait to see the movie!

[Jordan]

CAUTION SPOILERS BELOW:
alright, so last night I went to see Hunger Games and I have to say that the actresses and actors did a wonderful job playing each part. Jennifer Lawrence did a wonderful job as Katniss and Josh Hutcherson did a wonderful job as Peeta. I do have to say though that some of the major details of the book war sadly forgotten in the movie. One of the humorous parts of the book is when Haymitch falls off the stage at the reaping and that was not included. They completely changed the way that one of the character dies in the Hunger games. They change the time frame of when Peeta helped Katniss with the bread, they left out a lot of the gifts that Katniss is sent while in the Hunger Games. I feel the biggest part they left out was that Peeta doesn't have to get a prosthetic leg at the end like he does in the book. Also at the end of the movie Peeta isn't mad at Katniss like he is in the book. I think these were big details that were really needed in the movie to understand the whole picture and these details are needed to fully understand the next book. If you go to this movie and have not read the book I think that you would be extremely confused.
They don't give enough information on why Katniss is so bitter towards her mother. I think that it was a good movie they did a great job with getting the way everything looked ( I loved her dresses that were on fire) and the actors did wonderful but it can't compare to the books. SO MY ADVICE: read the book, then see the movie, and prepare that details will be missing from the movie.

[Lindsey]

SPOILERS HERE ALSO:
I agree with some of what you said, but I do think it was a pretty good adaptation in general. It had the same "feel" as the book did, which I don't think they accomplished in any of the Twilight movies. I'm pretty sure that they left out Haymitch falling off the stage because it would have taken away from the seriousness of the reaping. It would have felt awkward with the tone of that moment on screen even though it worked in the book. I'm betting that they leave out Peeta being mad at Katniss at the end because they originally weren't sure if they were going to make the rest of the books into movies. If he had been mad at her and the movie had stopped, I don't think the audience who were not fans of the books would have enjoyed it. Really, as a fan of the books if I only got one movie I'd rather them have kept Peeta and Katniss happy with each other. In the movie I don't think they made it quite as far as the book did either. Katniss and Haymitch don't let slip to Peeta that it was mostly for the game/sponsors/whatever until they are really at the end of the tour. I'm thinking the movie ends before the end of the actual tour and they will pick that back up with Catching Fire. I doubt they are going to leave out the entirety of him being mad at her because it is pretty significant. As far as the leg thing is concerned, I don't think it's a big deal. I'm going to assume that you haven't finished the rest of the series yet so I won't say anything else about it.

When you're dealing with a two hour movie being made from a nearly 400 page book, I don't think we can really expect everything to make it in. They cut out the entire idea of there being Avoxes because they didn't have the time to explain who they are and why Katniss recognized the red headed girl. They just have to hit the main points and do the best they can with the rest. Not to mention that some things have to be cut for budget reasons (like having Katniss at two significant different ages that would cost paying another person to be her when she was younger.) Overall, I think they did a pretty fantastic job and I really enjoyed it.

[Jordan]

I have to agree with everything you said. After I have gone back and thought about the movie and what you said I see why they had to cut what they did! I agree completely with you about the "feel" of the movies and the book being the same and I think that is really hard to achieve so I am glad that they got that right! I see what you mean about the Haymitch part and the reaping it really would not have worked because they did a wonderful job of keeping the reaping serious.I also see your point about Peeta being mad at Katniss. Your right that if the audience left feeling that Peeta was mad they would have focused on that more than all the great things they had just seen.

I have to say I loved Lenny Kravitz as Cinna! I also wanted to say that I was impressed with Josh Hutcherson I don't know if you have seen him in anything else, but I took my younger brother to see "Journey to the Island 2" and he was in it and I was not crazy about him in that movie, but in "Hunger Games" I thought he cute and portrayed Peeta perfectly.

I am almost done with "Catching Fire" so I will let you know what I think about it! Thanks for commenting on my post! I defiantly agree with what you said and appreciate your views on the movie!!! I Can't wait for the next one and to finish reading the series!

[Lindsey]

I really liked Lenny Kravitz as Cinna too. He was one of my favorite characters because he was such a support for Katniss. Lenny Kravitz did a REALLY good job. I love Josh Hutcherson as Peeta too. He was pretty close to the Peeta I imagined as I read. I wasn't a huge fan of the slicked back hair when he was dressed up, but the messy hair in the arena made him the perfect Peeta to me. I'm still not entirely sure how I felt about Liam Hemsworth as Gale. Sometimes I totally loved him and sometimes I was a little meh about him. I'm pretty sure that Jennifer Lawrence was made to be Katniss, though. She was completely perfect to me from beginning to end.

I LOVED Catching Fire. Mockingjay was fantastic too. What am I saying? The whole series is amazing. Haha.

[Jordan]

so I just finished Mockingjay! I feel like an emotional wreck right now. I really wanted to finish the book without crying, but when she talked about Finnick and Annies baby it got me. I really loved the ending and I was so happy about who Katniss ended up with. I would have liked some more information on Gale, any ideas on what people think would have happened with him? from what Katniss says at the end I think that with the information we were given it was to let us know that he could never truly be happy and Katniss needed to be with someone who made her happy and adored her like Peeta did. I have to say I'm sad this series is over I would love some more story about her life 15 years later but I am glad that we were given some insight into what happens. Now I need to read something happy to bring my spirits up lol!

