Casting Controversies

[T'Keira Lea]

So the racist comments that popped up were brought up in the movie thread and now we've got the body type of Jennifer Lawrence back up for discussion. Both were hot topics when casting was announced.

MTV spotlight on the weight controversy

In a way I think these are exactly the type of discussions Collins wanted to stir and shed a spotlight on. I'm sure it's not going away so feel free to discuss here.

This post has been edited by T'Keira Lea on Mar 29 2012, 05:26 PM

[Chimpo]

Oh please! Jennifer Lawrence is the best choice they could have made and she proved it in the movie. All critics, even those who didn't like the movie, said that she was a perfect choice and played her role very well.

[Shinar]

I never expected to see folks in real, starving condition in the movies. I would much rather have somebody do a good job than have the perfect body type.

[Solo_and_Fel]

Jennifer Lawrence did a great job on all fronts in the movie.

Katniss hunted and knew edible plants. They didn't have feasts but they had a decent amount of food by the time she was chosen. I did not expect her to look emaciated.

And if she had looked emaciated, they would have complained that someone so thin couldn't not climb trees like that or even survive in the arena.

[oldjedinurse]

[Darth Lex]

The only aspect of the criticism that I think has any validity is the thematic one -- in the book, there is a dynamic of the Capitol literally "fattening up" the tributes before sending them to the slaughter. At one point just prior to the Games, Katniss looks in the mirror and almost doesn't recognize herself, in part due to the prep team's "beautification" and in part due to having gained weight and muscle due to the food and training. (As I recall, I think she notices that she can't see her ribs anymore, or something along those lines.) Then Katniss again loses weight during the Games, to the point that Cinna tells her at the end that he put a padded/pushup bra in her dress because the others wanted to give her implants to fill her bustline back out.

By not showing any physical change in Katniss from District 12 to the Capitol to the end of the Games, this aspect of the Capitol's brutality is lost. That said, they can't include everything from the book in the movie, and there are plenty of other examples of the Capitol's evil streak to make the point.