What the...?!

[katikat]

I haven't read "The Hunger Games" books yet nor have I seen the movie - seriously, the more hype something surrounds, the less interested I am in it, go figure. But!

I freely admit that I'm very insensitive when it comes to sexism etc. In most cases, I think it's simply bad writing, not some prejudice on the part of the writer. I'm more of a 'live and let live' kinda girl when it comes to stuff like that. But some of the reviews that popped up for The Hunger Games movie made even me livid!

If the reviews pointed out that Jennifer Lawrence didn't really fit the description of Katniss, that would be okay and perfectly fine. From what I read, she really doesn't. But there's pointing this out and then there's basically calling her fat! Link.

The Hollywood Reporter’s Todd McCarthy comments that Lawrence’s “lingering baby fat shows here.” And—most bluntly—Hollywood Elsewhere’s Jeffrey Wells calls Lawrence a “fairly tall, big-boned lady” who’s “too big” for Josh Hutcherson, who plays Katniss’s romantic interest. (In case the message didn’t come through: Wells thinks Jennifer Lawrence is BIG. He also thinks we should be wary of “certain female critics” who “may be susceptible to the lore of this young-female-adult-propelled franchise.”)

Wow. Just wow! What the fuckity fuck! As some of the commenters pointed out, why is only Jennifer Lawrence the target here? What about the male actors? Not one word about them, only Jennifer's body is dissed!

I loved this comment by Paige Junge:

I agree that if the casting director were striving for pinpoint accuracy, JL wouldn't have been the first choice - but it's obvious by the selection of other actors that they really didn't care about physical accuracy.
Since that's the case - and pretty obvious - why aren't the critics pointing out the same misaligned casting issues with the other characters? Why is it just Katniss?
Stanley Tucci's skin was supposed to be blue and President Snow was supposed to look as plastic as a Ken doll, not old, wise, and bearded. And Woody Harrelson is just way too clean cut to be Hamich. He supposed to be one step up from cliche hobo-style guy.
So I think, yeah it is a little odd that it's female's body that under scrutiny (yes I know, she's the main character...but if a critic is going for accuracy, go for full accuracy!)

I really hope Jennifer is strong enough mentally to take this, that she won't fall victim to their body image issues - because, yes, it's THEIR issues. She's perfectly fine! More than fine!

Comments

[lunchee]

First thought: RUDE!!!

Second thought: well technically EVERYONE they cast was too fat for The Hunger Games - you know, because half of the characters are pretty much starving.

Third thought: Whatever critic person, JLaw could kick your arse from here to next week. Please to be saying she is too fat to her face. She is a such a cool person, I could not WAIT to see what her reaction to it is.

Also? Josh Hutchinson is giving hope to short guys everywhere - never fear short guys! Girls who are taller than you are not out of your league!

I'm with you about hype though - your expectations get raised high and sadly the film is already disadvantaged by the fact that it has to live up to that. For what it's worth, I really enjoyed it - Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutchinson really embodied their roles. I'd be interested to see what you think of it, since you haven't read the book! If nothing else, it is a really decent movie - definitely something to look forward to if, like me, you aren't impressed with all the crap movies the theatres have been inundated with recently.

[katikat]

Exactly. Nobody fit the description in the book but they started picking on Jennifer for being fat! That's... I don't even have the words.

I think I'll buy it on DVD later on. For Jennifer, if nothing else. She's so lovely. I just adore it that she doesn't get why women feel the need to starve themselves and look like skeletons. Such a wonderful, gorgeous person! *happy sigh*

The last movie I saw in the cinema was... Sherlock Holmes: AGOS. And Mission Impossible 4. Loved MI4! SH:AGOS wasn't all that great a movie but RDJ and Jude Law made up for it, totally!

[lunchee]

Good plan! Even in Australia watching films in theatres in bizarrely expensive as opposed to waiting a few months to buy it on DVD. There is something very wrong with the industry when tickets are so ludicrously expensive it's better to wait and enjoy it in your home. Having said that, I am also buying the hell out of that when it's out on DVD, too!

Jennifer Lawrence seems like such a fun person. I'm glad she's got such a fabulous personality in conjunction with being a great actor!

AGoS wasn't fantastic for me either, even RDJ and Law couldn't save it for me! i've not watched any of the MI movies, and I can't say I'm at all interested in changing that either... The last film before Hunger Games for me was Hugo - and it was pretty average! The only saving grace was that I saw it at a moonlight cinema.

[katikat]

AGoS disappointed me a bit too but I just loved how much fun RDJ and Jude Law have with these characters. They literally radiate it. It's wonderful. Though it really felt like watching a romance - Holmes was so incredibly in love with Watson and it was obvious that Watson had more than friendly feelings for him too.

I don't like the kid who played Hugo (and Mordred in Merlin). He just doesn't click for me :(

I didn't like the previous Mission: Impossible movies much, but MI4 was... Wow. Just... WOW! I'm smitten with the movie. Jeremy Renner and Tom Cruise had incredible chemistry! And the visuals were fantastic. Brad Bird did amazing job as the director.

[lunchee]

There's too many movies for me to watch them all XD If I find an MI4 DVD at friend's place though, I'll be sure to borrow it!

RDJ and Jude Law were a great team! It's a pity that the incredibly thin plot they were given to work with was so incredibly lacklaster. I literally felt like that movie ran an hour too long, I was that skeptical (and bored!) And I guess I'm too in love with John and Sherlock's dynamic in the BBC version - I much prefer them to RDJ and Law's Holmes and Watson...

I don't mind Asa Butterfield, but Hugo was really...stilted. It felt incredibly dated and the plot dragged itself along. I really wanted to like it too - I love Chloe Moretz :(

[katikat]

If I find an MI4 DVD at friend's place though, I'll be sure to borrow it!

Oh, do! The scene that's shown in the trailer, the "And you're just an analyst. Right? Who are you really, Brandt!" gets me every time. Really funny movie.

[keire_ke]

“may be susceptible to the lore of this young-female-adult-propelled franchise.”

Whaaaaat?

To be fair I had much the same complaint about Jennifer - not that she is fat, or big, god no, but that she looks too healthy for the part. There's no disguising the fact that her skin glows with health and she looks happy and well-fed, when the rest of the town, her mother and sister, look to be on the verge of starvation (also tied in with the fact that always looking for the next meal is a major thing about her character, which the movie happily ignored). I complain about this because it's make-up peoples' fault, not hers. She looks wonderful.

The tall thing? I've got nothing.

[katikat]

Personally, I wouldn't mind since there should be a blue guy there, from what I read, and isn't and they changed the appearance of half the characters anyway. And if the author doesn't mind, since she wrote or co-wrote the script, who am I to complain :)

[keire_ke]

It's not even that her looks aren't consistent with the book, I could care less about that, it's more that they didn't even bother putting a little make-up on her, to make her look the tiniest bit less healthy. It's not precisely shoddy world building yet, but it feels lazy, like they were in too much of a hurry to pay attention to the details. Peter Jackson spoiled us all with his seven years of filing down Gandalf's robes until they looked appropriately used.

They didn't really change that much, not the important bits, anyway. In fact other than some arbitrary colouring, they changed very little.

I was underwhelmed by that movie. They made changes that I find inexplicable, considering they were making a movie whose sequel wasn't guaranteed.