This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s senior fall editorial intern Maggie Lardie. Find her on Instagram at @maggielardie. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
If you’ve been on Tiktok at all recently, chances are you’ve gotten at LEAST one 2014 Josh Hutcherson edit on your for you page, whether you intended to see it or not. The largest reason for this Josh Hutcherson/Peeta Mellark resurgence is the theatrical release of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes on November 17. The long-awaited prequel to the Hunger Games franchise takes place 64 years before Katniss enters the arena, focusing on an eighteen year old Coriolanus Snow as he navigates being a student in the Capitol and mentoring a tribute named Lucy Gray Baird after she’s reaped for the tenth annual Hunger Games. The book of the same name was published by Suzanne Collins in 2020, so we figured it was only a matter of time before it was given the movie treatment. The book and the film have received incredibly high praise from critics and are already beloved by fans around the world. The only question is: which is better? If you’re looking to hear our comparison of the book and the movie or you just want the The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes ending explained, keep scrolling! Here’s what the book incorporated that the movie missed.
Missing/Underdeveloped Characters
We understand why every single character from the book couldn’t make an appearance in the movie, but with some of these characters, their involvement seemed too important to the plot for them to be left out in the way they were. Here are some characters established in the book that are missing (or diminished) in the film:
- Ma Plinth: Mother of Sejanus Plinth, Ma Plinth was a recurring character in the book who always looked out for her son. It’s Ma who brings it to Coriolanus’ attention when Sejanus sneaks into the arena, Ma who sends Corolanus and Sejanus sweets during their time as Peacekeepers in District 12 and Ma who moves in below the Snows’ and assists funding Coriolanus’ education.
- The Covey: Lucy Gray’s musical-makeshift family definitely makes a few appearances in the film, but besides Maude Ivory, none of them are named or developed as characters. One of the coolest facts about each of their names (Lucy Gray, Maude Ivory, Barb Azure, Tam Amber, Clerk Carmine) is that they got their first names from a ballad, while their second name comes from a color. Even Maude Ivory’s significance is diminished, since in the book, it was said she could remember a song exactly after hearing it just once. This would make sense as to why Katniss knew “The Hanging Tree” even though Lucy Gray was long gone.
- Dr. Kay: Described as wearing oversized pink glasses, Dr. Kay was a Capitol scientist who worked under Dr. Gaul, specifically with Jabberjays. After a brief meeting in the Capitol, Coriolanus meets her again in District 12, where she oversees the Peacekeepers in their efforts to trap the Mockingjays that bred out in the Districts.
- Lucky Flickerman: Although he was not a missing character from the film, we still wanted to take the chance to highlight this difference! Lucky’s character was actually given a bigger role in the movie and contributed a lot of comedic effect.
The Songs
The movie used an impressive amount of songs mentioned in the book, even using lyrics written by author Suzanne Collins herself! It was clear from the beginning that “The Hanging Tree” would make a cameo, but we were pleasantly surprised to see that “Nothing You Can Take From Me,” “The Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird,” “The Old Therebefore” and “Pure as the Driven Snow” we’re all given their time as well. It was so cool to hear the music supporting the lyrics that were once written on the page, so we can definitely overlook the fact that not all the songs from the book were mentioned. One of the songs we really wish could’ve gotten some time is the “Deep in the Meadow” lullaby that Katniss sings to Rue as she lay dying. Lucy Gray originally sings this song to Maude Ivory when the group is taking a nap at the lake.
What did you think of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes? Let us know!
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