Lionsgate
Perhaps one of the funniest moments in the first Hunger Games film came about completely by accident. In the movie Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson, is injured and needs to hide. So he ingeniously hides in plain sight by camouflaging himself as a rock. In the book it’s a more serious scene, but in the movie the visual of Peeta’s face emerging from a rock has become something of an internet meme.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly about the new movie, both actors were asked what they would change about the first film if they had the chance. Jennifer Lawrence mentioned she would have changed the CGI mutts at the film’s conclusion. In the books, these dogs actually have the faces of all the former tributes, but it’s a detail left out of the film version.
But Josh Hutcherson’s change has everything to do with that rocky moment with Peeta in camo.
“The camouflage of Peeta in the book is not funny, but then when you have me with clay on my face, lying there half dead, and I turn my face to the camera — it’s so laughable,” Hutcherson told the magazine. “It’s impossible not to laugh.”
It might be impossible to keep a straight face when Peeta’s face pops up from the rock, but whether intentional or not, it’s a moment of levity sorely needed in such a heavily dramatic film. (After all the whole movie is about children killing each other!) Hutcherson might not have liked his moment of makeup glory, but Peeta’s stint as a rock will forever be etched in our minds as one of the few moments we had a good laugh during the action-packed film.
What do you think? Were you laughing when Peeta popped up from the rock or do you agree with Hutcherson that it was a corny moment? Sound off whether you’re pro or anti Peeta rock in the comments!
