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S2:E21 - The Hunger Games (2012 Film)
23 Plays10 days ago
It’s the end of Season 2—and we’re going out with a bang (and possibly a Mockingjay whistle). Lindsey is back to host the finale, bringing everything full circle from our very first episode of the season. And what better way to wrap things up than by heading straight into the arena? This week, we’re diving into The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and its iconic film adaptation.
Hosted by Lindsey with co-hosts Crystal and Keri.
Books & Adaptations Mentioned:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games (2012 Film)
Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
Battle Royale (2000 Film)
The Running Man by Stephen King
The Long Walk by Stephen King
Question of the Episode:
- What was your favorite adaptation from season 2?
Share your opinions with us on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube or email us at basedonabookpodcast@gmail.com.
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Send us a Book Adaptation Request!
Intro/Outro Music - Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!)
Thanks for listening to Based on a Book - see you in the next chapter!
Chapters:
(00:00) Introductions
(02:20) Ratings and Non-Spoiler Discussion
(13:25) Book vs Movie Breakdown (SPOILERS)
(1:17:33) Question of the Episode
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to 'The Hunger Games' Discussion
00:00:08
Speaker
Welcome, welcome listeners, based on a book, podcast that volunteers as tribute so you don't have to. I'm Lindsay, your capital-appointed host for this season's Hunger Games episode.
00:00:22
Speaker
And I'm Crystal. If I were in the arena, i would die of infection after a minor injury. And I'm Carrie, and I sense that my reading slump is officially over.
00:00:35
Speaker
And today, we are stepping into the arena of dystopia, rebellion, and emotionally confusing love triangles as we break down The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and its 2012 film adaptation starring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson.
00:00:52
Speaker
but Yeah, Hutcherson. This is our final episode of our first in a series theme. And the final episode of season two.
00:01:03
Speaker
Woo. Over the past few weeks, we've covered magical worlds, polar bears in hot air balloons, emotionally confusing billionaires, and now kids fighting to the death for capital entertainment.
00:01:19
Speaker
Truly, we've been on a journey. So grab your Mockingjay pins, avoid the Nightlock berries, and may the odds be ever in your favor. And with that, I'd like to welcome you all to the 74th annual Hunger Games.
Summary of 'The Hunger Games' Premise
00:01:35
Speaker
In the ashes of rebellion, Pan Am, Rose, it's a gleaming capital at its heart, 12 districts at its feet. As punishment for their past defiance, each district must offer up one boy and one girl to fight to the death in a televised spectacle.
00:01:54
Speaker
When Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her sister's place, she becomes more than a tribute. She becomes a spark. In an arena where every sound could be your last, every smile could be a threat, and survival is the ultimate rebellion, one girl must decide what kind of player she'll be.
00:02:15
Speaker
hand's being attacked. I'm pretty sure. Little wants to be a part of the episode. She's volunteering as tribute.
00:02:26
Speaker
um I think this is our first ever reread for all three of us.
Emotional Impact and God Tier Rating
00:02:31
Speaker
um So with that, I kind of want to start our ratings with Crystal. Oh, what'd you think?
00:02:41
Speaker
I was terrified to reread this. I'm not gonna lie. i I knew I would like it. I've always loved the story. I've always loved the book. But I was really kind of scared because, like, to be fair, our world right now is kind of scary.
00:02:57
Speaker
And this book highlights a lot of scary things that could happen if, you know, ah the art the world around us doesn't wake up and kind of take care of things. You know what i mean?
00:03:09
Speaker
And so I wasn't sure I wanted to read this. But I'm glad I did. i cried through the whole whole thing for the most part. Knowing what was coming, I would start crying before it even happened because I knew it was coming, you know?
00:03:23
Speaker
It hit me hard, but in all the right places. And it made me really reflect on what I feel like I can do as a citizen now to make sure that our world doesn't go into a dark direction.
00:03:41
Speaker
It reminded me of the things that I'm responsible for as a citizen of this community. And it just really, i don't know, just...
00:03:54
Speaker
i I gave it five volunteers because I really hope that my community would volunteer when the need arises. But there's nothing about this story that makes me go, oh, I wish they had done it like this, or I wish it was written this way, or I wanted to see more whatever or less. what Nothing. there I have no notes, no criticism of this story at all.
00:04:22
Speaker
And to me, that's a solid five. That's it. No notes. Everybody should read it. I love that. Carrie? I totally agree with literally everything Crystal said.
00:04:37
Speaker
Like you said, this is a reread for me. literally get emotional just thinking about it because... I never thought, like, this was always like, this is a five-star series to me.
Casting Controversies
00:04:53
Speaker
I read this when I was really young, loved it. But I never, it never, like, occurred to me that this is a series that I would want to continuously reread over and over again.
00:05:09
Speaker
And rereading it literally opened my eyes, like, This is on the level like of rereading ACOTAR to me. like I've reread ACOTAR a million times.
00:05:23
Speaker
And I'm like, oh, this should be up there with that series of rereading it multiple times. And I gave it six Mockingjays because this is like God Tier series.
00:05:42
Speaker
This right here showed that it is a God Tier series. This is what reading is about. It's inspirational. it's It's everything.
00:05:54
Speaker
It is literally everything. And I can't believe it's like sitting on my shelf and I'm not continuously coming back and rereading my favorite scenes and rereading this book all the time.
00:06:08
Speaker
So like I'm like, oh my god, I cannot believe I'm not doing, like this isn't sitting on my god tier shelf right now. like This is crazy. So this is like, it's going up in my six star series list forever.
00:06:26
Speaker
I am so excited because I think this is going
Inspiration or Plagiarism?
00:06:30
Speaker
to be our first episode. Perfect score for an episode because I gave it five Mocking J's.
00:06:40
Speaker
Yes! I was also really scared to read this because I read it about the time that Catching Fire came out. I was a little late, but before the movie came out.
00:06:54
Speaker
And I was afraid to go back and read it because I remember I enjoyed it when it came out and I read it for the first time. And i thought I thought it wasn't going to live up to it. i thought I thought I was going to be you know older and it it just wasn't going to hit the same. And I was pleasantly surprised that it may have surpassed my original read. 100%. Yep.
00:07:18
Speaker
That's exactly how I felt. So I was super excited that we actually covered this one. And again, I remember when this movie was coming out and like Fifty Shades of Grey, the casting for this movie was driving people crazy. Yeah. yeah And at one point, Emma Roberts, Chloe Grace Moretz, Haley Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Emily Browning and Brie Larson were all considered to play Katniss.
00:07:49
Speaker
And I specifically remember that I really wanted Emily Browning to be Katniss because I was obsessed with her. Yeah. And Katniss is like an icon in pop culture in general.
00:08:01
Speaker
Yes. Like it's just like a very iconic character period you in general. I remember casting Josh Hutcherson.
00:08:13
Speaker
That was my peak childhood Carrie experience. That was her peak crush. Was Josh Hutcherson, Bridge to Terabithia, Firehouse Dog.
00:08:25
Speaker
I was in love with him then. so was like, oh my gosh. Like literally I had posters of him on my wall. That's cute. It was like that, Jonas Brothers and Ian Somerhalder.
00:08:36
Speaker
Yeah.
00:08:40
Speaker
Well, speaking of PETA, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Alexander Ludwig, and even Evan Peters, were they were all considered to play PETA.
00:08:51
Speaker
And then Hutcherson eventually was cast. And then Ludwig was cat later cast as Cato. So he did at least make the movie. Yeah. He's in so many like of those like teen dystopian or like fantasy type films.
00:09:11
Speaker
movies and stuff like he's always in something yeah i knew his face looked really familiar yeah we also had john c reilly um who was originally going to play haymitch before it went to woody harrelson and then we also have the return of stanley tucci as caesar flickerman so fantastic cast for this movie and absolutely And then along with Fifty Shades, there was also some controversy for the story.
