Hermione in the Movies: Too Glamorous to be a Role Model?

This is a very interesting article looking at the evolution (or de-evolution, depending on how you see it) of Hermione Granger’s character in the Harry Potter films.  It argues that writers and directors have given her too much of the typical “girly” quality and have minimized her braininess and logic to an unacceptable degree.  Of course, as a devout loyalist to the books, I cannot earnestly argue for the virtue of "film Hermione" over "book Hermione", but I do think some of the accusations made here are a bit inaccurate and unfair.

While I agree with some of the points made, most particularly the fact that yes, Emma Watson has grown more physically beautiful with each film and in the world of Hollywood/starlets/etc there is no way filmmakers would hesitate to use that to their advantage, I would argue that the film’s depiction is not quite as evil as The Guardian seems to believe.  They take issue with the fact that Hermione hesitates to destroy the horcrux in the final film, saying that she “can’t.”  The author asserts that the “real” Hermione would never say such a thing, and I wholeheartedly disagree.  Hermione Granger as we know and love her from the novels is very very intelligent and her ability to think critically under pressure saves many lives over the seven books, but she knows her limits.  Hermione is very dismissive of and at times insecure about her own bravery, particularly as compared to Harry and Ron’s more obvious boldness.  She has several significant moments of insecurity during the series, and those moments serve to not only teach her a lesson about herself but to show us as readers that she is not, in fact, superhuman.

I don’t think we can dismiss Hermione (even film Hermione) as a feminist character simply because she is physically attractive and occasionally doubts herself.  It’s what she does in the face of those doubts that really counts— she ultimately does destroy the horcrux in Deathly Hallows, not to mention kicks ass in the Battle of Hogwarts. And in the film Hermione’s bravest action comes later, when she sends Harry, her best friend and pseudo brother, off to die for the cause, something she has long suspected he would have to do.  Anyone who can take that kind of emotional blow in the midst of everything else going on is absolutely strong in my book, perfume and tight jeans or not (though for the record, I do think the perfume thing was a silly and unnecessary addition).

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

I like to think it goes without saying, but SPOILER ALERT for anyone who hasn't watched the film yet.

I feel I should preface this with an explanation of why this film is so important to me, and what is probably a contributing factor in my enjoyment of it (because I know there will be people who disliked portions of the adaptation).  Deathly Hallows, and particularly the second half of the book, has always been the most resonant and emotional for me to read, so there was something uniquely both devastating and wonderful about seeing the moments that have become such a part of me unfold on the screen four years after the fact.  Any complaints I have are pretty nit-picky, and I think on the whole the filmmakers put the care and passion into this film that it so wholly deserves, and it shows in nearly every frame.  Ultimately, I'm very very satisfied with it, and I honestly could not have asked for a better ending to such a spectacular phase of my life.

But let's talk details, shall we?  I will try my best to choose a few highlights (which will inevitably turn into many highlights) from the final film that really stood out.

The most anticipated kiss in recent movie history:  Say what you will about liberties taken in the details, I thought it was done perfectly.  It was a great moment to have it happen, and it was done in a way that made it special without dwelling on it too much, calling us back to Harry's line from the book during this event:  "Is this the time?  There's a war going on here!"


Snape's redemption:  Yes, changes were made, and some purists will be unhappy about that.  But on the whole I thought the way it was handled was really great, and that it befit the overall tone of the film.  I liked that Snape's memories kind of merged with a montage of significant interactions with Harry over the years, allowing us to journey through their relationship while establishing Lily's importance to Snape.

Neville:  I'm fairly certain the alternate title of this film is The One Where Neville is Awesome All the Time, and a Total BAMF.  Seriously, I am so glad that he was given this time to shine, and that the film really delved into the leader Neville became at Hogwarts in Harry's absence.  Matthew Lewis gave a great performance in his final turn, and absolutely did this beloved character justice.

Harry & Ginny:  As I've previously asserted, the films have not really handled the development of this relationship as well as they ought to have done.  Until now, that is.  I was pleasantly surprised by the number of little moments we were given in DH2 showing their affection for one another, and though I was disappointed they omitted his walking past her into the forest, I was grateful for the scene on the stairs, with the kiss and Ginny's "I know" in response to Harry's unspoken declaration before parting ways to fight.  It was an understated moment to be sure, but somehow it was just about perfect.

