I just went with my family to see the
new Hunger Games movie (I read the book a couple times).
I was impressed by the storytelling, by the acting (especially for an
action-type film), and by how closely the filmmakers were able to
stick to the heart of the story as written in the books.
Additionally,
I was glad that the complexity of the books was not completely
ignored in the film. The Hunger Games
is one of those series' written for and marketed to teens that
actually does what it should – explores the complexities of the
actual and real lives that teens today are living.
Let me
just say that I don't have any desire for my children, or any
children, to have to navigate a world like the one that Katniss and
Peeta and Gale and Prim have to live in. At the same time, though,
these characters have some of the same struggles that young people do
today, and so I'm glad they're explored in literature and film.
From
one perspective, this is a classic coming of age story. Katniss is
forced, by the circumstances of the world around her, to grow up
quickly and act like an adult even while she longs for the comfort
and perceived safety & security of childhood. And though she
doesn't feel like she's ready, she faces what comes her way with
grace and honor – just like, I'm sure, most teenagers hope that
they will.
From
another angle, we see the struggle with a loss of innocence. I'm
sure you remember taking that step from what was to what will be, and
realizing later that you'll never be able to go back. Maybe it was
the first time you got drunk, the first time you had sex, or when you
realized the truth about Santa Claus – whatever seminal moment it
was in your life, it was a turning point from which you could never
regress. The biggest of these moments in the Hunger Games
story is when Prim's (Katniss' sister) name is called at the reaping,
and Katniss, in volunteering as tribute in her sister's place, takes
the step from which she can't turn back.
The
Hunger Games trilogy
also explores the complexities of human interpersonal relationships
as we see Katniss struggle with knowing how to relate to the two
boys/men that she loves. Not knowing how to relate to Peeta without
hurting Gale, and not knowing how to save her relationship with Gale
even as their shared experience forces her to grow closer to Peeta
surely mirrors what many teenagers feel – or, if not, I must be
completely alone.
And
the closest-to-home part of the complexity of her relationship with
Peeta and Gale is the truth that there's never any satisfactory and
satisfying resolution. Thanks be to God and Suzanne Collins, there's
no sitcom ending, because the reality is that our real-life
relationships in the real world are really and actually complicated.
It's nice to see that reflected here as well.
There's
a lot more to appreciate about this story beyond the reflection of
how teenagers may experience life, but that's a topic for another
blog post – maybe in the next day or two?
$0.02