00:09:39
Speaker
There was a lot of discussion over the years about how The Hunger Games might have been inspired by the 1999 novel Battle Royale and its 2000 film adaptation.
00:09:50
Speaker
And Quentin Tarantino even called The Hunger Games a direct ripoff of this series. But author Suzanne Collins has said in interviews that she had never even heard of Battle Royale until she had already submitted her manuscript, and her editor was actually the one who pointed out the similarities, but told her not to read the book, saying something like, um you don't want that world in your head.
00:10:15
Speaker
So Collins said that her main inspiration came from Greek mythology, specifically the myth of Thesis and the Minotaur, where Athens was forced to send seven boys and seven girls into a deadly maze as a sacrifice.
District 12 and Survival
00:10:30
Speaker
And interestingly, The author of Battle Royale, I think it's Koshin Takami, said that he was inspired by Lord of the Flies.
00:10:42
Speaker
And Stephen King has even jumped into the debate, pointing out that similar premises have shown up in his earlier works, too, like his own novels, The Running Man and The Long Walk.
00:10:55
Speaker
Mm hmm. Little agrees. She totally agrees. She loves Stephen King. Yeah. loves She does. She does love Stephen King. She hates Pet Sematary though. Yeah. Fair. Fair.
00:11:08
Speaker
But before we actually dive further into the book movie breakdown, um are there any other non-spoilerly thoughts or topics we want to cover? I will say something that's interesting. the Oh my gosh. What is his name? Liam Hemsworth.
00:11:26
Speaker
Mm-hmm. That plays Gale. He actually originally went for Peta's character auditioned for Peta's character. And they're like, no. And gave it to... They're like, no.
00:11:39
Speaker
You're going to beat Gale. I actually thought it was funny because Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Heemsworth are both naturally blonde and they dyed their hair brunette for their characters. And Josh Hutcherson is naturally brunette and dyed hair blonde.
00:11:55
Speaker
Yeah. yeah And I always love watching, like, I remember even when it first came out, Hunger Games first came out, I loved watching their interviews in behind the scenes because Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, they have such good chemistry.
00:12:14
Speaker
Not romantic chemistry. It's like very good friendship outside of the movie. And they're just so funny and so fun together. i love that. I did read that they were goofing around and she ended ended up kicking him in the head and gave him a concussion.
00:12:30
Speaker
Yeah. During filming. um He was completely knocked out. Yeah, I just want to point out that Jennifer Lawrence is from Kentucky. So is Josh Hutcherson.
00:12:41
Speaker
Keeping up the long tradition of Kentucky leading ladies, though, like Rosemary Clooney and Ashley Judd. So I just anytime I can like rep Kentucky is someplace really cool.
00:12:55
Speaker
You got Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. Yeah. I'm telling you. go you We got some great actors in here. A few not so great, but a lot of really good. Like George Clooney. I'm just saying.
00:13:06
Speaker
Just don't don't talk about the not so great ones. Nope. Not saying it. but Yeah. No.
00:13:14
Speaker
Well, okay. I guess if we're ready to break it down. Let's jump in. Okay. Okay.
Visuals and Music in the Film
00:13:21
Speaker
this show video you know Let's not do that. no Especially not after or before the first 60 seconds. because No.
00:13:30
Speaker
yeah Then you're done. This episode does contain spoilers for both the book and the movie. If you haven't read or watched and you want to go in fresh, now's your chance to pause and come back after you've volunteered as tribute.
00:13:46
Speaker
And as a reminder, The Hunger Games includes themes of violence, war, death, and child endangerment. So listen with care. All right. Welcome back, tributes. That might be the shortest content warning list that Lindsay has ever given.
00:14:02
Speaker
yeah on It's young adult. so but It's young adult PG-13. Yeah. like go so far i mean, honestly, this like the first PG-13 that Lindsay has done in like a while?
00:14:18
Speaker
I think it's season two. All of season two, this is my first PG-13. I think Warm Bodies may have been PG-13, but other than that, I think this is the only one. so it's my first episode of season two.
00:14:30
Speaker
I'm going to start it with a PG-13 and end it with a PG-13. Yeah. And get chaos in between. Exactly. Oh my Wait. Warm Bodies was also kind of a Romeo, Juliet, Starcrossed Lovers, and now we're doing Hunger Games. Yeah.
00:14:48
Speaker
but yep oh lord we really bookend this season real well apparently i have a theme yep set grump and sunshine in the grump and sunshine yep yep that's exactly just a little bit okay so we're gonna go scene by scene we're gonna highlight what they've changed from the book in the movie uh what stayed in the same what hit harder book or film But in both the book and the movie, Panem is introduced as a dystopian future where the capital rules over 12 districts.
00:15:26
Speaker
District 1 is luxury items. District 2 is masonry and defense. District 3 is general electronics. District 4 is fishing.
00:15:38
Speaker
District 5 is power or electricity. District 6 is transportation. District 7 is lumber. District 8 is textiles.
00:15:49
Speaker
District 9 is grain. District 10 is livestock. District 11 is agriculture. And District 12 is coal. And the book does give us more context as far as who Katniss is.
00:16:06
Speaker
um She lives in the seam where people are starving and hunting is illegal but necessary for survival. In the movie, this is shown more visually visually than is told because District 12 looks bleak and gray. and um Yeah.
00:16:26
Speaker
Like the aesthetics of it is very specific. Yes. It really reminded me of, like, ah the Wizard of Oz movie where everything starts out black and white.
00:16:39
Speaker
You know, it kind of had that vibe. You know, it was in full color, but all the colors were super subdued and super do just dull and worn out. You know, everything looked, you know, like hand-me-downs you'd washed 10,000 times and started to lose their color, you know?
00:16:57
Speaker
Even...
00:17:00
Speaker
In his Dark Materials TV show, they kind of like do that in their own way. And I'm noticing it a lot more as we analyze different movies and TV shows, how they're using colors in the scene to portray what is going on in the show, what the vibe is. I think that's interesting.
00:17:25
Speaker
yeah Also in the music, because this is done by James Newton Howard, the soundtrack is. And this, all the Hunger Games soundtracks are so iconic and so good.
00:17:41
Speaker
I listen to these damn soundtracks. Every time I'm reading a fantasy book, these are the soundtracks I have on in the background because they are so epic and just so freaking good.
00:17:53
Speaker
Like everybody has a specific song too. Like if you'll notice like there's like the main like Hunger Games score, but there's adjusted songs that are specific to Peeta, specific to Katniss, specific to Prim, her sister.
00:18:10
Speaker
And you'll tell whose song is playing ah for a scene or specific to like Katniss and Peeta together, Katniss and Gail together. Mm-hmm. And i'll I'll hear it every single time. And it's just so good.
00:18:23
Speaker
i love it so much. That's such a good touch. Yeah, I love it. ah But in the book, we get Katniss's inner thoughts.
Societal Inequalities in District 12
00:18:33
Speaker
We get to hear her resentment toward the capital, her fears, and her survival instincts.
00:18:40
Speaker
And I think the internal dialogue is a big part of what makes the book so powerful. Absolutely. Mm-hmm. There's a character we meet like in this very first bit that's left out of the movie. It's Madge, the mayor's daughter.
00:18:56
Speaker
yeah And I understand why she was left out of the movie. I totally get it. But I think she's super important because she's the mayor's daughter. She didn't ever have to hunt for food. In fact, Katniss and Gail...
00:19:11
Speaker
sell some of their fines and catches or whatever to the mayor. Like they had enough money that they didn't go without. But of course, because she's a kid, her name still goes into the, the hunger games draw or whatever, just like every other kid.
00:19:26
Speaker
But because we're getting Katniss's perspective, we hear that like she is kind of resentful of Madge, but she knows she shouldn't hold it against her because Madge didn't have anything to do with how, where she was born. She was born the mayor's daughter. She was lucky that way.