Gringotts:  This was almost exactly as I envisioned it, exciting and nerve-wracking and even at moments humorous (Helena Bonham Carter playing Hermione posing as Bellatrix was every bit as fantastic as I'd hoped), and it was a well-paced introduction to the rapid deterioration to come.  Also, was it just me or did Ron look kind of weirdly attractive with that beard?


Harry's walk toward death:  Gosh.  Every single thing about this was amazing, and that is impressive because my hopes for it could not have been higher.  And Daniel Radcliffe gave a performance that I don't think anyone realized he was capable of.  From the moment Harry emerges from the pensieve to the moment Voldemort's spell hits him, I could not stop the tears.  So much of it was taken directly from the pages of the book, and the parts that weren't were just perfect (Hermione's response when Harry tells them he's a horcrux?  I thought I could cry at that alone for a hundred years).  The resurrection stone bit was nearly verbatim, and judging by the silence in our theater punctuated only by sniffles and quiet sobs, I was not the only one who's heart was breaking.  I know a lot of people (myself included) were anxious about the execution of this scene on film, but the filmmakers made it more beautiful and heart-wrenching than I dared to hope.

Supporting players:  For all of the actors, this final film was (obviously) their last chance to really make it count.  And my goodness, did they.  So many of the minor characters had fantastic moments to shine in this film, standouts among them including Luna Lovegood, Professor McGonagall (her duel with Snape was downright bitchin'), Dumbledore, and the Weasley twins.  And even those who didn't have a notable part to play in the final film were present in an entirely different way; not to mention, it was fun to see a kind of proverbial curtain call for so many of the unsung heroes of these films, and of the wizarding world.

The fight:  The battle of Hogwarts was fucking epic.  There's just no other way to say it.  I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, despite the fact that I literally knew everything that would happen within its duration.  And I knew going into it that the filmmakers were going to draw out the final fight between Harry and Voldemort

Multiple perspectives:  I loved how much the film was willing to break (albeit briefly) from Harry's limited point of view in order to show us what other important characters were up to.  I loved that we got to see Ron and Hermione go into the chamber of secrets, and all the glimpses we got of Voldemort and his followers during the battle.  This really added much-needed layers to the film that would have otherwise been very difficult to translate from the book.

The ending:  I was concerned that with so much focus on the battle itself, the filmmakers might short-change the ending a bit.  My fears were unfounded, though, because I think it really wrapped up on just the right note, with the trio standing together amid the ruins of Hogwarts in silent solidarity, looking ahead to whatever might be on the horizon.  I was even pleasantly surprised by the epilogue, which turned out much better than early leaked photos of the original shoot had hinted.  I think the best part of it was the call-back to Harry's first journey on the Hogwarts express, with the chocolate frog crawling up the window as Albus Severus greeted his new schoolmates.  Seeing Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny one last time, smiling and looking as though the burdens of the past had finally been lifted from their shoulders, was much more cathartic than I'd expected.

Despite having written all of this, I still don't feel like I've quite explored all of my thoughts on this film.  I think that's due in large part to the dull shock of it all being over-- I literally sat in my chair and stared at the credits, unable to speak, when the movie ended.  I think in a way I'm still feeling that, the disbelief that I've actually seen the last film and I really am out of excuses to obsess over this thing that has been such a huge part of my life, and which has given me so much.

Magic Movie Moments with Harry, Part 7b: Deathly Hallows, Part 1

I am definitely guilty of liking each film better than the last, but I think that, had this installment landed anywhere in the lineup, I would have pronounced it the best adaptation of the bunch.  I'm interested to see if Part 2 will outstrip Part 1; it definitely has its work cut out for it.  There's a long list of things I love about Deathly Hallows Part 1, and I've managed to narrow it down to these few.

The Journey Begins
I really like the opening to this film (after the Minister's speech), where we kind of check in with each member of the trio before they're reunited and see what they're up to.  Ron is at home, visibly dreading leaving his warm, loving family behind; Harry is in the process of moving out of the Dursley home; and Hermione is by far the most tragic, erasing herself from her parents' memories so that they won't be targeted because of her.  Add in the tremendously beautiful swelling music of Desplat's "Obliviate" as they march off toward their respective destinations, and you've got pretty much the perfect introduction to the dark and winding story we're about to embark upon.

