The Hunger Games

Dear Diary ,

It’s been a long time since I’ve last written to you on my blog and this time I want to write about something real life that touched me. It’s not really about real life, but just a movie. So, this is not in any way about SL, but will be my saving place for my thoughts on this pg rated movie, “The Hunger Games”.



First of all, yes, I did cry in the movie… several times. Maybe it was just the day, my mood, or spring allergies acting up causing my eyes to water over time and again, but this movie really was disturbing to me on many levels, although I liked it a lot and would recommend it to others. I think I’d worry if anyone told me this movie didn’t disturb them at least a little bit.



The Hunger Games is a young adult novel written by American Suzanne Collins published in 2008 with the movie released last week. I saw the movie this past weekend and now have all 3 books sitting at home waiting for me to read them. The trilogy includes, “The Hunger Games”, “Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay”. It seems the books and movie are now going viral with the books easily found front and center at Walmart and our local large theater providing 7 showings Sunday. Thankfully I arrived at the theater early as it appeared my theater time slot was full or sold out. I heard it topped the box office during a month of other amazing movie releases, so I guess I’m not the only one thinking about this story. Although it’s written for young adults and is even reading material in many junior high schools, a lot of mature adults including my friends are on top of this. Rumors indicate the next two books will be made into movies as well and that the novels become increasingly disturbing. Following the movie I expect a full uprising from “the people”. But I suppose if I search this online I’d find all kinds of information and know exactly what will happen. I’ll wait it out for myself most likely unless I can’t bear the suspense, as it’s more fun not spoiling my surprise.



This movie to me seemed to touch on subjects of hope, teamwork, poverty, survival, government power, society’s craving for shock tv or survival type games, child suffering, and oppression. It includes the standard love triangle which is necessary to complete the story though rather than just add warm fuzzies. Once I heard it has some Christian themes, which I suppose could be drawn from some parts of the movie such as when the young heroine volunteers to take the place of her younger sister in a sacrificial way as at that point there is little hope for survival. Also, the hero takes a knife basically ultimately meant for the heroine, was left for dead, betrayed by a group he banded with, then lays in a cave for a few days before full recovery, etc,. Personally I think that is a stretch to think the author intended for it to have a Christian them, or intentionally planned that, but rather some similarities coincidentally can be found. Anyway, I guess only the author can answer that one and I doubt this is a wide belief. I also thought bits of the story line were pretty unbelievable at times with missing pieces of how this could work in reality, but I have a decent imagination and that didn’t detract while watching from my full belief and enjoyment. Maybe entertainment vs enjoyment is a better word choice for what I felt of this movie. It was almost one of those train wreck moment type movies, as you just can’t look away. It’s a gruesome thought that we’ve made entertainment out of children ages 12 -17 killing each other for survival. Reading and watching this movie, along with so many others, almost makes one feel like the rich adults cheering on the children watching “The Hunger Games” in the movie. The young children kill each other off in survival mode one by one while cannons boom out upon each child’s death. But then again, I guess our boys go off to war at age 18 in real life.



O well, Dear Diary, I guess that is that, and I got it off my chest. Sincerely, KT