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The Hunger Games, one of the most gripping thought-provoking series to
come out of the young adult world in recent years.
There film adaptations are huge
sprawling blockbusters for all ages.
Now both are fantastic but just how faithful
were the films to their source material? We're looking into it on this episode of
"Book To Screen."
Let's begin with Effie Trinket's iconic line to kick off the
Hunger Games, "May the odds be ever in your favor." A wonderful moment in the books
dripping with menace. Readers like myself were shocked watching the movie as the
line had been changed to, "Now is the time for the titular Hunger Games the teenage
games about fighting. Get on out there and do it up big time baby."
Elizabeth Banks is great in the scene but the line isn't as memorable.
On the topic of the
deadly Hunger Games, sponsorship is a huge part of the novels and the films.
In the movies, Katniss receives gifts of soup and burn medicine.
In the books however,
you'll remember that most of Katniss's gifts were jars of Spanish
olives from Gale. Gale would include a note saying, "In case you're running low,"
with each new jar.
In the movies, Gale never even mentions olives
Interesting change.
In the films, Katniss spends a lot of the story torn between the
romantic affection of Gale and Peeta. It completely cuts out her third love
interest Jeremy, who is described in the books as a guy she met at camp who lives
in a different district.
Most of the major characters did make the leap from page
to screen, including Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, Haymitch Abernath,
even Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith.
But a lot of characters were left out, like Rumpeltin Brandsbeach,
Chadwick Butterbowlingsworth, Saxby Channing-Tatum, Hoxton Chucklesteen, Brigdesbee Butternut and Warmpole Thormp.
I don't know about you guys, but I miss Warmpole Thormp.
Now here's a huge change, in the books when Peeta first arrives in the arena,
He immediately calls 911. The police come and everyone is
arrested for making the kids fight. This was left out of the film
in an effort to stretch out the story. I get that. In the first book, Cinna, the
rebellious stylist who designs the outfits for Katniss and Peeta, made Peeta
wear one of those Borat swimsuit as a goof. In the movie, he wears normal Hunger
Games stuff. Another major difference is how in the books the story is told completely
from the perspective of Katniss Everdeen. While in the movie, the story is told entirely
from the perspective of the actor Stanley Tucci and we see many many
scenes that involve only Stanley Tucci as he discusses what it was like to be in the movie.
Now I'll give the Hunger Games films 3 out of 5 faithful adaptation points
though I really wish hollywood would stick to the source material.
See you next time and I love you.