Running head: MOVIE ANALYSIS

Movie Analysis
Katie Francis
University of North Texas

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The Hunger Games takes place in a dystopian society where the country is divided into
twelve Districts and a Capitol. Each year there is a televised competition to entertain those who
reside in the Capitol; the Hunger Games. Two teenagers are chosen, one boy and one girl, from
each of the twelve districts to participate in the games. It is mandatory that all teenagers put their
names in a lottery and the names of the tributes are chosen at random. After the competitors are
chosen, they are sent to train and then sent off to the game where the kids are forced to survive
harsh environments and their fellow competitors killing each other off. The game ends when
there is only one tribute left alive. The Hunger Games follows Katniss Everdeen as she is chosen
as the female tribute of District 12. She is sent to the Hunger Games with a boy named Peeta,
where they create an alliance necessary for survival. The relationship between Katniss and Peeta
is one of necessity; they provide each other with different skills they need to survive.
Social exchange theory emphasizes the thought that people are always exchanging goods
and resources. It says that people compare to see if there are more benefits than costs of staying
(Knapp, Vangelisti, & Caughlin, 2013). The friendship between Peeta and Katniss is a perfect
example of social exchange theory. Their relationship is complementary as they provide for the
specific needs of the other.
Katniss is a loner who doesnt need much of the interpersonal need of inclusion. Because
she doesnt feel the need to be included, she is not afraid of offending people and is often uses
harsh words in a conversation without thought. While this trait may show her honesty, it is not a
good quality that will gain her sponsors that will send her gifts to help her survive. Peeta has a
higher need for inclusion so he is more affluent in the technique of charming people. He makes
up for what Katniss lacks and provides for her by making her look desirable in others eyes.

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Katniss is benefitted by Peetas charm as he makes her look good and that gets her more

sponsors which save her life when they send her medicine.
Although Katniss has a low need of inclusion she has a high need for protection and
control. She needed to protect her sister so she volunteered as tribute to go instead of her. When
she saw that Peeta was being looked at threateningly by the other tributes, she told him how to
gain their respect by throwing the 100lb. weight. She is good at hunting and has trained to have
great control. Peeta, on the other hand, is not great at survival skills so he needed her to take
control of the situation. She saves him from eating poisonous berries because of her knowledge
of edible plants. She needs to be in control while Peeta needs someone to take control. Their
needs complement each other and they provide the balance that is needed for both of them to
survive.
Peeta is much better at self-disclosure than Katniss. When they are in the cave and Peeta
is injured, he tells Katniss of the first time he saw her and started to like her. He is very open
with his feelings for her. Katniss is very different and doesnt disclose much to Peeta. She
doesnt say how she really feels for him because she doesnt know herself and she says what she
believes would create the best outcome for their survival. She ways the benefits and the costs of
what to say and decides to say what the viewers want to hear. She isnt very honest in return to
Peetas openness.
The relationship between Katniss and Peeta would improve if Katniss would be more
forthcoming in self-disclosure. If she could be more honest and open with Peeta, they would be
able to fix the problems that arise together instead of stewing in it in silence. The relationship is
successful though because they know how to provide for the others needs. Peeta helps Katniss

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with socialization and Katniss helps Peeta with survival. One provides emotional support while
the other provides instrumental support. They balance each other out to create a symbiotic
relationship.
The relationship between Katniss and Peeta was created out of necessity. They leaned on
each other for support and eventually grew to like and need on another. This could be accurate as
you grow close to people that are in a similar situation as yourself and need the support of
another person. The closest I can come to comparing their relationship to that of my own is that
when I went on a volunteer trip to Thailand, I was thrown together with a group of people a
never knew before. We bonded very fast out of necessity; we were all in the same situation and
needed someone to be close with.
In Death at a Funeral, Daniel has arranged his fathers funeral and his friends and family
have gathered at his house for the funeral. The movie hosts an ensemble cast as it encompasses
many subplots that take place at the funeral. The familys dysfunctions are brought to light oneby-one in this British comedy. The main plot is the arrival of a mysterious man at the funeral
who tries to expose some rather shocking secrets about Daniels father. Daniels relationship with
his brother Robert is strained. When he arrives for the funeral of their father, he and Daniel must
work together solve the problem that the strange Peter presents.
Family systems theory talks about how the dyadic relationships in families affect other
dyadic relationships in the family (Leventhal, 2014). For example, a mother and sons
relationship will affect the relationship between the son and his sister. All the relationships in
Death at a Funeral are interweaving and affect the sibling relationship between Daniel and
Robert.

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There is a lot of conflict in Death at a Funeral. One conflict is how Daniel and Robert
decide to pay for the funeral. Daniel asks his brother to pay him half of the funeral costs because
that is what was previously agreed upon by the both of them. Robert had other plans though, and
pretended that he didnt know anything about having to pay half the money. Daniels mother
doesnt approve of his wife so he wanted to use the money he had saved to rent an apartment so
he and his wife could move out of his mothers house. Daniel needed the money that Robert was
supposed to provide so he could get that apartment. Daniel sees this fake ignorance of Roberts
as irresponsible and confronts him about the money. Robert says that Daniel has lived off their
parents for years so he shouldnt have a problem paying for the funeral so its not a big deal. This
conflict shows how the relationship between Daniels mother and wife affects his relationship
with his brother.
Daniel is also frustrated that Robert never takes care of their mother. Daniel wants their
mother to live with Robert for a while so that he and his wife can get some alone time. Robert
doesnt want his mother to live with him. He would rather keep to his bachelor ways than take on
familial responsibilities. They are both fighting over having their own independence from their
mother and about their responsibilities. Roberts relationship with his mother is affecting how
Daniel interacts with him. Daniel would like Robert to spend more time with their mother.
In order for Daniel and Roberts relationship to improve, Daniel should learn to give up a
little of control and ask for help from his brother from time-to-time. Also, Robert should try to
spend more time with his family and offer to help Daniel with the familial responsibilities once
in a while. The brothers should be more honest with each other instead of keeping their
resentments bottled up until it all comes out in a heated argument.

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This movie is a good example of sibling relationships. It shows that there are always

going to be arguments but you can still love each other. It shows that in a time of family crisis,
the one you turn to is your sibling. This is similar to the relationship between me and my brother.
We fight a lot but we still know that we love each other. In times of need he will be the one I call
to help.

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References

Jacobson, N. (Producer), & Ross, G. (Director). (2012). The Hunger Games [Motion Picture].
United States: Lionsgate.
Kimmel, S. (Producer), & Oz, F. (Director). (2007). Death at a Funeral [Motion Picture]. United
Kingdom: Verve Pictures.
Knapp, M. L., Vangelisti, A. L., & Caughlin, J. P. (2013). Interpersonal communication and
human relationships (7th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education Inc.
Leventhal, J. (2014). Familial Relationships [PowerPoint slides].