Hunger Games Movie vs Book post written by the Unicorn. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before you Watch The Hunger Games
Movie: The Hunger Games
Age Suggestion: 13+
Length: 2 hours and 22 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: March 23, 2012
Where to Watch: Netflix (for a short time!)
Warnings: Intense violence, death, drinking, blood
What to Know Before You Read The Hunger Games
Book: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Pages: 386
Published: September 14, 2008
Age Suggestion, Themes, and Warning are the same for the book and movie.
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The Hunger Games Summary
Katniss Everdeen is a poor girl, struggling to keep her younger sister and her mother fed after the death of her father, when her younger sister Prim is Reaped for the Hunger Games. To protect her sister, Katniss volunteers in her place. The first Hunger Games book follows Katniss as she trains and prepares, and eventually goes into the games, alongside the boy tribute from her district, Peeta Mellark, to fight for her life.
The Hunger Games is the first in a trilogy of dystopian stories written by Suzanne Collins. It’s an epic tale about an oppressive government and how even the most unlikely of heroes can be the ones who change the course of history through a battle between hope and fear. The first book was released in 2008, and the movie followed shortly in 2012, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, and many other popular actors.
The Hunger Games Movie vs Book
Differences Between The Hunger Games Movie and the Book.
*SPOILERS INCLUDED*
1) How They Start
In the book, we only ever get to see Katniss’s direct point of view, meaning that we start the first book with Katniss waking up on the morning of the Reaping and leaving to hunt.
However, the movie makes the choice to start with text, giving a brief explanation of what the Hunger Games is (something we don’t find out in the book till page 18) and then it cuts to Caesar Flickerman and Seneca Crane, the head Gamemaker, talking about the history of the games and how it brings Panem together, then a quick cut to Prim screaming. This works better in the context of the movie to show the difference in how the Capitol and the Districts view the games.
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2) The Absence of Characters:
There are several minor characters from the book that are notably absent in the film adaptation. The most egregious of these missing characters is Madge, the mayor’s daughter, and Katniss’s only female friend back in District 12. Madge is the one who gives Katniss her iconic Mockingjay pin. In the book, Madge also helps illustrate the wealth disparity in District 12 between those in the Seam and those in who live in town.
Other notable absences are Lavinia, the Avox who cares for Katniss in the Capitol, Peeta’s family (specifically his father), and Katniss’s prep team, Flavius, Venia, and Octavia. They all technically appear, but are not named, and they don’t have the same character traits from the book.
3) President Snow
Like previously mentioned, the books only ever follow Katniss’s POV, which means we only see President Snow when she sees him. She makes note of him when she sees him, but she doesn’t truly begin to fear Snow until after the games.
In the movies, they made a major change, where we get to see outside of the arena. This means several scenes are added, but the most notable ones are with President Snow. We see him talk about Katniss and the importance of hope with Seneca Crane, and threatening Seneca when Snow thinks he is getting too soft. This increases Snow’s presence in the movie, and also makes him to be a bigger villain much earlier in the series.
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4) Katniss and Romance
The way that Katniss’s love life is handled in the movies and books are significantly different, and it’s very easy to see in this first book.
In the book, Katniss talks about how maybe something could happen with Gale if she wanted, but she doesn’t like him that way. In the movie, there is nothing that tells the audience that Katniss is not interested in Gale, which inadvertently leaves it open that she might like him.
In the book, when in the arena with Peeta, she is very much playing for sponsors when kissing Peeta, and it feels more like she’s playing the game of survival, not falling in love. In the movie, there is none of that nuance, so it comes across that she does actually like him.
5) Haymitch and Katniss
Something that it’s very obvious in the entire book series is that in the trio of Haymitch, Katniss, and Peeta, Peeta is the odd one out. He doesn’t need coaching from Haymitch in the same way that Katniss does, and he can’t communicate with Haymitch as well as Katniss can. Haymitch and Katniss think similarly, and there is a lot of emphasis in the books about how Katniss can almost read Haymitch’s mind based on his actions.
In the book, she begs for water, and Haymitch doesn’t send any. To Katniss, this means that Haymitch is saying she’s close, which turns out to be true. There are several instances like this, where Katniss can communicate wordlessly with Haymitch. In the movies, there isn’t any of this. While not the worst change from the book to the movie, it does change how the audience perceives their relationship, especially as the movies continue.
The Hunger Games Discussion Questions
1) Do you think a tribute can ever truly win the Hunger Games? Why or why not?
2) The Districts and the Capitol view the Games very differently. How can our backgrounds affect how we see the world?
3) One of the most disturbing parts of the Hunger Games is the violence and how it is used for entertainment. How do we use violence as entertainment in the real world?
4) Why do you think Katniss chooses to team up with Rue? Do you think it was a good or bad decision?
5) On the rooftop, Peeta tells Katniss he doesn’t want the games to change him. What does this tell you about Peeta’s character?
The Hunger Games Movie Quiz Curriculum
We have a full Hunger Games Curriculum available for digital download. This download includes:
*a multiple choice comprehension quiz for all four Hunger Games movies with answers
*At least 5 short answer questions for each of the four Hunger Games movies with answers
*Book VS Movie Comparison worksheets for the Hunger Games Books and Movies
*Essay and Project Prompts
-You can buy it at our Teachers Pay Teachers Page here for only $3.50.
Meet the Author- Kate
Kate is a young disabled writer based in Colorado. She’s obsessed with anything Marvel, Disney, or theatre. She can normally be found performing and singing dramatically in the car.
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