Hunger Games

In a recent post, Being Culturally Relevant to Preteens, I wrote about why it is important to stay up to speed on what’s going on in preteen culture. If you haven’t yet read the post, I recommend you do. As mentioned, I will frequently write posts related to movies, music, books, news, video games and TV shows that preteens are into. To help you easily access these posts, I’ve created a new category on this blog titled – Culture. Also, I recently did a guest post on Ministry-to-Children.com. I wrote about some lessons preteens can learn from the movie, The Avengers. You might want to check that out as well.

Now, let’s talk Hunger Games. The initial hype of Hunger Games has somewhat died down, with the recent movie being passed up by other blockbuster hits. However, the books are a hot items for preteens and more Hunger Game movies will soon be released. A lot of parents and leaders are freaking out over everything Hunger Games related. I have to admit, I first thought Christians were over-reacting. But, after watching the movie, there are some concerns I have. More on that in a minute.

POSITIVES: Katniss, a 16-year-old girl from District 12, volunteers for the 74th annual Hunger Games, to take the place of her younger sister Primrose, who was selected by the lottery. This scene is a beautiful picture of self-sacrifice, and even mirrors what Jesus does for us – taking our place by dying on the cross. Katniss is a heroic figure in other ways as well. For example, she befriends Rue (one of the other competitors), doing her best to protect her. In the end, she is unsuccessful in protecting Rue. But she puts her life on the line trying to keep Rue alive. Katniss’ courage in the face of a difficult journey is a beautiful narrative. Overall, Hunger Games is a wonderful story filled with many lessons that we can all learn from.

NEGATIVES: The hardest pill for me to swallow in the movie (didn’t read the books) was the basic plot, which involved kids killing kids. Even though I watch some pretty violent films myself, I cringed at a few scenes – which actually didn’t show much happening. But teens were killing younger kids (who were innocently forced to participate). Yikes! I would be concerned for my preteen (10 years old) and other preteens to be exposed to this kind of violence.

RANDOM THOUGHT: The other thing that sort of baffles me is why the movie and books are so popular. What about them attracts such a big audience? I get why Harry Potter, The Avengers, Lord of the Rings and other blockbusters were hugely successful. But why Hunger Games?

IDEA: A preteen pastor friend of mine, Mike Sheley, approaches Hunger Games with students from a healthy perspective. He recently shared with me that he was going to do a series using a spin-off of the Hunger Games. However, he decided he wouldn’t. Instead he often makes reference to the characters and plot, when appropriate, in his message. That’s a really great way to approach it with preteens. Many of them are watching the movie and reading the books, so why not meet them where they are and use illustrations to drive home a point?

PLOT: The nation of Panem, formed from a post-apocalyptic North America, consists of a wealthy Capitol and twelve poorer surrounding districts. As a punishment for a previous rebellion against the Capitol by the districts, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by an annual lottery (known as the “Reaping”) to participate in the Hunger Games. The participants (or “tributes”) of the Hunger Games must fight in an arena controlled by the Capitol until only one remains alive; the victor is rewarded with fame and wealth.