00:19:44
Speaker
And I think that moment of, It feels kind of like the haves and have nots, but even Katniss recognizes that they don't really have that much either.
00:19:57
Speaker
It's not, they're not really that great either. And I think it's a really good description of how governments really do tend to pit the lower class citizens or the, you know, up against each other.
00:20:14
Speaker
And i i I feel like it... I don't want to say that it was missing in the movie because it it really... We didn't need it in the movie. But that little extra perspective of these books is just kind of a little bit more of that thought process of Katniss. A little bit more of that perspective, I think, is really what made this book make me cry through the whole book.
00:20:41
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Well, I... Whenever I... was noticing a difference later specifically to that character. i had looked up something about that character and I may have seen a little spoiler about a future book that I have not read and where that character is significant.
00:21:04
Speaker
So, and I know more movies have been made. So I'm like, how's this character going to be brought in if they were never brought into the movies? So I think that's interesting.
00:21:16
Speaker
Just a thought. Yeah. Katniss's younger sister, Prim, she's 12.
The Reaping Scene's Emotional Depth
00:21:22
Speaker
It's the first year her name is included in the drawing. And the way the drawing works is similar to a lottery system.
00:21:29
Speaker
When you turn 12, your name is added once to the drawing and it increases by one each year until you're 18. However, for families that are desperate for extra food rations, each year you can enter your name an additional time for each member in your home.
00:21:47
Speaker
So this is on top of your initial entry. So at this point, Katniss has her name in the drawing 20 times and Gail's name is in the drawing 42 times. yeah And in this instance, 42 is not the answer.
00:22:02
Speaker
No. No. No. Definitely not.
00:22:07
Speaker
Lindsay's laughing at her. It is the opposite. I just like how you both said no at the same time. No. No, it's not. But you also weren't impressed with the joke, so you were like, no. It is not the answer to life, the universe, or anything.
00:22:23
Speaker
It's true. but Not in this book. and Not in this world. So at the reaping... Of course, Prim's name is drawn and Katniss volunteers in her place.
00:22:37
Speaker
And the movie nails this moment emotionally. But theby the book adds the extra weight with Katniss's fear and guilt for not protecting Prim better.
00:22:49
Speaker
Mm-hmm. And... like Something in the movie. I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry. yeah We don't get to see that in the... We kind of see it in the movie, but hearing her, i can't let them see me cry. i can't let them think I'm weak. I can't... like it in The game started this moment.
00:23:07
Speaker
The minute her like she volunteered, she knew she the game start began. And we don't get to quite see that in the movie. And again...
00:23:20
Speaker
this is God to your book because of that, you know? Yeah. i ah so unexpectedly, like I've read this before. I've seen the movie hundreds of times. Like I've rewatched this movie tons of times.
00:23:36
Speaker
And when I got to this part of the book, I was like crying a lot. And I got to the part of the movie and I started crying. I'm like, wow that hit me way harder than I expected.
00:23:48
Speaker
And I think it's because it was just written so well. And also, even in the movie where she's like trying to prep print because she's like, you've never done this before. You've never been through this process. This is what they're going to do.
00:24:00
Speaker
They're going to prick your finger. They're going to do all these things whenever you go up there. And also it's like, She's worried for Prim, but she's like, you know, she's only in there one time.
00:24:15
Speaker
You know, she's only in there one time. I'm in there a lot more than she is. Like, you know, it's scary, but I'm i'm in there more than she is. And then her name being pulled is just like, like the devastation is astronomical. And it's like, I don't know, it's just written so well. And it just really emotionally impacted me a lot.
00:24:39
Speaker
Mm-hmm. It was that older sister in you too. Yeah. Yeah. And the need to protect your younger sister. Yeah. And it like made me like cry. i had like sit back for a second because I was like, I picturing myself in the situation her where like you're trying to protect your sister.
Peeta's Character Backstory
00:25:00
Speaker
And also like her at this point being terrified Because, you know, she's also had to take care of her sister, you know, for a really long time because her mom had been, you know, emotionally
00:25:18
Speaker
you know, kind of just like out of the situation because of her father's death. So she had to kind of pick up the pieces and feed her family. So she's kind of been just like in this space of like, must protect family, must protect family, must protect sister, you know, keep them fed, keep them alive.
00:25:38
Speaker
And, you know, it's just not a question to go up there and, you know, save your sister when she's in this situation. Exactly. Yeah. And for the boy tribute, Peta Malark, the son of a baker, chosen.
00:25:53
Speaker
Peta Malark. Peta and Katniss already have history because he saved her from starvation when she was 11.
Adaptation Choices in the Movie
00:26:00
Speaker
And Peta's story, so sad. yeah And I didn't catch this. You know, oh I'm reading this. I'm just like, I love Katniss. Katniss is great. I love her.
00:26:08
Speaker
I'm not really paying attention to Peta so much because, you know, when you're younger, you're just connecting to, like, The main character a ton. You're not super analyzing a ton of stuff. I was pretty young when I read this.
00:26:22
Speaker
PETA's story. So sad. and just like him. He's just like incredible. I love PETA so much.
00:26:37
Speaker
I love everything about PETA. And he is just like... Amazing. I love him as character and I can't believe that he's like not like one of my favorite like heroes.
00:26:49
Speaker
Whenever I think of like what's my like top you know favorite male main characters in stories. I never think of PETA. Now you will. And now i'm like hello. Hello. This amazing person is here. What are you doing.
00:27:04
Speaker
That's me yelling at myself.
00:27:07
Speaker
Well, Carrie, you also mentioned in part one of our Golden Compass coverage that you see a lot of different perspectives in the adaptation, in the book, or in the movie, or in the series.
00:27:24
Speaker
And in the movie, you do get to see more than what is read in the book, because the book is told from Katniss's perspective. You only get her experience.
00:27:34
Speaker
Mm-hmm. But in the movie, you get to see how the games are planned, how Hamish is coping as a mentor during the games, and basically the consequences of Katniss's actions.
00:27:48
Speaker
So I was really excited. I didn't actually remember that in the movie, because I guess I haven't seen it since it came out. But I thought that was nice. Yeah, it's... Absolutely.
00:28:00
Speaker
It's touch it. we actually get to see... president snow who for the most part really isn't in the book he's mentioned in the book but he actually is a character in the movie and we get to see his reaction to things when we didn't get to see that in the book and yeah that's it is it's exactly why we love these adaptations because we get to see a little bit more than what's on page okay Especially as, you know, things escalate and as they get worse, we see how that affects districts, how that affects snow, how that affects the game makers, o things like that.
Emotional Farewells and Mockingjay Pin
00:28:42
Speaker
So before departing for the capital, Katniss and Peeta get a chance to say their goodbyes to their friends and family. Katniss gets to see her mother and sister, and she promises her sister that she will win and she will come home.
00:28:56
Speaker
She also sees Gale, which doesn't look like it's allowed in the movie, but he kind of like forces his way into the room. And in the book...
00:29:07
Speaker
Peeta's father comes to see Katniss as well and brings her cookies because it's a luxury. And then, like Crystal said, Madge, who was cut out of the movie, also comes to see Katniss at this point.
00:29:23
Speaker
And she gives the pin, doesn't she? Yeah. At this point in the the book. Yes. Madge gives Katniss the Mockingjay pin.
00:29:34
Speaker
In the movie, she gets it from trading in the market. It's like a forbidden item. Yeah. But on the train to the capital, we meet Ivey Trinket, who's played by Elizabeth Banks.
Effie and Haymitch: Capitol vs. District 12
00:29:53
Speaker
And she has been appointed by the capital to represent District 12. She was introduced much earlier in the book. She was actually the one who was doing the the reaping.
00:30:04
Speaker
So you really get to meet her on the train because Haymitch is even cut out of the reaping. It's more focused on Katniss and her reaction.