Undercover at the Ministry
Okay, so they definitely botch this mission, more than a little bit.  But it's still so cool to see our favorite trio attempt an actual, grown-up infiltration of the ever-more-threatening Ministry of Magic.  Employing Polyjuice Potion, they disguise themselves as three employees and embark on the search for their first horcrux.  I liked the point the film made to use three adults that look like the possible future versions of the three actors in question.

Godric's Hollow Graveyard sequence
Gosh...my heart.  I still get a little choked up watching this scene, just because of what it represents for Harry and his journey.  This scene in the film is particularly well-executed, because just about everything about it is beautifully understated-- the acting, the music, even the scenery-- and it works so, so well.

Tale of the Three Brothers
Round of applause for super sick animation!  Not only do we get a nice little morality tale weaved into an already wildly complex story, but we got to watch it actually unfold on the screen.  I'd been very apprehensive of how they were going to handle the explanation for this, and I think illustrating the story was the best choice they could have made.  And apart from that, there's just something very pleasant about Emma Watson's reading voice, no?

Malfoy Manor
Apart from being one of the more chilling scenes in the film, this is another instance of just taking a look at the talent crammed into one room in these films.  Helena Bonham Carter, Helen McRory, Jason Isaacs, Tom Felton, Timothy Spall...I could continue the list, but won't.  Emma Watson is spectacular in this scene-- I knew what was going to happen and I was still genuinely frightened for her.  That it is the beginning of the slope into Part 2 is icing on the cake, as it provides the perfect segway into the "shit's about to get real(er)" portion of the story.

Magic Movie Moments with Harry, Part 7a: Everything Else

So we've covered some of the multitude of things that are great about these films, but as we all know, they are not without their flaws.  Don't get me wrong, I love the films, especially because I have been able to regard them as separate entities from the novels on the whole, but there are always going to be struggles when one attempts to adapt from a beloved book.  Here are a few places where the proverbial ball was really, really dropped.

Plot Holes Abound (Goblet of Fire)
One of the very best parts of Goblet of Fire, the novel, was the immense complexity of the plot, and specifically the means by which Voldemort returns to power.  Central to this explanation is Barty Crouch Jr, played with wonderful creepiness by David Tennant in the film version.  However, the screenwriter totally botched the explanation of why we were even introduced to this character, and didn't come close to explaining the critical role he played in the Dark Lord's return.  Perhaps they were simply counting on moviegoers to be too scared and shocked to question exactly how they ended up there.

Mayhem at the Burrow (Half-Blood Prince)
Not only did this have the potential to throw continuity for a loop going into the final two films, it just felt wholly unnecessary.  Half-Blood Prince the book gave lots of ways to illustrate the growing threat and power of Voldemort and company, they didn't have to burn Ron's house down!  It did give us a pretty great visual, I guess, but I would have rather had them use that time (and budget) on some of the scenes which were in the book but ultimately cut from the movie, such as additional trips into the pensieve with Dumbledore.

False Hope for Harry/Hermione Fans (all films, possible exception of Half-Blood Prince)
Guys, it's time you all accept something, just in time for the final film this week, where it will be cemented in film history forever.  It's Hermione and Ron.  They're the ones who belong together, who have always been intended for each other, and who (SPOILER) wind up married to one another.  Unfortunately, it would appear that the filmmakers have forgotten this, and on more occasions than can really be excused.  Long gazes at Hermione in her dress robes (GoF) and slow dancing (DH1) notwithstanding, Harry and Hermione are only ever going to be platonic friends, regardless of how nice Dan and Emma might look together.

Harry and Ginny (Half-Blood Prince)
One character who has been consistently shortchanged in the films is Ginny Weasley, particularly when it comes to her romance with the Boy Who Lived.  Yes, it does come up rather suddenly even in the novel (Half-Blood Prince, for those wondering), but the films somehow turn it into even more of a mess.  JK Rowling wrote a great story for Harry and Ginny, one that was realistic and entertaining, and many of the moments she penned (the kiss in the common room, in particular), were OBVIOUSLY written with the films in mind.  And what did the filmmakers do instead?  Gave us awkwardness on top of awkwardness, a thoroughly anticlimactic first kiss, and not even the courtesy of a proper breakup at the end of film 6.  So many people complain that Bonnie Wright is not a very talented actress, but I would turn that statement around and ask when she has been given anything truly decent to work with.

