Monday Morning Quarterback Part II
By BOP Staff
March 27, 2012
Jim Van Nest - Jennifer Lawrence, if she hasn't already, will blow away Kristen Stewart. The main reason is that she's a good actress. Directors will want to work with her. Studios will want her in their productions because along with her newfound star power, she brings quality to her projects.
As for the guys, I don't think it's really fair to compare the two. Hutcherson's Peeta is one of two central characters in this trilogy and Hemsworth's Gale is not. So Hutcherson will easily get the bigger boost from Hunger Games. But I don't think Liam Hemsworth is going to have a hard time finding work either.
Bruce Hall: Felix could have just dropped the mic and walked off stage after that first sentence. That's all there is to it. Jennifer Lawrence already does have a bigger career, primarily by virtue of the fact that she can actually act. As far as Hemsworth/Hutcherson, if you're basing the analysis solely on this film I'd have to say that Hemsworth didn't have much to do other than brood and look pretty. Not his fault; anyone who's read the Hunger Games knows that certain major characters were necessarily short-changed in the first installment. Hemsworth will have plenty of fat to chew soon enough. Meanwhile, though Josh Hutcherson's career had already gotten off to a solid start, he didn't harm himself here in the least. He's no Daniel Day-Lewis but if he keeps this up, his career will undoubtedly benefit. I've mentioned before that the most engaging thing about the books to me was the raw prose. While not flashy or even particularly distinctive, Collins is crisp and efficient and most of all, draws her characters well. Peeta was a surprising combination of power and frailty, selflessness and self-pity. Not only did Collins pull it off in her book, but Hutcherson pulled it off on screen.
Max Braden: "Bigger" of course in how you see it. I think they'll both be big but in different ways because they're different kinds of actors. Stewart is the Ben Affleck and Lawrence is the Matt Damon. Stewart might have more MTV Movie Awards appeal while Lawrence will continue to have more Oscar appeal. The comparison I see for Lawrence is with Kate Winslet. Do many people remember Winslet's first Oscar nomination? It was for Sense and Sensibility, two years before Titanic. But I think it was Titanic that cemented her name in everyone's mind, and despite the huge box office notoriety associated with the movie, she wasn't defined as a popcorn actor who could only succeed as one character. Winslet is someone who brings heft to a blockbuster project, or an independent project. I think Jennifer Lawrence comes out of Hunger Games the same way. For now, Stewart in my mind will be Bella in other movies. Lawrence will be the actress who starred in Winter's Bone and Hunger Games. I think that difference will lead their career paths in the future.
Of the guys, Hutcherson easily gets the bigger name recognition, because I still had to double-check which part Hemsworth played. I assume Hemsworth will benefit from the sequels. But Hutcherson was perfectly cast as Peeta and he didn't disappoint. I expect every agent in town is throwing scripts at him by now.
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