That Was Awful

Last night I finally went to see the Hunger Games movie. I liked it more than I expected to. It followed the book pretty closely and was well acted. As a result it left me feel similar to how I felt after reading the book, with the small exception that I'd already read the book and thus knew what to expect.

I saw the movie with one of the kids I mentor, who hadn't bothered to read the book first. As I drove her home after the movie she announced, "That is the worst movie I have ever seen. Seriously, why would anybody want to watch that. They murdered little kids. It was awful."

Yeah, kid, that's about how I felt too. When I told people I hated the Hunger Games after reading the book nobody seemed to understand why. If they weren't well written, they wouldn't have been able to elicit such a strong emotional response. Still, I can't exactly claim to enjoy books or movies that are that disturbing.

There are books and movies that make people laugh and cry and feel a million other things. The Hunger Games feels like getting stabbed in the chest. There is no other way that I can explain it, but I think it's brilliantly awful. The kid I mentor is sort of a punk, being an at risk youth that requires a mentor and whatnot, so I was slightly thrilled she too found the movie horrific and disturbing. Maybe there is hope for the future after all. Watching children murder other children should always be horrible and disturbing.