Snape's Worst Memory (Order of the Phoenix)
Okay, here's the thing about this scene.  We learn later that Lily is the key part of the reason it is Snape's "worst memory", and in the film she doesn't even appear, despite the fact that they cast her and presumably filmed a scene in which she was featured.  This is one of the many ways they've failed to execute the Snape/Lily subplot, and as it stands, people who have only seen the films have no idea that Snape and Harry's mother even knew each other, much less had any kind of relationship.  How DH2 will remedy this in the course of a few scenes, we will have to see, but my biggest complaint about this whole business is the fact that JK Rowling had final approval on changes made to her stories, and you'd think she might have been concerned that they omitted such a critical detail.

Magic Movie Moments with Harry, Part 6: Half-Blood Prince

The sixth film in the Potter series, much like the novel which provides its basis, gives us a sense that we are at the beginning of the end.  Foundations are laid in this movie for things that will not be fully realized or resolved until this Friday in DH2.  It is for that reason that some people may have found the Half-Blood Prince film boring or confusing (maybe both), but from the stance of someone who still has that book in a tie for her favorite of the series, it actually comes off pretty well.

Muggles and Magic
Now, this scene is actually a bit of a rewrite from what we get in the opening chapter of the book (which features a conversation between the Muggle and wizarding Prime Ministers), but I think in terms of translating from book to screen, showing the bridge collapse (which is mentioned in the book's version, just not shown), is actually a better choice.  We get the message loud and clear:  this wizarding war is getting out of hand, to the point where it's affecting the Muggles who aren't even supposed to know that magic exists.  Plus, seeing the menacing steel of the Millenium Bridge (which I've walked on!) collapse into the Thames is just plain eerie.

Snape Weaves a Web
Snape has always been a complicated character, and one never very far from suspicion.  Half-Blood Prince plays with this even more, from the first scene in which he appears (a very well-executed retelling of the novel's second chapter, made all the better by the brilliant acting of Helen McRory, Helena Bonham Carter, and Alan Rickman), to the film's climax when he (SPOILER) fires the curse which kills Dumbledore.  By the film's end, as in the book, we are more bewildered than ever as to where Snape's loyalty lies, and this is almost enough on its own to draw people in for the seventh film.

Meet Tom Riddle
An entire subplot of the sixth book is the history lesson/character study of the boy who would become Lord Voldemort, and has Harry struggling to understand what his weaknesses might be.  Because a lot of what we learn about Tom Riddle comes through various discussions as well as peering into Harry's own mind, it is understandably difficult to translate to the screen.  That said, the flashbacks we do get to see in the film are well-executed and definitely try (can't say for sure that they succeed) to effectively convey this part of the story.  I especially like the memory of Dumbledore visiting a very young Tom at the orphanage where he lives.

Draco's Up to No Good
This part of the film is really well done, although that may be me still gushing over Tom Felton's impressive performance.  He does a phenomenal job showing Draco's insecurity and uncertainty as he embarks on a secret assignment from Voldemort, which culminates in his attempt and failure to kill Dumbledore.  Great acting and a very nuanced look at this character as he takes on new dimensions.

A Fitting Tribute
Now, the actual moment of Dumbledore falling from the tower onto the grounds felt a bit forced to me, as did some of the lead-up to his death.  What did really get me, however, was the response of his students out on the Hogwarts grounds.  There is a really fantastic moment where the music swells and, one by one, the students light their wands and raise them to the sky in silent solidarity with their fallen headmaster.  Since they omitted the very poignant funeral scene that the book provides, this is our chance to let Dumbledore's death sink in, and I think if I can't have the closure I'd really like, this is a decent consolation prize.

Only one more film to go before the big finale!  Excitement is building in every corner, and I'm going to have to start avoiding the internet soon to minimize the risk of spoilers.

Magic Movie Moments with Harry, Part 4: Goblet of Fire

This installment of HP's adventures is a pretty good one, not my favorite but not one I have a lot of complaints about, either.  The movie is very well-paced and the scenes bleed into one another so well that I'm hard-pressed to find a lot of stand-alone scenes that are really fantastic, so these are more "chunks" of the film that I particularly enjoy.