00:30:17
Speaker
And then Haymitch Abernathy, he's the mentor and winner of the games 24 years prior. So he would have been the winner of the 40th Hunger Games.
00:30:29
Speaker
Both versions, Haymitch is a drunk and he's grumpy. And we learn that he's not just a mess. He's deeply traumatized. Hamish is my favorite character.
00:30:42
Speaker
Hands down. I think most people's favorite character. I haven't read book. definitely respected him more. Yeah, I haven't read the new book. I've heard it's good. I'm afraid to read it. I'm not going to lie.
00:30:55
Speaker
im don't need any tears. I see everyone's reaction. I don't think... So none of us have read the two newest books. We've only read this, the trilogy. The original trilogy. Yeah. yeah yeah Yeah. I'm afraid. I'm not going to lie.
00:31:11
Speaker
i don't... I mean, I know we're going to eventually get there, but i I'm not sure I want to. yeah It's going to be great. It's going to be great. We're going to see all the connections and it's going to be great.
00:31:23
Speaker
and I'll be live streaming me just sobbing. It'll be fine. ah yeah And we're forcing you to read it anyway. so
00:31:32
Speaker
I don't have a choice. yeah much Much like the Hunger Games. I didn't volunteer.
00:31:42
Speaker
But also in the book, we meet an AVOX girl who has been punished by the Capitol for trying to run away. She and a boy were captured in the woods outside of District 12, where Katniss and Gail regularly hunt.
00:31:59
Speaker
The boy was executed and the girl's tongue was cut out. Mm-hmm. And again... Something I noticed on my reread... This is kind of going back to the Haymitch thing a little bit, but I just remembered this.
00:32:12
Speaker
that So the whole thing about this is that, you know, the victors are... so They go... The people that are selected... They go with the victors for like a training time, right?
00:32:28
Speaker
Until they go into the Hunger Games. And District 12, like no one really wins out of District 12. And they have very few victors. And it's just Haymitch there as a victor. But they actually had two winners out of District 12. But one of them had died.
00:32:47
Speaker
And only Haymitch is alive. I always thought it was just Haymitch that had was a victor out of District 12. I thought that was interesting. That was interesting, yeah. I caught that too.
00:32:59
Speaker
ah Yeah, so I was like, oh. Okay. And what exactly is, I don't know if either of you know this, so Effie is just somebody that works in the capital and works with them.
00:33:17
Speaker
She's not anything to do with the victors. No. And she even says that if, you know, Katniss and PETA do well, that she may get appointed to a better district.
00:33:32
Speaker
So it's just a role that she has with the Capitol. Just like a representative. Yeah. Okay. That's what i was thinking. I was like trying to remember if there was anything to do with, because I do hear that we get more information about this in,
00:33:50
Speaker
the book that's like about haymitch i'm shipping effie and haymitch i mean this one can help who or not i don't know effie seemed to be very grump well she was very grumpy with him they were both pretty grumpy yeah each other so maybe maybe there's some backstory there yeah I don't know. find out I can see the spark.
00:34:19
Speaker
yeah But again, Katniss is feeling guilty about this girl because she witnessed their capture and the death of the boy. But she and Gale did nothing to help.
00:34:35
Speaker
However, the AVOX girl doesn't seem to hold it against her because she knows there was nothing that they could do to save them. But then the movie shows us the Capitals' excess through visuals again.
Training and Alliances
00:34:51
Speaker
They have the bright clothes, the strange food, the polished surfaces. It's very bougie. Mm-hmm. People are starving in District 12, in a lot of districts.
00:35:06
Speaker
Mm-hmm. And they are eating in excess. Massive amounts of food everywhere at every turn on all the tables. Everything is like even on the train, you know, Katniss notices the opulence of the, you know, and the materials that the train tables are made out of and the chairs and the bedding. And it it's just everything to excess and everything.
00:35:32
Speaker
knowing full well that there are people all over panem that are literally starving to death and she talks about that like internally like and in the book yeah we get cadniss's commentary about how disgusting and detached it all feels and i think that's kind of reflected like i think jennifer lawrence does a really good job And like reflecting it in her emotions as she's kind of observing all this. And, you know, she's seeing, like kind of looking at everything and, you know, looking at the food.
00:36:11
Speaker
Also looking at like what's going on on TV and just being disgusted by what's going on. I think she does a really good job of that.
00:36:19
Speaker
At this point, we also meet the design team, Senna and Portia. And they will create the outfits and the costumes that Katniss and Peeta wear throughout the games.
00:36:35
Speaker
Peeta and Katniss start training at this point.
Strategic Moves by Katniss and Peeta
00:36:39
Speaker
And Haymitch tells Katniss and Peeta to keep their talents under wraps. To not stand out during training until they do their one-on-ones with the game makers.
00:36:48
Speaker
So they're focusing on skills that fill they feel like they're lacking in, such as making a proper snare or building a fire without equipment.
00:37:00
Speaker
We also see that Katniss has a shadow. Another tribute has been paying close attention to her. And it isn't the career tributes.
00:37:13
Speaker
um It's Rue, the girl from District 11. Who is also 12, isn't she? She's 12. Yeah. yeah
00:37:23
Speaker
Same age as Primrose. And they she does in the book, she they like she kind of says that like everybody feels bad when a 12-year-old gets drawn. Everybody feels bad when one of the young ones gets drawn. They're like disturbed by it.
00:37:37
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And let me tell you knowing what happens, I'm already choked up. Yeah. Knowing what happens in the screen read.
00:37:49
Speaker
In the book, I saw her name once and started to cry. It, yup. it ye And they have like at this point with the training and stuff, they're like training with like a bunch of different all the tributes that are in there.
00:38:05
Speaker
And like the career tributes are like the ones that have been training. Like there are tributes in like the higher districts that are training basically like their whole lives to be in the Hunger Games.
00:38:18
Speaker
Like they wait until like they're 18. If they're not already put into the Hunger Games, they volunteer to go in. Because it's all for the and entertainment.
00:38:31
Speaker
It's all for the entertainment. and sure And finally, it is time for their one-on-ones. Since Katniss and Peeta are the last two tributes to perform, the game makers are bored.
00:38:45
Speaker
They're hungry. They aren't really paying attention. Katniss makes them notice her by shooting an arrow in their direction, hitting an apple from a roasted pig,
00:38:57
Speaker
And then storms off. She's like, thank you for your consideration. Beautiful. With a bow. I love this moment in the movie because as she's storming off, she's like, oh shit, I can't take this bow with me. And she like turns and hangs it back up and then re-storms out. And that was such a Jennifer low Lawrence moment. And it was very much a crystal moment. Because it's always when I'm like righteous indignation that like something, I do something stupid. And I'm like, oh wait, ah my little awkward, like, but I'm still mad. And then storm away. i would have ruined it with an apology. And I'm like, oh, my bad. Sorry. And then left.
00:39:33
Speaker
Yep. Ruined.
00:39:37
Speaker
Can't a girl just storm off, please? You know, why you always got to ruin it, folks? Just let me let me walk out of here with this much dignity, please.
00:39:47
Speaker
yeah I think it's interesting that they brought in like the character. What's his name? Seneca or something? Seneca. Seneca Crane. Yeah, the game maker. I believe the game maker is just mentioned briefly in Catching Fire. Yeah, I think so. as like As the aftermath of what happens with this character.
00:40:10
Speaker
But they really like brought in this person because it's not mentioned in Hunger Games at all. Right. We had no idea. Katniss talks about the game makers. Yeah.
00:40:23
Speaker
But we don't ever see this character in this in the book. Yeah. Or here on game, Master. Right. Yeah. And they brought in this whole character that is briefly mentioned in Catching Fire as like a whole person with like a whole story in Two Hunger Games, the movie.
