Sunday, November 22, 2015
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Adoption Movie Review
At the end of the previous film Katniss was attacked by
Peeta, whose mind has been altered by the government. She is recuperating in
District 13, and slowly works to regain her ability to speak. She is now
determined to get revenge against President Snow for all of the cruelty and
destruction he has brought to Panem. Katniss is assigned to a unit that is invading
the capitol city, and her maybe-maybe-not once-boyfriend and now enemy Peeta is
assigned to her unit. Katniss continues to face danger and loss on her quest to
extract revenge and to liberate the people of Panem. Meanwhile, the leader of
the rebel forces, President Coin, seems to have her heart set on liberating the
people of Panem but also gaining power.
This review is
sponsored by Bethany Christian Services. We believe every child deserves a
loving family. Learn
more about our adoption,
counseling, and post-adoption services.
*Spoiler Alerts Ahead the Rest of the Way*
The Adoption
Connection
The Hunger Games series centers around Katniss, a 16-year-old
girl who is taken away from her family by the government. Initially, her
12-year-old sister Prim had been selected, but Katniss volunteered to be taken
in her stead, in order to save Prim from a government-mandated barbaric fight
to the death. Katniss grieves her separation from her family, and continues to
feel protective towards her sister. In the later events of the film series, Katniss
is reunified with her mother and sister, and continues to protect her sister.
** BIG SPOILER ALERT: But Katniss’
sister is eventually killed, and Katniss sees it happen. ***
Strong Points
By the end of the film, Katniss has been able to develop a
happy life. She shares with a child that she still has nightmares, but she
appears to function well in spite of the trauma she has experienced. For kids
and teens who have experienced profound trauma, this could be very hopeful.
Even if life has scarred you, you can still create a good and happy life. Even
so, there is a challenge connected to one element of Katniss’ happy ending, and
I’ll share that in a spoiler in the Challenges section below.
Some characters do express the need to stop treating others
as enemies.
Katniss is brave.
Challenges
Katniss expresses a deep sense of felt guilt for the loss of
her friends. Kids who have experienced trauma and loss often feel as though
they blame the guilt for the loss and trauma they have suffered. Katniss’
friends assure her that they were voluntarily involved in the risk and that the
loss is not her fault.
** BIG SPOILER:
Katniss is involved in a love triangle. One of her suitors may be
responsible for the death of her sister. The other (while in a mind-altering
condition), has brutally tried to kill Katniss twice, and has also tried to get
someone else to kill her. Katniss ultimately does marry one of them, and they
live happily ever after. Here’s my concern with this, though: Kids who’ve been
in foster care have often experienced abuse. Kids who have experienced abusive
relationships often – for whatever reason – end up with abusive partners. Teens
will identify with Katniss, and teens – especially those who have been in
abusive homes – might not need a love story that encourages you to stick with
someone who has tried to kill you – offering as an excuse only that they weren’t
themselves because their mind was altered. That’s dangerous thinking. END SPOILER **
**SPOILER: Katniss’ sister was killed by a bomb. Katniss had
dedicated much of her life to protecting her sister. We see her scream with
grief on screen. END SPOILER **
Weak Points
The Hunger Games series involves lots of violence by and
against children and teens. **BIG SPOILER: Katniss is reunified with her
younger sister, Prim, but Prim is ultimately killed by a bomb.**
Revenge is a huge motivator for Katniss. She wants her enemy
to “see my eyes when I kill him.” It also seems that her vengeance might even
extend to the children and grandchildren of her defeated enemies. It’s
concerning that even the virtuous victors are bloodthirsty for children.
There is a terrifying breed of mutated humanoids who appear
to eat one of Katniss’ friends.
One character implies that he would have been better off had
he let Katniss starve to death years ago.
Katniss encounters seeming protectors whom she cannot trust.
When she finally does find a trustworthy adult, he is killed.
Children are ripped away from their parents in a scene of
chaos. One screams for her mother.
Almost no one is trustworthy.
There is a public execution, and another character is killed
by an angry mob.
The film, although entertaining and engaging – is almost
entirely cheerless except for the final few moments.
There is a pervasive sense of never being safe, which could be troubling for kids who've lived in that fear.
Recommendations
Katniss suffers a couple profound losses and quite a bit of trauma
in this last chapter of the Hunger Games series. She also makes a couple troubling
decisions. This film seems likely to be best for viewers ages 15 and up, and it
might be painful for kid who have experienced violence or the loss of
relatives. Parents should be cautious with this one.
Questions for
Discussion
If you were Katniss, would you have chosen Peeta or Gale, or
neither?
How can Katniss know that she is safe with the man she
chose?
How can you tell whether people are safe to be around or
not?
Do you have any nightmares? How do you deal with them? Do
you think most people have them?
This review is sponsored by Bethany Christian Services. We believe every child deserves a loving family. Learn more about our adoption, counseling, and post-adoption services.
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