Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Harry Bookending

So you know what I found interesting as I waited (pregnant) in line for six hours next to obnoxious high school kids to see the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix? I was pregnant with Abby when we had to wait in line for the midnight book release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix!

responding to Sarah's question: Well... here's where it gets socially tricky. I actually really liked this movie - however I don't really want to open it up for debate by talking about it much. My reasons for liking it so much are pretty singular to me so I certainly wouldn't be surprised someone else has gripes - and I'd certainly be able to list a few myself, don't get me wrong.

But what was most important to me from this book (ha, you want to know what that is don't you? well I'm not telling!) came through in the movie so for me it was a resounding success. I think it had great potential to be such a great movie because unlike the other books not a lot really happens apart from the intro of Umbridge (and the underlying ministry issues she represents), the introduction of the DA (and therefore Harry's acceptance of leadership), and the action climax. Therefore there was TIME to have scenes where characters interacted a bit more, there was character development. There was time for all that rather than just scene after scene of watching Harry react to everything.

Usually there is so much either backstory or interweaving plot points that the filmmakers are trying to translate from the books (but never can because of time) that the movies never seem to know what they've decided to keep as a plot point. There will be parts of a subplot brought in and then dropped completely. I'd much rather the ancillary stuff stay in the background where us nerds can see it, but not get brought to the forefront where it has to be explained so much that the charm is sucked out of them. My biggest gripe about Prisoner of Azkaban movie, for example, is that Harry's patronus is a stag and yet that whole entire subplot wasn't referenced (if it was, it was mumbled - which is sort of what I said I wanted so I'm a big hypocrite).

So I got what I wanted. And Harry's descent into anger wasn't nearly as hard to watch on screen (basically in fast forward) as it was to read.

9 comments:

Albert said...

Mmm .. Is there an uncanny resemblance here?! What else haven't you told us?

Anonymous said...

Now THAT IS CRAZY.... and the movie? what are your thoughts?

diane said...

Why be so mysterious about what you needed to be in the movie? As a reader, I personally am less dissapointed in this movie, so maybe the character development thing is valid - or, then, maybe I have just become more accepting. The new castings were great and a satisfying number of favorite parts translated very well.

LL will have another HP line to wait though in less than two weeks..wonder when THAT movie is set to be released.....

Dave said...

Not to be too blunt, but the fact that your ovulation cycle is timed to Harry Potter release dates is both amusing and disturbing.

Ada said...

FERTILIZATION Dave, not ovulation. Sheesh.

Dave said...

How embarassing. And here I was a few keytaps away from "nationalization."

Juliana Shain said...

How 'bout Translation for the sci-fi impaired?

Ada said...

Sure, course it won't do you much good as Harry Potter is Fantasy, not Sci-Fi

Juliana Shain said...

Fantasy? Ha! Is it 2 hours of Calvin Klein models dusting, ironing, and serving me chocolate in bed?

No? I rest my case.