00:40:42
Speaker
think it was really smart and really well done. And like, I love that. think that's really good. Absolutely. I love that. um And this scene does sound so much more intense in the book because she does more than just the three shots that she makes in the movie.
00:41:00
Speaker
She's like rolling around and hitting all these different targets before she decides to hit the apple. Yeah, because they're just like eating and like having like a great time with conversation up there as she's actively trying to prove herself to them that they give her like a decent score because she's like fighting for her life out here.
00:41:20
Speaker
Literally. And they're like having a grand old time up in like the viewing area. And not viewing at all. Yeah. And it's like, oh, you're done. You're done.
00:41:32
Speaker
But this does lead her to receive a score of 11 out of 12. And Peeta receives an eight. I love Haymitch's reaction, too, where she's like expecting him to be really mad, and like Effie's like freaking out. She's like, oh my god, I can't believe you did that. like Your manners, blah, bla blah, blah.
00:41:53
Speaker
And Haymitch is like, great job, sweetheart. comes in with a thumbs up. Yes. The super dramatic arm, completely outstretched thumbs up. Yep. There is no other Haymitch other than Woody Harrelson. There's no other Haymitch.
00:42:07
Speaker
Absolutely. I love it. It's so like, that's all I can picture in my head. It was weird because whenever I was reading it, I thought i would just be picturing like the characters I see in the movie when I was reading it. And I really wasn't like, I kind of wasn't, i was kind of like picturing like my own little thing, but Haymitch was Woody Harrelson because there's no other Haymitch.
00:42:31
Speaker
There's literally no other Haymitch.
00:42:34
Speaker
He's so perfect in that role. Just perfect. He is. Yeah. He keeps calling her sweetheart and and the whole time I'm like, I'd be pissed too, girl. It's okay. You can be mad. He did it in the movie too, but yeah it they didn't go up quite as patronizing in the movie as it does in the book.
00:42:51
Speaker
Exactly. Because the way I'm reading it, he's an absolute jerk the way I'm reading it. hu ah But we can't forget Peeta's big moment.
00:43:03
Speaker
His televised confession of love. Which I I would have... If I was Katniss in that moment, but like all cameras are on her at this point again, showing her reaction.
00:43:20
Speaker
i don't know that I could have kept it together. I would have tried to hide under my hair, and behind a plant, anything. I would like... I know I don't grand gestures are bad it's so smart and strategic though because at this point Peter's like all right we got to train separately now and like Katniss is like kind of like upset about it she's like oh like you don't want to train together anymore okay and then they're like no we have to train separately now like Peter doesn't want to train with you anymore and then pulls this crap out
00:43:53
Speaker
because he's like he's like probably thinking like all right like i don't have like crazy skills but i'm very like charismatic like i have this like social skill i need to utilize this social skill with like a little bit of truth to it a little bit of truth with it it's so good it's so good it's smart i love it I was blushing for Katniss. I was embarrassed for her. Yeah. It's like the worst thing for Katniss, but I mean, it's also a great thing Katniss. But was the best thing. It really was.
00:44:27
Speaker
I mean, she wasn't just surprised. She was also very angry. Mm-hmm. Yep. She doesn't want to appear weak, but this is exactly the look Haymitch says could save them in the games.
00:44:42
Speaker
And in the book, Katniss attacks Peeta by pushing him into a vase. And the vase shatters and actually injures Peeta's hands literally right before the games.
00:44:54
Speaker
yeah i was say, they're going into the games like the next day. the next morning, yeah. yeah Which is illegal because she attacked a tribute outside of the arena. but Shame. He's like, it's okay.
00:45:05
Speaker
because he of course he is. He's simp. Mm-hmm. you
00:45:13
Speaker
He's been a lover boy since the beginning. For real. age five. Since age five. He's been a lover boy.
Survival Strategies in the Games
00:45:20
Speaker
And we love that for him. But once we hit the arena, the movie wastes no time.
00:45:28
Speaker
yeah The cornucopia bloodbath is brutal. It's fast. in the book Katniss is careful. She observes everything.
00:45:39
Speaker
We feel her strategy. We're in her head. She calculates, she analyzes, um In the movie, by comparison, it's much more fast paced and action driven. It's also shot like I'm like, are we shooting and running with an iPhone? Like what is happening here?
00:45:59
Speaker
Like or somebody has like a camera and they're running with the camera. Like it's literally like flying along. mean. It's on purpose. I get that. right I totally get that. But I'm like, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I'm so dizzy. Like, what is going on? But the way that it's shot, I feel like I'm running in the Hunger Games with these characters. And I think, i mean, obviously that's on purpose.
00:46:21
Speaker
It was a choice. Yeah, it was a choice. It's artistic choice. And that was crazy. I forgot that that was how it was shot when it first started. Yeah, I forgot that too. And it was like completely, so like you don't hear anything.
00:46:38
Speaker
It's like just like this like ringing sound as it first goes off. And it's like the camera's going all over the place. Like you're running along with everybody. and I was like, i did not sign up to be in the Hunger Games right now.
00:46:52
Speaker
I feel like I'm running actively here and I don't like it. And you're running toward the kind cornucopia where you're not supposed to go. And I'm supposed to go in the forest. Like I'm not supposed to be running in here.
00:47:04
Speaker
um
00:47:07
Speaker
But because the movie is so fast paced, we do lose some insight on Katniss and her survival skills and her instincts and her training. But it literally just becomes a sprint for survival.
00:47:22
Speaker
We also do lose a lot of PETA's subtle actions. Because in the book, he's helping Katniss from behind the scenes, even when he's with the careers.
00:47:34
Speaker
And in the movie, it's harder to tell if he's playing both sides or just blending in with the group. who But this is shown when the careers find Katniss after the game masters have forced the tributes into close proximity by creating a wall of fire that drives them toward the center of the arena and by shooting fireballs, which injures Katniss.
00:48:03
Speaker
So the careers chase Katniss into a tree. And this is also when Katniss receives her first gift from her sponsors, which is medication to heal her burns.
Alliance with Rue and Her Death
00:48:16
Speaker
And I love that we see in the movie, we see Haymitch's perspective. Him seeing her and like even in general, we're seeing like Gail's perspective, Hamish's perspective. Like sometimes we'll see like a really quick glimpse of her mom and Prim watching the games on like because it's being televised everywhere and for a quick second.
00:48:40
Speaker
And like we're seeing that in the movie because obviously we don't hear about that in the book. And i I like that a lot. And especially in this scene where Haymitch sees her suffering and really struggling because she's been burned and she's in a lot of pain and him now advocating for her to get specific medicine to help her. Yeah. We see him like schmoozing with the yeah potential sponsors in the Capitol. And yeah, I kind of liked that.
00:49:07
Speaker
you Also the book is much more brutal Than the movie. i mean the movie is only what PG-13. yeah So book is a lot more brutal. Specifically in this scene. like When Peeta is with the careers.
00:49:22
Speaker
And they're like all together. like And they actually send Peeta. To go kill off. One of like the tributes. Like another girl. And he goes and does that.
00:49:33
Speaker
And that's while Kat has the fire. yeah While she's watching them. hu Yeah. But also while she's trapped in the tree, she's given a hint that there are deadly tracker jackers above her, which are like mutated wasps.
00:49:53
Speaker
who um So this is what she uses to drop on the careers. And this takes out two tributes. And she gets her bow and arrow. Right.
00:50:05
Speaker
The talk of the mutations... which are mutations, but they're called mutations in the book, and like mutts for short, where like the capital had mutated some of these creatures and organisms back during the war 75, 100 years ago, but they're still around.
00:50:28
Speaker
That creeped me out. And then to find out that not only did they create weird ass creatures to do their bidding, but stinging creature. What? lot what Like hornets? Wasps? No.
00:50:45
Speaker
Big no from me. That's a mm-mm. That's mm-mm. No. So this whole part in the book and in the movie, this was this the scariest bit for me. This was the scariest bit for me.