Death Eaters are Fucking Scary.  Also, fire.
Now don't get me wrong, when I read this scene in the book I pictured it as very, very scary.  I mean, Harry is understandably freaked out-- some bad dudes (he doesn't even know yet what they are) are on a rampage at what was supposed to be a fun public event, and to top it off, he can't find his wand, his one means of defending himself.  But the film made this scene so remarkably chaotic and frightening that even I was scared in an entirely new way.  Those Death Eater masks and Klan hats on top of the whole campground being on fire and everyone panicking, man, I was with Harry, just frozen in fear.  Oh, and any scene where someone gets inadvertently kicked in the head always has me torn between worry and laughter.

The Yule Ball is every dance your high school ever had.  Plus magic.
Oh my, the teen awkwardness in this movie is just golden.  From Harry's botched attempt to ask Cho to the Ball (and his hilarious subsequent brooding), to Ron and Hermione's teen-soap argument over Viktor Krum, to the girls all crying on the staircase after the festivities were over, Mike Newell just got this spot on.  I loved having these scenes as a counterbalance to all the terrifying dark things going on later in the film.

Careful Harry, he doesn't have a nose! 
So Voldemort comes back in this movie.  And despite the weirdness of Ralph Fiennes' CGI lack of nose, this scene is pretty goddamn scary.  Fiennes plays Voldemort so well I can hardly stand it, and even Dan Radcliffe is tolerable in this scene (though I think it wouldn't be hard to play someone who is terrified in the face of all the awful things happening).  This was another moment in the books where I remember just closing the pages for a moment to breathe and wonder how the hell Harry was going to get out of this one.  He does, but we are a long way from the miraculous rescue of Chamber of Secrets.  This time, Harry only brings back one friend, one decidedly dead friend.  Which leads us to...

SHIT GETS REAL:  Cedric, we hardly knew ye
This scene is executed so wonderfully, and I still tear up a bit when I watch it.  Having the celebratory brass piece playing as Harry appears in front of the crowd and then abruptly cutting to mournful violins does a wonderful thing for the tone, and throwing in Cedric's father's unrestrained misery is just the icing on the heartbreak cake.  All the kids' faces are a mix of complete, bald shock and confusion, even as they let out a few tears, and it is one of the most authentic scenes in any of these films.  Great, now I'm sad again.

The other thing I love about this film on a general level is that they kept true to the book in that Goblet of Fire doesn't end on a hopeful note.  So much has happened, and so much is going to continue happening, that even the trio can't fully reassure one another.  I liked that Newell kept with this, with Harry and Hermione's simple conversation marking the turning point in the series:
"Everything's going to change, isn't it?"
"Yes."

Magic Movie Moments with Harry, Part 3: Prisoner of Azkaban

Now, I know a lot of people have a problem with this film.  And by that I mean I have friends who choose to ignore it's existence because they didn't like Alfonso Cuaron's take on the third book in the series.  And yes, I can admit that there are parts of his interpretation that are problematic, but for me this film is about setting up a change in tone that leads into the rest of the series, and for that I applaud Cuaron.  This installment is appropriately darker and more mysterious than the previous two, just as it ought to be.

Harry and Lupin's friendship
Sirius gets a lot of credit in the books and later films for being Harry's first father figure, but I think something out to be said for his relationship with Professor Lupin in Prisoner of Azkaban.  This marks the first time Harry has an adult (other than Dumbledore) whom he trusts and feels he can confide in about the things that he doesn't even want to admit to Ron and Hermione.  The scenes between them in this film are a particularly good representation of the dynamics of their relationship, my two favorites being Lupin teaching Harry how to conjure a Patronus and Harry revealing that he used the memory of his parents to form it; and their concluding scene, when Lupin gives Harry a final piece of reassurance and delivers one of my favorite parting lines:
"Now it's time for me to say goodbye, but I feel sure we'll meet again sometime.  Until then, mischief managed."

Hermione Fights Back
Because who didn't love this scene in the book?  Hermione is already having a pretty crap-tastic day (year, really), and Malfoy just has to continue to act like a little shit.  You saw it coming and at the same time you didn't, which is what makes this moment so great to watch on the screen.

