Team Katniss

Don't expect there not to be any spoilers in what follows.

I read The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay in the course of about a week. I was sucked in, to say the least. I was really excited to see the movies once I was informed that was happening.

Really, when I finished, I was very worried the book wouldn't translate well to the silver screen. (do we still ever call it the silver screen?) You see, the book is narrated in first person. Katniss tells us the story from the future. She tells us her feelings about things. She takes time to give us backstory that influences her and explains her actions. The book does have a lot of imagery but we are told what is going on versus shown, most of the time.

Finally, once my accompaniment returned, I went to see it a week after its opening. We were both very excited and we had both read the books.

For the most part, the characters were nailed. The most glaring mistake was Haymitch. He is supposed to be a drunk. Like a major, can't function without it, drunk. He should look rough, worn, weathered, puffy face, drunk. Maybe they were trying to clean this up for the kids. But we aren't supposed to like him. He should be despised by the audience. We are to think, "this guy is the worthless sack that is supposed to help Katniss and Peeta? They'll be dead in 2 seconds."

Next problem, the pin! For God's sake the pin wasn't just some thing, it was important. It provides a connection to the mayor of district 12, it was given to Katniss by the closest thing she had to a friend that wasn't in love with her. And we learn that it is a symbol of rebellion.

Last big detail you miss in the movie? all this bread stuff. Katniss was starving. her family was starving. her dad was dead. her mom was out of her mind with grief. she was almost dead. she was digging through garbage and without hope. Then, this boy, who she doesn't know, just some boy in her school comes out of his house being beaten by his mother. Katniss knows he is in trouble for ruining bread. in district 12 you don't ruin bread. The baker's son, that has been helping for years drops bread in the oven? This kind of stuff doesn't happen. He tosses most of it to his pigs but after his mother goes inside he tosses bread toward her. he actually noticed her. the girl that was dying. the girl that was hopeless. the girl that was helpless. the girl sitting in the pouring rain waiting to die. he noticed her. and helped her. and sacrificed himself for her. This turns her entire life around. Turns her into the person that will be the Mockingjay, that will take on the Capitol and change the course of history for an entire country. All because this boy tossed her bread.

She doesn't know this immediately obviously but throughout the book we are continually reminded of this. We are shown that this small event becomes a huge event that changes her life forever. You loose all this in the movie.

But it is still a great movie. L thought it was perhaps better than the book. I think we used the details of the book to make the movie better. She and I are looking forward to the next 2 movies.

I encourage you to check out some other discussion over on kidchamp's blog.