00:50:57
Speaker
No way. A swarm? Mm-mm. I... panic turned into a horror movie really is a horror movie it really is i was panicking yeah but this is also when we get to rue's alliance with katniss which is just as heartbreaking in the book as it is the movie and The two devise a plan to blow up the career supplies because Katniss and Rue know that they'll be helpless without them.
00:51:34
Speaker
And while Katniss is scoping out their stash, she realizes that they're booby trapped when the tribute known as Fox Face shows up to steal some of the food.
00:51:47
Speaker
And Katniss realizes that the mines that are placed around the plate when they start off on at the games, if you move from the plate within the first 60 seconds, you're going to explode because they're mines.
00:52:02
Speaker
One of the um boys from one of the districts has taken the mines and surrounded their supplies and reactivated them. um So Katniss sets off the mines around the crates and and she attempts to make her way back to Rue.
00:52:21
Speaker
She's injured. She like, loses her hearing in the process, which is not in the movie at all. She does, well, it's not really emphasized. There's, like, ringing sound, but then it goes away. Yeah. Yeah, but she, like, doesn't have hearing in one of her ears the remainder of the games. Right, and she talks about how this is a huge liability because she uses her hearing for hunting and, you know, keeping vigilant about what's going on around her. Mm-hmm.
00:52:50
Speaker
ah But while Katniss was working on this, Rue was setting off decoy fires to attract the careers.
Katniss and Peeta's Emotional Dynamics
00:52:58
Speaker
But by the time Katniss makes it back to Rue, she's been captured and she is then killed by District 1's male tribute, who's played by Jack Quaid.
00:53:14
Speaker
And in the book, they do spend more time building their bond and Katniss's grief and rage are deeply personal when Rue dies.
00:53:26
Speaker
And the movie does capture it well, but the scene is much shorter. And then you do also get the uprising in district 11, which isn't in the book at all.
00:53:40
Speaker
But I love seeing it. Yeah. That was a big shift and it was smart. Um, um There was a scene in the book. So I really like that they did that.
00:53:53
Speaker
There is a scene in the book. Like after she's like singing. To Rue. Where. Sorry. I have to talk about the scene. Because it like really It's alright. I'll be okay.
00:54:06
Speaker
It really was whenever. it's so uncommon. For. or It doesn't happen when other districts will send things to other tributes that are not from their district. Even for a district to send things to their own tribute yeah doesn't happen often because these gifts from sponsors cost so much money. Especially as the games go on.
00:54:33
Speaker
The longer the games go on, the higher the prices. And Rue's district... sends after she does this for rue because she also like basically has like a little like almost like a little like funeral for rue which is very like very against the capital like you do not do that in the hunger games and does that for and so the district sends her just like a loaf of bread from their district and that
00:55:07
Speaker
Really had me sobbing. I was sobbing. That's not in the movie. But the book, when that happened, really hit so hard.
00:55:21
Speaker
couldn't... I... can i
00:55:25
Speaker
I was like, I was literally like, like yelling, sobbing. That was horrible. My kid was big scared. He was like, are you, are you, are you sad? and I was like, yes.
00:55:38
Speaker
very in and out he was like, take a deep breath. Looks like, okay. And then I cried even harder. These freaking kids kill me. I swear.
00:55:53
Speaker
I'm okay, i'm okaym okay, I'm okay.
00:55:57
Speaker
But at this point, in both versions, there is a rule change that allows two tributes from the same district to win together.
00:56:09
Speaker
And there's only two districts that have both of their tributes. District 2, which are Cato and Clove, and District 12. So Katniss finds PETA,
00:56:23
Speaker
He has been injured by Kato for helping Katniss escape after the Tracker Jacker incident. And they end up hiding in a cave. And in the book, Katniss debates whether she has real feelings for him or if it's just strategy.
00:56:39
Speaker
And this internal conflict is huge. a Because she doesn't know how he feels either, whether he's doing it for... And because they're being recorded the whole time, there's cameras everywhere. They can't just ask each other. Right. Yeah.
00:56:56
Speaker
You know? Yeah. and because Peeta's injured, he isn't able to do much. And his womb becomes infected.
00:57:07
Speaker
And he's sick. So the game makers hold a feast. Which will provide each district with what they need the most. And Peeta doesn't want Katniss to go.
00:57:19
Speaker
But Katniss knows that he's going to die without the medicine that she knows will be included in the feast. Because he has blood poisoning at this point. Mm-hmm.
00:57:31
Speaker
um So in the book, Hamish convinces the sponsors to send a medicine that will put Peter to sleep. I actually really like that in the book. I thought that was actually pretty great. Because honestly, would have woke... like he In the movie, they don't put this in the movie, and she just goes whenever he's asleep.
00:57:55
Speaker
And just leaves. He would have woken up like, you know, you're like... You're... Somebody moves a little bit. You kind of just like. Your head's on a swivel.
00:58:06
Speaker
When you're in this type of environment. Yeah. and He's not going to be a deep sleeper. Yeah. Maybe not whenever you're like. On the verge of dying. Like he is.
00:58:18
Speaker
But I'm like. The fact that Hamish was like. Sending her that or getting sponsors to send her like medicine to make him basically to pass out so she can go do this.
00:58:33
Speaker
I thought that was I forgot that that happened in the book. And i was like, oh, my God, that's that's great. He does end up sending like a broth that PETA drinks.
00:58:44
Speaker
And I wasn't sure if they were insinuating that maybe the broth was drugged with like sleep medication. Right. But either way, when Peeta's asleep, she does go to the feast.
00:58:58
Speaker
I do love how in the book, the specific gifts that are sent from sponsors to Katniss, they don't come with a little message like they do in the movie.
00:59:11
Speaker
But Katniss, because she knows that Hamish can control what and when she gets gifts...
00:59:22
Speaker
She knows he's kind of trying to communicate with her and she's trying to get in his head. What is he trying to tell me? What is he trying to tell me? We don't see that quite as much in the movie, but it really gives us that much more insight into her strategy and her thought process.
00:59:39
Speaker
And again, lets us know a little bit more about Hamich and how alike those two are. Which I love. It's a grump and a grump in this situation, but I still love it. It's like father-daughter. Right. It really is It really is. And I think with Katniss's father having died when she was so young, she doesn't even realize it yet, but she is looking to him as a father figure. Yeah. I think he sees a lot of himself, like you said. Mm-hmm.
01:00:10
Speaker
Mm-hmm. ah But during the feast, Katniss finds that Foxface was hiding in the cornucopia, and she's able to grab her pack and get away without any issues.
Thresh's Intervention at the Feast
01:00:22
Speaker
But when Katniss goes for her pack, she is attacked by Clove. And while Clove is holding Katniss down, she brags about what happened to Rude. And in a turn of events, the boy from Rue's district saves Katniss by taking Clove out.
01:00:42
Speaker
And then he spares Katniss's life as payment for what she did for Rue. That made me cry, too. Yep. Thresh, when he literally is like, just this one time, 12, like, this is my payment.
01:01:01
Speaker
And it kind of, like, shows, like, they they know, like, a barter system to each other. Like, they know, like, both you did something for me. Yeah. You did something for me.
01:01:13
Speaker
And like, this is my payback, and now we're even. Moving forward, I'm going to go my way, you go your way, and that's how it is. The debt is paid. Yeah, the debt is paid. We're done.
01:01:26
Speaker
And I think that and it's really well told in the book.
01:01:32
Speaker
So Katniss is able to save Peeta, and... He's pissed. He's like, really? You freaking lied. Yeah. yeah she's got a cut He woke up to her.
01:01:44
Speaker
Blood. Like soaked in blood. Because she had a cut on her head. And he literally was like. What the hell? yeah Why you do this?