In the Shrieking Shack
What happens when you put some of Britain's greatest actors in a run-down little house and have them act out a dramatic tale of betrayal and bad blood?  Magic, that's what happens.  I love this scene so much, because it is so true to how I imagined it (which for this particular film is quite an accomplishment).  There is a perfectly tuned sense of urgency in the scene and as a viewer you are completely drawn in, even if, like me, you know how it will end.

Time Travel explained, or, That Time I Read the Book 10 Times But Didn't Get It Until a Visual Was Provided
As the title of this section indicates, I was a little slow to completely comprehend the events which concluded the third book.  Particularly, I couldn't understand, no matter how many times I read it, just how Harry first thought he saw his father only to realize it was himself all along, and then how he was so confident that his Patronus would succeed in saving himself and the others.  It was something that kind of made sense and so I went along with it for the sake of the story, but when I saw the movie everything finally clicked.  I'm not sure if Cuaron is responsible for the illustration of time travel directly or if that was the brainchild of a screenwriter/producer/etc, but it just works so well.  Even the somewhat silly parts of it (Harry getting hit by rocks from nowhere, Hermione studying her own hairstyle) achieve what they set out to do, which was to show that the kids were literally in two places at once.

So there you have it.  Hate on it if you will, but Prisoner of Azkaban will always have a special place in my heart.

Magic Movie Moments with Harry, Part 2: Chamber of Secrets

This is probably my least favorite of the film adaptations, just because it is long and feels long, which for any film is not a good sign.  It stays pretty faithful to the book, but of course this is also my least favorite book of the series.  However, Chamber of Secrets is not without some truly magical scenes, and I've managed to compile a handful of the gems it offers here.

Watch Out for That Tree! 
Remember that time Harry and Ron thought they could fly a car all the way to Hogwarts, even though neither of them had a driver's license?  I do.  And it was a disaster.  Also, they hit, as Ron glibly put it, "the one tree that hits back."  Way to go, boys.  You know if Hermione had been around, none of this fuckery would have happened.

Ron Eats Slugs for Hermione
Speaking of Hermione, Chamber of Secrets is where we get a look at how poorly some of the wizarding population treats our favorite bushy-haired know-it-all (incidentally, is there any character with so very many hyphenated descriptors, usually used all at once?).  Malfoy calls Hermione a "mudblood," which is a HUGE no-no in human conversation (Malfoy, of course, being at least part troll, or perhaps fairy).  But because Harry has no idea what's going down during this conversation, it's one Ron Weasley who steps up to the proverbial plate and tries to curse Malfoy.  And as these things tend to go for the lovable ginger, it backfires horribly.  We are then subjected to minutes of Ron regurgitating large slimy slugs, and Rupert Grint's crowning moment in this film.

Harry and Ron Go Undercover 
You know that Harry and Ron's twelve year old boy brains were just going nuts with excitement over this little scheme, cooked up by Hermione (of course).  Yes, she does all the grunt work, brewing the Polyjuice Potion and accidentally turning herself into a cat, but it's Harry and Ron who get to take on the personae of Crabbe and Goyle, Malfoy's beefy sidekicks, and make a trip to the Slytherin common room.  They fail at getting any answers out of Draco (though in true Rowling fashion there is a critical hint dropped in the conversation that none of them recognizes at the time), but it's still a pretty sweet mission.  I like to think that when Harry and Ron were training to be Aurors later, they thought back to this time in their lives and laughed uproariously at how far from stealthy they were (although let's be honest, Ron probably still is).

Meet Tom Riddle
Harry finds a creepy old-school diary.  He writes in it and the ink disappears, then a disembodied, possibly non-existent person starts writing back.  At which point does Harry stop and think, hey, maybe I should tell someone about this?  The answer is never.  Our HP does what he does best, and plunges into the mysterious and potentially dangerous situation headfirst with none of his wits about him.  He stumbles into a memory of young Tom Riddle (who will later reveal himself as the one and only Lord Voldemort), wherein Tom frames Harry's giant pal Hagrid for opening the Chamber of Secrets.  And naturally, rather than taking the testimony of an invisible and pretty evil-looking dude, Harry decides to ignore the accusation and give Hagrid the benefit of the doubt, right?  Well, not quite.

