The Hunger Games: 10 Biggest Changes From The Books
8. Haymitchs Backstory
Interestingly, the last person to have competed in the Quarter Quell and won it was Haymitch, District 12s own champion. In the books, Peeta and Katniss make it a point to watch and see how their mentor fared in his victory. It gives them an interesting insight in to how he was able to overcome obstacles and win the whole tournament despite losing his partner in the arena. Through this learning process they of course discover how he used the arenas force field to his advantage, a clever trick that allowed him to survive. In the film however, this is never discussed, meaning Haymitch is left as just an amusing and clever, albeit drunken mentor for the pair. This is an interesting decision by the filmmakers because the force field in Haymitchs video foreshadows the force field that will appear in Katniss and Peetas Quarter Quell. That means that the characters learn how to use it against their opponents much earlier in the book, whereas in the film it takes them longer to work out. At the same time, the film has taken away an extra dimension to Haymitch that ultimately makes him a more interesting and rounded character. Considering they also decided to remove a scene where he falls off the stage drunkenly during the ceremony, it means the movie was keen to promote him as more than just comic relief, which makes this exclusion all the more strange. Perhaps it will be an area that will be covered in the last two films instead.