01:01:56
Speaker
And she's like. Shut up. You're cured now. yeah You're alive. You made it. ah So they begin to forge and hunt for food. Because Peeta's doing much better. Obviously the medicine from the capital. Is like magic.
01:02:09
Speaker
It's like it's healed almost instantly. i love it. I love PETA is so freaking useless. He's so freaking useless. I'm telling you.
01:02:21
Speaker
And I love it because like it it again, like to in in incat it in the book, in Katniss's perspective, she's like, this is why i can't love him.
01:02:34
Speaker
Because he doesn't understand me and he'll never understand this and like moving through the woods quietly and knowing what is safe to eat and what isn't safe to eat. And like, cause he's having to ask her, well, what do you, what should I do? Or what do you want me to do? Or, you know, and she's like, why but it's like treating a child in the life that she has to live.
01:02:55
Speaker
Right. There's it. It highlights those differences, even though they both were different kinds of poor people. they're They're not the same.
01:03:06
Speaker
you know what I mean? And she's realizing this and she's going back to like, you know, no, I don't love him. I'm just trying to survive. And this is smart. And we see that back and forth. He's so freaking useless.
01:03:18
Speaker
Yeah. And then like, he's like stomping through like the forest and she's like, he's literally like an elephant, like stomping through this forest. Like he's probably so quiet, but like to her was like how she knows how to walk through the forest to hunt. Half death. You're loud. What are you doing?
01:03:35
Speaker
yeah she's like, just go over here. Like you're just upsetting me. hmm. But like she goes through these phases where she's like, I can't like see anything. Like he is so different than me and all this stuff.
01:03:49
Speaker
But then like, she's like, I would risk everything for to keep this man alive. yeah It's everything to me. She's got a lot of internal conflict.
01:04:00
Speaker
Yeah, so much internal. And honestly, it's like this through the entire series. Yep. Also because she doesn't know what's real or what's fake. What's manufactured. or Yeah, for everybody else. Are you doing this for the cameras or do you really you really care about me, you know?
01:04:21
Speaker
Yeah. It's the influencer life, man. Not the influencer life.
01:04:28
Speaker
But while Katniss is hunting, she hears the death cannon go off, and she's afraid that Kato has gotten to PETA.
Foxface's Death and Arena Dangers
01:04:37
Speaker
However, they discover Foxface has gotten into the berries that PETA is collecting, and the berries are nightlocked.
01:04:47
Speaker
They're poisonous. Because he's an idiot. Yeah. PETA has accidentally taken out Foxface, leaving only District 12 and Kato. And in the book, this is very much like, she's like, no. He's like, oh, she like I forget why he says he thinks that she died.
01:05:06
Speaker
And Katniss has to tell him, like no, like you kind of killed her. like Technically, you kind of killed her because she ate the berries that you were picking. yeah In the book, at this point, it's actually Kato, Thresh,
01:05:21
Speaker
Foxface, Peeta, and Katniss. Yeah. Right. But in the movie, they insinuate that Kato took out Thresh. Already, yeah. Unless I'm saying it backwards.
01:05:32
Speaker
But yeah, at this point, in the movie, Thresh is... i know. In the movie, I think Thresh is taken taken out by those... The mutts. Yeah. Okay, okay. So I said it backwards. Yeah.
01:05:44
Speaker
Also in the movie, at this point, I love that scene where she hears the canon... and she's running for PETA. and It's like pure fear. Pure fear that she thinks that he had died. And I think that also shows like another internal conflict where she was already just like annoyed. like We know she was annoyed with him in the book, but like they really hyped up in the movie of being like... She's mad, but she's mad because she was scared to lose him. Exactly, exactly.
01:06:21
Speaker
Yep. ah So then we get to the final fight with Kato, which plays out similarly in both versions, though the movie adds more mutts and dramatizes the cornucopia battle.
Final Battle with Kato
01:06:39
Speaker
It works, but it is less symbolic. And they leave out what the mutts actually are. The mutts in the book sound way scarier than the ones in the movie.
01:06:50
Speaker
Mm-hmm. They literally have the eyes of the fallen... tributes and their fur is their their hair colors yeah they like they it is insinuated that these mutts were literally made from the bodies of the fallen tributes she has to like think she's like are they those are they in there like are they in there are they mad at us for having killed them are they trying to get retribution and are they you know it is terrifying
01:07:25
Speaker
And they can stand up on their hind legs. Yeah. Yeah. And yeah. And the at one point she sees what she thinks is the Rue mutt.
01:07:36
Speaker
Yeah. I messed me up again. you It's terrifying. Yeah. And that final battle leading to catto's death is Is way more brutal in the book versus the movie.
01:07:58
Speaker
And then. way more brutal. The game makers leave Kato alive and suffering slowly being eaten and torn apart by these mutts.
01:08:10
Speaker
Yeah. all night long. It isn't until the sun rises. Katniss and Peter are like huddled together waiting for like his misery to end.
01:08:23
Speaker
Listen to him scream. Yeah. yeah And then it's not ending. So then they like Katniss ends it for him. In the movie, it's quick.
01:08:34
Speaker
Like it's pretty quick. Yeah. They don't have to wait overnight. No, she does it immediately. ah But, you know, surprise, surprise. The Capitol has decided to revoke the rule change and only one Victor will be allowed to leave the arena.
Mutual Suicide Attempt and Aftermath
01:08:53
Speaker
So we have a reappearance of the Nightlock berries. um And in the book. And Katniss, literally, she pulls that arrow on him. Peeta. In the book.
01:09:05
Speaker
She pulls it for a second looking at Peeta. And she's like, But Peeta turns kind of quickly to her and it startles her. She thinks Peeta's coming at her. and he has a knife. Right. And so now she's starting to think, holy shit, it was all just a game to him. He was, you know, so for half a second, then he's like, no girl. And he drops that knife.
01:09:25
Speaker
And at this point he's extremely injured because he got bit by- He's dying. He's yeah actively dying. He's bleeding to death. Yeah. In his leg. um And in the book, Katniss knows that At this point, she's making a move against the Capitol.
01:09:43
Speaker
This is her stand. In the movie, it does feel more like a spur-of-the-moment emotional decision. huh It's still powerful, but it is less strategic.
01:09:57
Speaker
And then in the book... So... They decide to take the berries. But the Capitol... They give in.
01:10:09
Speaker
And they do extract the two winners. ah Because they have to have a vi like they have to have a victor. that is like Because that's like the whole point of having their audience being, quote, entertained by these games. like They have to have somebody win.
01:10:26
Speaker
um And in the book, Peeta loses his leg. Which was the most shocking thing. I did not remember. was telling you guys that earlier. knew what you were talking about. did not remember that he lost his leg in the book.
01:10:40
Speaker
And then that's not in the movie. And I was like, oh my God, I totally forgot. Like it was a trigger in memory that I remember this when I first read it. And then I was like, I totally forgot that this happened. He came out with the cane and I was like, what? They weren't able to fix him? Like they fixed Katniss's ear?
01:10:57
Speaker
and then I was like, oh, he lost his leg.
Post-Games Experiences
01:11:00
Speaker
Something else that I thought that was really interesting that I noticed on this reread is that When they came out, because you know after immediately right after they just survived the Hunger Games, they're like slowly feeding them.
01:11:17
Speaker
And then they immediately have to be going into these interviews and stuff and talking about your experience, watching the replays of like what this was like with them and doing this whole thing. But something i two things that i really liked, she ah finally gets to see everybody in the first person that she runs to.
01:11:37
Speaker
is Haymitch. And that, like, my heart, the two people that clash so much before going in, she doesn't run to Cinna, who she really, like, you know, endures.
01:11:48
Speaker
The first person she ran to was Haymitch. And, like, that was, like, they were solid together after that. And then something I did notice was, like, whenever she's getting dressed to do all these, like, interviews and stuff, they have to put on this suit that gives her, like, curves and all these things because she's been starving to death In this Hunger Games. Right. And Sina's like, you have to put this on. Because Hamish literally fought like crazy because they actually wanted to like do surgery on you to add curves to you.
