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maternalwildernessgirls resonatewithme,”shesayswhenwecatch
upwithher inherLosAngeleshome. “I’vealwayshad thatnatural
empathy to lookafteryoungerpeople.But I alsohope that comeswith
mosthumans.Thoseare just thestories thatgrabmewhen I’m reading
ascript, thestories that I love: someonewho’sbraveenough tofight for
their familyandhasaworld that’s far toobig for thembearingdownon
theirshoulders.That’swhat’sdifferentaboutKatniss. She’s focusedon
survival, onsavingher family. She’s focusedona revolution.”
HerheroineKatniss isat theheartof
TheHungerGames
, thefirst
of fourfilms tobebasedonauthorSuzanneCollins’ trilogy.Thepro-
tagonistproves tobeastrong rolemodel foryounggirls:Bothhunter
andsurvivor, she takescareofher familyandprevails through the
trialsand tribulationsof the futuristicgames.Themovie isalready
the13thhighest-grossingdomesticfilmandhasaccumulatedmore
than$686millionat theworldwideboxoffice.Thebookshavesur-
passed the
HarryPotter
seriesasAmazon’sbestsellingever.The
story,whichdealswith theage-olddisparitybetweensociety’shaves
andhave-nots ina futuristicdystopia, alsoappealed toLawrence
becauseof itshopefulmessageabout today’syounggeneration.
“SuzanneCollinswassendingapowerfulmessage: ‘Lookwhatone
personcando,’”Lawrencesays. “It speaks towhatyoungpeoplecan
do toovercomeoppressive regimes, thepower theyhavewithsocial
mediaoutlets likeTwitterandFacebook.Yes, it’sscary.But through-
outhumanhistory, all it takes issomeone, oftenayoungerperson, to
makesuchahugedifference. It’snotaboutdoingwhat everyoneelse is
conforming to; it’sabout steppingupanddoingwhat’s right. I loved the
way thisstory reachesout toourgeneration.”
Lawrencemaybeattracted to these storiesbecause it iswhat she
knows. Shewas raisedworkingat herparents’Kentucky summer
camp in rural Louisvillewithher twoolderbrothers,where the im-
portanceof helping thosewhoneedassistancewasa familymantra.
Shemodestlyexplains, “I’mhappy I grewupwitha family that taught
me that as soonasyouhave, yougive toothers less fortunate.”
Lawrencesayssheunderstands theblessinghercareer isand the luxu-
ries ithasgivenher.Shesees itassurrealbutadmits itoffersanopportu-
nity tohelpmore. “IvisitedNamibia foramonth lastsummerandsaw life
on theotherside.You’re thinking, this ishowmuch itwouldcost toputa
kid throughschool there,and I’mspending thatonpacksofgum.There’s
suchan imbalance in theworld,and it’sso important toremember
that justbecause it’snot in frontofus,wecanstilldosomething.”
Hercharitablenatureprobablybares itself themost in
anorganization that isclose toherheart:Bellewood
Home forChildren (
), aKen-
tuckyorphanage thatLawrenceandherclose-
knit familyarepassionateaboutandhave
he’s the
girl next door.
She’s the
glamorous
leading lady.
She’s the
consummate
professional
of anart
form that she
wholeheartedly
embraces,
yet understands
tobe surreal.
35
celebratedliving.com
WINTER 2012
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