When I read fiction, I conjure up the essence and general looks of each character in my head; but unlike some of my friends and family, I don’t match a specific face to each name. One of my friends recently told me that she assigns celebrities or well-known faces to each character --- others don’t have any images of the characters in their heads at all, focusing instead on the characters’ inner lives.
Unlike some other enthusiastic fans online, I did not make up my ideal cast for The Hunger Games movie --- but once I saw the official cast that had been chosen, I had very strong reactions to each casting choice. Here are my thoughts on The Hunger Games cast:
Perfect Matches:
Josh Hutcherson as Peeta: Especially in contrast to the dark, sturdy Liam Hemsworth (Gale), Hutcherson has the perfect air of sincerity and quiet strength to portray Peeta. Based on his performance as Laser in The Kids Are All Right, and his appearances in the Hunger Games trailers, I think he’s definitely got the chops to play a great Peeta.
Woody Harrelson as Haymitch: Being a huge Will & Grace fan, I may have trouble separating Harrelson’s character of Nathan, Grace’s boyfriend, from Haymitch --- but Will & Grace aside, I think he was a fantastic choice. Harrelson seems like he could convey Haymitch’s drunken but also wise and trustworthy manner perfectly. I am looking forward to seeing his performance.
Lenny Kravitz as Cinna: I think Lenny Kravitz completely embodies Cinna’s cool, unaffected attitude. As one of the few stable characters who help to keep Katniss sane throughout the preparation for the Games, Cinna would need to have a calm, confident presence, and I think Kravitz will convey that very well.
Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket: Especially having seen her in the trailers, I think Banks was a great choice for Effie Trinket --- she personifies Effie’s artificial perkiness, but has just the right amount of edge as well.
Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman: In my opinion, this may have been the most spot-on casting choice. Especially when considering his other performances, such as Nigel in The Devil Wears Prada and Paul Child in Julie and Julia, Tucci tends to have a warm, reassuring presence, which is exactly Caesar Flickerman’s roll in The Hunger Games --- “he’s friendly, tries to set the nervous ones at ease, laughs at lame jokes, and can turn a weak response into a memorable one by the way he reacts.” I think Tucci will be great in this roll.
On the Fence:
Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss: Call me crazy, but I wasn’t crazy about this casting choice. In my head, I imagined that Katniss would be both younger and more rugged-looking than Jennifer Lawrence. Of course, teenagers in Hollywood are almost always played by twentysomethings, but to me, 21-year-old Jennifer Lawrence seems too mature to play a 16-year-old. Katniss is, of course, mature beyond her years, but I feel that she should still at least look like a 16-year-old. Having said that, my only exposure to Lawrence so far has been her role of Sam, Jacob’s twentysomething new girlfriend, in Like Crazy --- so I am definitely willing to give her a chance to embody Katniss Everdeen.
Liam Hemsworth as Gale: Again, I think 22-year-old Hemsworth looks much too old to convincingly play Gale. Clearly, he was partly cast because of his good looks --- but to me, he looks like a grown man compared to the image I had of Gale while reading the books. That said, he seems committed to embodying Gale’s character, and I plan on going into the movie with an open mind about all the actors’ performances, including his.
We’ll see!
Amandla Stenberg as Rue: As one of the newer young actresses in the film, Stenberg looks to be a great choice for Rue. According to the recent Vanity Fair article, she arrived at her audition wearing muddy clothes and twigs and leaves in her hair. Based on her enthusiasm and appearance, I have high hopes for her performance.
Willow Shields as Prim: As with Stenberg, The Hunger Games will mark Willow Shields’ first high-profile performance. Based on her somewhat solemn look and her appearance in the trailers, I think she’ll make a great Prim.
The rest of the tributes: Though none of them plays nearly as large a roll as Katniss, the other Tributes are, of course, still a very significant aspect of the Games. I like that all of these actors and actresses are fairly new and early in their careers; I think they’ll provide fresh faces that will give the movie an authentic feel. Based on interviews and photos of Jacqueline Emerson (Foxface), Isabelle Fuhrman (Clove), Jack Quaid (Marvel), Dayo Okeniyi (Thresh), Levin Rambin (Glimmer), and Alexander Ludwig (Cato), they all seem to be up to the task of creating the tense and terrifying atmosphere of the Hunger Games.
The pressure is certainly on these actors and actresses as the movie premiere approaches. Let’s hope they live up to fans’ high expectations….after all, “the world will be watching”!
