North Carolina gets ready for 'Hunger Games' fans

[Lizzie Poppet]

8. Unfortunately, it's not an "Oscar bait" sort of film.

Collecting Oscars has become something of a science, and Hunger Games isn't really that sort of film (that it, it's not an earnest talking head psychodrama or a Meryl Streep vehicle...). It will get nominations in certain categories, but probably not in the marquee categories like Best Director, Best Actress in a Leading Role, or Best Picture.

Which is a shame, imo. Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen is brilliant, as is Woody Harrelson's Haymitch Abernathy. The direction is beautifully paced and the cinematography a perfect compliment. I think some folks may have expected a lot less from a movie based on a YA novel...and the film is way more than that.