Deus Ex Machina, Courtesy of Fawkes
I would like to impress that when I first read this scene in the book, I knew there were going to be seven stories in the series, and that they would all presumably be narrated by Harry Potter.  So it is fair to say that I could rest assured that Harry wouldn't die in the closing pages of Book #2.  But then this chapter happened, and any logic embedded in my suspended disbelief went out the window.  It looked something like this in my brain that day:  ohmygodHarrygotBITTENbyaPOISONOUSSNAKEandohnoVOLDEMORTISTHERESOMEHOWandnononononoHARRYISABSOLUTELYGOINGTODIE.  This is literally the moment where it seems there is absolutely no way Harry will get out of this one alive.  But wait-- is that the flutter of wings I hear?  Yes, it is a glorious God-from-machines Fawkes the Phoenix, arriving just in time to spray his healing tears everywhere and allow HP to destroy Tom Riddle's soul (and the first horcrux, but more on that later...).  Unrealistic?  Perhaps.  Awesome?  Absolutely. 

Magic Movie Moments with Harry, Part 1: Sorcerer's Stone

Anyone who is even a casual reader of this blog knows that I am a huge Harry Potter fan.  Seriously, it borders on unhealthy, this obsession I still somehow have.  And this summer marks the very last time that it's going to be (marginally) socially acceptable for me to gush over all things HP.  (This doesn't mean I won't continue to do so, it just means that it will be all the more annoying to everyone around me when I do).  Anyway, the final film comes out in just a few weeks' time, and I thought I'd take a look back at the previous seven films, the last ten years of this big-screen phenomenon, and pick out some of my favorite moments.  

Harry, Ron, and Hermione have the meet-cute of a lifetime on the train to Hogwarts.
Our Trio's First Scene Together! 
Harry and Ron bond over a mutual fascination with each other, and their love of candy (because really, who doesn't love candy?).  Hermione introduces herself with more snobbery than 99% of eleven year olds on the planet-- good thing that turned out to be a misdirect.  I loved the way each of them acted in this scene; the personalities of the three characters were well-articulated even in their first moments together.  Oh, by the way, Hermione?  That boy you're passing judgment on?  The ginger kid with the dirt on his nose?  Yeah, you're gonna marry him.

Harry's Big Game

 The quidditch scene addresses our wondering of how the hell they would convey this wacky sport on the big screen. I have to say, I'm still amused by just how brutal it was made to look here (three of Harry's teammates are down for the count by game's end, and no one seems terribly concerned), and given the limited technology of 2001, the whole thing is pretty darn impressive for its time.


Mirror Images

Our Harry takes a nighttime stroll in his newly acquired invisibility cloak, and comes across a treasure in a secret room.  This scene is probably my favorite in this book, and definitely my top 10 of the series, for the simple poignancy.  Harry is an eleven year old boy, and as such could be hoping for any number of silly things, and yet his dearest ambition is to see an image of his parents one more time.  My heartstrings had officially been tugged when I read this scene, and the wide-eyed longing with which baby-Dan Radcliffe played this scene was just perfect.  And of course, it's from this scene in both book and movie that we learn one of the most important lessons Dumbledore will teach us:  "It does not do to dwell on dreams, and forget to live."

Life-sized Chess!  Ron sacrifices himself!

This scene, apart from being so darn exciting in the book, is a huge moment of achievement for all three members of the trio.  Ron steps up to the plate in a big way, leading the team to a victory that neither Harry nor Hermione could have achieved; Hermione realizes that her brand of intelligence isn't enough in every situation (though admittedly it comes through in many of them); and Harry faces the fact that he can't be the only one to make sacrifices all the time (of course, he seems to forget and re-learn this lesson in all seven books).  And amid all the epiphanies, there's of course the really cool visual of giant chess pieces facing off in a battle to the death.


"I'm not going home, not really."

Harry finds his place at Hogwarts and we, like him, eagerly await the journey back.  I love that the film ended on this note, with John Williams' beautifully composed score swelling optimistically as the train rolls away.  It just seems to perfectly sum up the feeling in Harry's heart when he leaves this first year of magic and so many new discoveries.  There's also a bit of a bittersweet note-- Harry knows now what he's returning to, and what he's leaving behind.  Fortunately, this time it's only for a summer.

Stay tuned for part two, when I dig through the denseness that is Chamber of Secrets for its best moments.