[Lindsey]

That's a lot like how I felt when I finished it. It was just so INTENSE and then it was over! I completely agree with the way you saw the end of Gale's story.

I suppose it's always a possibility that Suzanne Collins could come back and write a little more later on. Really she could even pick up with Katniss and Peeta's kids in the future or Finnick and Annie's. You could get a glimpse of where everyone else is while they have their own stories.

My boyfriend (who has only seen the movie...but is going to read the series) said that he would like to know more about the previous Hunger Games. It would be really fun to have some of the more prominent past Hunger Games written out like Finnick's or Haymitch's.

I think I reread The Fault in Our Stars again after I finished Mockingjay. Which, is an amazing, funny story...until it's not. I think I could reread it after every book, though. I am on a bit of a John Green kick right now.

[Daphne]

I am about finished with The Hunger Games and I am going to see the movie today! Jordan (who is also my daughter for those who don't know) told me I had to finish the book before I can see the movie. I have cried several times already so I am probably going to hold off for a while before reading the second one.

[Lindsey]

I agree with Jordan on not seeing the movie until you read the book. I actually told some lady at target who was buying The Hunger Games the same thing. I hope you enjoy the movie!

[Jordan]

Lindsey I agree with your boyfriend, I would be really interested if she wrote some books about the earlier hunger games. I am sure that she gets so many emails with people begging her to write more in the series so hopefully since its been so successful she will.

[Holly]

I hate to jump in lol but I actually really liked Liam Hemsworth as Gale. He's close the the Gale I, imagined. As for Josh, he's not what I imagined because if memory serves me right, Peeta, in the books had blue eyes. Josh did not and that's a pet peeve of mine. He did a great job but I did hate some of the faces he made lol

As far as more, my husband said he love to know what previous games were like, see the uprising that lead to them even.

[Lindsey]

Why hate to jump in? JUMP IN! We don't mind. :)

I think one of my big things against Liam Hemsworth was that he just looked TOO big. People say things about Jennifer Lawrence not being right because she wasn't STARVED...and I think that's too far. I'm not going to expect an actress to develop an eating disorder for a role, but I think Liam was a bit too much. Josh and Jennifer both looked about the right size for people who live in a place with little food. They would naturally have a little muscle from being so active, but I don't think they would be buff. As far as Josh's eyes, that doesn't really bother me. There are SO MANY movies that have been made from books that don't have the right eye colors. I've learned to stop fighting that battle.

Earlier I did say that I didn't really like Josh with his slicked back hair. The Peeta I imagined wouldn't have had his hair like that. I mean, obviously, he would be a little more dressed up for the reaping and for the tour of the districts at the end than he was in the arena, but I found it kinda distracting. When he was messy-hair Peeta, I loved him.

[Daphne]

I know that most people have read this book or at least seen the movie. That being said I think it would be a waste of time to re-cap the book (which I really don’t like doing anyhow). I would give this book 100 stars if I could. The book inflicts so many emotions and imparts feelings and sparks discussions among readers. There have not been many books that I can remember reading that have sparked such an interest in a massive number of people. Of course the Harry Potter books did this recently but I didn’t walk away from those books feeling more insightful or a somewhat different person for having read them. The Hunger Games did that for me, they have created a place in my heart that only a handful of books have managed to occupy. I daresay this book is a “game changer” for many readers, I don’t think you can walk away from it without it affecting you in some fashion.
If I were a high school English teacher I would definitely implement this book into my class reading list. I think that some amazing discussions could ensue if this book were read along with

Lord of the Flies, 1984,Brave New World, Animal Farm
and to show a real Dystopian time for our country
The Jungle
Please Please Please read this book. Don't just see the movie. Best bet....read the book then see the movie.
I wouldn't change one single casting choice in the movie or music choices either. I know there were some changes in the movie but there had to be, most of the book goes on in Katniss's head so of course that makes a movie difficult to make. All in all I think the director, screenplay writers and casting director did a fantastic job.
I need a break before I start book 2, but I am looking forward to continuing the journey.
Till then,
Daphne

[Jordan]

Holly: I agree about Liam Hemsworth being a great Gale, I will be interested to see how he does in the next movies, since he will get a bigger role as the story progresses. I have to say that I love Josh as Peeta, but I can see why people would be upset by him not having blue eyes since that is repeatedly referred to in the later books. I am honesty surprised they didn't have him wear contacts for the movie. Lindsey I hate to hear that people were complaining about Jennifer's size. I agree with you, I am glad she wasn't encouraged to starve herself for this role. I think she did an amazing job and people should focus more on her acting and not her body size.

[Lindsey]

TOTALLY agree with that about Jennifer. I was surprised to hear it too. People were also complaining about some of the characters being portrayed by African Americans, though. Some people will complain about anything, though.

In my opinion, Jennifer look(s/ed) great. Really, I'm pretty happy with every aspect of the adaptation. The only things I've kinda complained about are only my nit-picky complaints. It was just excellent.