As the final box office numbers were tallied, no doubt remains of the power The Hunger Games has wielded over contemporary pop culture. Well received by fans and critics alike, the movie can boast action like Harry Potter without the extensive CGI and tension like Twilight minus the nauseating love triangle, horrendous acting, and questionable heroine. Instead, there is something dirty, gritty, and real to the lead character of Katniss and to THG itself that both of its contemporaries lack despite the fact that it actually takes place in the future. How is this possible? It is my belief that a clandestine combination of an engaging story, great casting, and savvy marketing that transcends this film from it's young adult genre to something that all ages can appreciate and enjoy.
With a story that takes a dystopian society a la George Orwell's 1984 and a shocking battle-to-the-death like that of Japan's Battle Royale, Suzanne Collins novel blows any other coming-of-age tale out of the water. What makes it so shocking and relatable at the same time is that it is uniquely American and prays upon our ideals and cultural insecurities. Again, all this sounds like it could easily become a horrible read but that is when a fiercely like able protagonist becomes imperative. Katniss Everdeen, the girl in fire, is the girl all the girls want to be and all the guts want to be with. She is intelligent and perceptive to a fault, not to mention a huntress and provider for her family. A true role model who struggles with doing what's right and not just what is expected of her as a woman and as a child. The lynchpin, then, in this entire process was the female actor that would embodied all this - someone unconventional, smart as hell, and with some serious acting chops. Jennifer Lawrence is Katniss Everdeen and even though the book gives us the entire story in first person, Lawrence is able to deliver every iota of emotion, humor, and tension that we as an audience need. If the book is what brought people to the theater, her performance kept them in their seats.
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| Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen |
The real credit to the commercial success of this movie lies with the marketing. It's a tough sell, when you look at it, kids killing each other and all. Lionsgate could have easily taken the beaten path and played up the love sick teens - it worked for Twilight, right? Well, if you have seen the numbers, THG beat not one but all the opening weekend numbers held by Twilight and is now the third biggest behind the last HP film and The Dark Knight. How this happened is Lionsgate knew they had the teens in the bag so they decided to go for the "25 and over" group. With a trailer that seemed more indie that blockbuster and a focus on the stark reality of the game, they were able to entice slightly older crowd - including me. In a sense, they wanted the Harry Potter crowd, those who were a decade older and harder to impress than the Twi-hards. By understanding the difference in what each group was looking for, they were able to appeal to both. Also, putting this film outside of the summer blockbuster season eludes its competition, so that adults over 25, which according to Box Office Mojo did make up over half of the population, could focus on THG and not be tempted to go see The Dark Night Rises or Men in Black 3 instead. What, then, becomes of the Twi-hards? Well, their saga is coming to a close so they needed something new anyway. The Hunger Games provided them with a small, teasing taste of what they like whilst bringing their heads out of the sparkly clouds.
The Hunger Games is as much about our disturbing obsession with reality TV and the horrors that await our mind numbing culture as it is a young girl trying to save those she cares about. The message is deep, especially for something that is "meant" for teens which is why I think the real triumph here is its ability to transcend genres. When I read the book, I thought, "This is so not for kids..." and upon seeing the movie I thought the same thing, (though the PG-13 rating made them tone down the gore and violence making it more kid friendly...I guess.) Like the games themselves, the movie didn't treat me like a kid. There was no playful tone or condescending music that was trying to manipulate my feelings about what was going on. They didn't need that because the story, the acting, and the execution was so clear and good. I am in for the long haul and odds are, so is the rest of the world.
