Prior to seeing The Hunger Games, my boyfriend and I went to eat at one of our favorite Thai restaurants. Their lunch combinations allow a wide range of choices, and our collective bounty included roasted duck with spinach, spicy basil chicken, yellow curry, wontons, salad, rice and hot tea. Still full from our feast, we skipped the extra large tub of buttered popcorn, but had to get a coke in case we “died” of thirst during the show.
Yes, I live in the Capitol City--or at least one of our real-world parallels-- and while my clothes weren’t designed by Judianna Makovsky, I’m pretty sure that Levi Strauss ™ is represented in my closet.
The advertising for this movie has mostly focused on the action, drama and romance of the film, almost as if the big studio executives don’t want moviegoers to recognize that we are a lot like those viewers in the districts, for fear we might rebel some day. True, our War Games no longer use a lottery system as they did in the days of the draft, but there isn’t much doubt that our military focuses its “reaping” on a certain economic segment of our younger population. Just as in the film, we have become just as accustomed to a society of haves and have nots, and are often involved in battles amongst ourselves, rather than against the system as a whole. The only thing that was a bit unrealistic in the movie was that when the powerful organizers wanted to change the rules for their own advantage they had to announce it over loud speakers. In the real world they get to hide it in the fine print of my monthly banking statement.
[SPOILER ALERT] In the end, our predicament is quite like that of Katniss Everdeen. we can survive for a while by trying to make people like us, and falling in love with the people they want us to love, but the only real way out--the only path to salvation-- is to make it known that we are willing to sacrifice ourselves to bring down the system as a whole. To rob them not only of their weary participants, but of their willing winners as well. To give up the illusion that the odds will ever be in our favor. Now, who is ready to volunteer? [End Of Spoilers]
Oscar Chances:
The Hunger Games is the undisputed box office champion at the moment, and there is a natural temptation for pundits to toy with the idea of Oscar recognition, if only to give themselves something to write about. However, I advise caution to anyone who tries to place the film too high on their lists. Remember that there is a whole year worth of movies that will fit much more easily into the Academy’s definition of Oscar bait, while blockbusters like Prometheus and The Dark Knight Rises are likely to steal those technical awards.
Original Song: T Bone Burnett, Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars for “Safe And Sound” (currently unranked, but will appear in my next predictions)
Original Song: T Bone Burnett and Arcade Fire for “Abraham’s Daughter” (currently unranked, but will appear in my next predictions)
Makeup: (currently ranked 8 in a field with 3 nominees, but will likely drop in my next predictions)
Art Direction: Philip Messina and Larry Dias (currently ranked 19)
Sound Editing (currently ranked 25)
Visual Effects (currently ranked 27)
Sound Mixing (currently ranked 28)
Adapted Screenplay: Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray (currently ranked 39)
Costume Design: Judianna Makovsky (currently ranked 34)
Lead Actress: Jennifer Lawrence (currently ranked 44)
Film Editing: William Goldenberg (currently ranked 49)
Original Score: T Bone Burnett and James Newton Howard (currently unranked but likely to be in my next predictions)
Best Picture (currently unranked, may show up in the top 50 in my next predictions)
Best Director (currently unranked, may show up in the top 50 in my next predictions)
Supporting Actor: Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Stanley Tucci, Lenny Kravitz, Wes Bentley (unlikely, but imaginable)
Best Cinematography: Tom Stern (currently unranked)
As always, check the Tracker Pages in the upper right hand corner of this blog for the most updated predictions in all categories!
My Lamb Score: 3 ½ out of 5 Lambs
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