01:12:18
Speaker
That was in the book. And I was like, that's insane. Yeah. I do not remember reading that. And that's crazy. Because they don't want you to look like your star that you were just starving couple days ago. Yep.
01:12:33
Speaker
And in the book, obviously because Peta loses his leg in the book, they kind of explain that it was because of the tourniquet that Katniss used to stop the bleeding after the mutt attack.
01:12:44
Speaker
So again, now she's feeling guilty about Peta losing his leg. Mm-hmm. So just... And Peta's like, yes, I... Like, the tourniquet that saved my life...
01:12:58
Speaker
Is also what caused me to lose my leg. but yeah But I'm alive. But I'm alive. You know. He's clearly not mad at all. But she's. You know. Beating herself up for it.
01:13:10
Speaker
And in the movie. It ends with President Snow.
Book Ending vs. Movie Focus
01:13:14
Speaker
Glaring. As he crowns the victors. Of the 74th Hunger Games. And the game master. Seneca Crane.
01:13:23
Speaker
Meets his. Berry filled demise. because he is murdered for the way Katniss was able to, ah one up the Capitol. Yeah.
01:13:35
Speaker
And the book does end on a different note with Katniss realizing that she's now a pawn in something much bigger as Haymitch is warning her that the Capitol's not pleased with what she's done.
01:13:48
Speaker
Like the games are just beginning kind of thing. And Peeta's heartbroken because he's learned that Katniss may have faked her feelings the entire time. And it's complicated.
01:14:01
Speaker
It's messy. And it sets the stage for future rebellion. And they're like about to go back to District 12. and But the cameras are still rolling.
01:14:13
Speaker
She keeps thinking of Gail. She's like going back to Gail because that's like her, you know, friendship that she's had for a really long time. He knows everything about her. But the cameras are still rolling. Yeah.
01:14:25
Speaker
And so she can't just walk away from PETA and and run into Gail's arms at this point, no matter how much she wants to. Yeah. And you know something else we didn't talk about is that Peta said that his dad...
01:14:42
Speaker
loved her Katniss's mom. Katniss's mom. But Katniss ran away because they say Katniss's mom was from, what was it? Within District 12 was... um Was an apothecary's daughter.
01:14:59
Speaker
Yeah, within the merchant section, just like Peeta's dad. And they that's how he knew her. But she fell in love with the coal miner and that's how they went into the scene.
01:15:12
Speaker
And that's how like PETA's dad knew them. PETA compares his feelings for Katniss the same way his dad explained his feelings for Katniss's mom.
01:15:26
Speaker
Yeah. And he's been like in love with her since she, he like explains that he saw her for the first time, like wearing like this like cute little dress and her pigtails and like someone asked to sing like a certain song and her hand like shot right up.
01:15:42
Speaker
She knew all the words or whatever when they were like really young and he's been like smitten ever since.
01:15:48
Speaker
I'm just like, oh, we can't. We're not even reading the second book yet. this is like, even when he's explaining this to Katniss, like they're still in the arena. The cameras are rolling. Yeah. And Katniss is like, oh, he's so good at faking this. He's so good at this. And then she's realizing, wait, this is a real story.
01:16:05
Speaker
yeah This really happened. Oh, my God. Does he really love me? And this is when she's starting to unravel that like, it might be more for Peeta than what it is for her. This might not be an act.
01:16:18
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. So I don't know if this is going to be a difficult question or not, but what's our final verdicts? Oh, book for me, the movie is still top tier.
01:16:30
Speaker
Yeah, I totally agree. Like this is like a top tier adaptation for me. But book is just incredible. Like both are amazing.
01:16:42
Speaker
Book is just slightly a little bit better. Yeah. Yeah, I think the movie gets the big moments right. But if you want to truly understand Katniss and her motives and the political tension that's simmering beneath the surface, and the book absolutely takes the win.
01:17:00
Speaker
And the movies just get better, too. They just get better. I'm excited. Me too. I don't want to wait. I hate this. But that does bring us to our question of the episode.
01:17:13
Speaker
And since we are on our season finale, what was your favorite adaptation of season two?
Favorite Adaptations of the Season
01:17:22
Speaker
ah You all might be shocked on this one. We had a lot of really great books and movies and series this season that I rated really highly. I think this season, I don't think there was a single one that I just absolutely hated hated.
01:17:40
Speaker
But we have always lived in the castle, although was not like the highest tier rating for me. It has lived rent free in my brain for months at this point.
01:17:53
Speaker
I continuously think back on the sisters and, you know, whether or not. they were villains to begin with or whether they were created villains or how, like, I just, I can't, it, that's the one, that's the one that I keep thinking of. That's the one that I keep going back to.
01:18:12
Speaker
And that's probably the one that I'm going to reread first. I am a little surprised, especially because it was one of my picks. I know. Right. yeah i i I could not pick just one.
01:18:25
Speaker
I'm sorry. That's fair. I mean, I have like a tier list going. Aside from Hunger Games, I'm not going to pick Hunger Games. But... I like the different ones because of specific things. Like I loved gushing over hating game with both of you because it was just like, that was just like a fun time. And I just like love romance adaptations.
01:18:49
Speaker
Good girl's guide was like a six star for me. that was fun. Season two. And that was crazy. And that was really fun. Princess bride was such a big moment for me.
01:19:04
Speaker
ah The adaptation, i didn't like love the book, but just because like we did such like a good deep dive on that. Yeah. And I was learned one so much of like all the backstory of it and all that stuff.
01:19:20
Speaker
And i had we have always lived in the castle because I can't stop thinking about it either. I'm telling you. Yes. But I think my very top one would have to be The Wild Robots. I figured.
01:19:32
Speaker
Yeah. That was so good. So good. Yeah. I really wanted to say the Hunger Games, but yeah, I can't. So I said the Princess Bride because I was really glad to finally be able to read the book where you always hear about the movie and you finally get the source material.
01:19:53
Speaker
And I actually really did. I liked the humor. I liked how it was written. I thought it was, I thought it was unique. So I did really enjoy that one. Yeah. And I love that we got so much backstory. Like you got so much backstory about how everything was filmed and all Because there's books about the book.
01:20:10
Speaker
Yes. I love that. I love it. Yeah. I love it. Yeah. That was a lot of fun. We just, we had such a great season. We really did. Yeah. It was interesting at times.
01:20:23
Speaker
It was. Yeah. Interesting, but fun. Yeah, absolutely. But The Hunger Games is the first book in Suzanne Collins' dystopian series.
01:20:35
Speaker
And here at Based on a Book, we'll be covering each installment across upcoming seasons. So don't worry. This is just the beginning of our time in Panem.
01:20:46
Speaker
The stakes get higher. The rebellion gets louder. And yes, we'll be there for every moment. And just like that, the arena goes quiet.
01:20:58
Speaker
We've reached our end of The Hunger Games and the end of season two of Based on a Book. Whether you volunteered as tribute or you were just here for the slander, we're so glad you made it through the games and another season with us.
01:21:15
Speaker
Thank you for listening, laughing, gasping, and spiraling through every adaptation, plot twist, and unhinged theory we've thrown your way.
01:21:27
Speaker
Your support means the world to us, and we seriously couldn't do it without you. Now, before you panic, yes, we are taking July off from releasing new episodes.
01:21:40
Speaker
But don't worry. We'll still be hanging out on socials, sharing bonus content, behind-the-scenes chaos, and maybe even a few sneak peeks of what's to come. And then in August, we're back and ready to kick off Season 3 with even more book-to-screen breakdowns, new series, and probably more yelling.
01:22:03
Speaker
True. So rest up, stay hydrated, and may the podcast be ever in your favor. And we'll catch you in the next season of Based on Podcast.