Harry Potter and the (Sadly) Impossible Task

An avid reader since my childhood, I am always apprehensively excited to see a book made into a movie. Will the portrayal be accurate? How will they do that? Will it look at all like I imagined? Some have been greatly successful, such as the recent Bridge to Terebithia, based on the book by Katherine Paterson. The characters come to life on screen with the same liveliness felt in the book. While the imaginary world of Terebithia was elaborated on for the more visual nature of film, most of the scenes came directly from the vivid descriptions captured on paper. On the opposite end of the spectrum was the highly disappointing Ella Enchanted, so loosely based on the book by Gail Carson Levine that they should have been marketed as two entirely separate stories. The title was the same, as well as one major plot point, and the names of various characters, but the similarities end there. Then there is Harry Potter. One glance at any of the Harry Potter books will tell you that it is simply unfeasible to make a movie that will contain all of those pages. No matter how well produced, the Harry Potter movies cannot hope to capture the detail and depth of character achieved by J.K. Rowling in her books. It is, sadly, an impossible task.

This is by no means a criticism of the producers, directors, writers, or actors involved in the making of the movies. Certainly they do not have an enviable job. Commendably, in interviews featured on the Harry Potter DVDs, they speak often of trying to stay true to the spirit of the books. They respect the work that J.K. Rowling has put into her books and wish to preserve that. Mirroring that respect is Rowling herself, who appears in the extras speaking on how she has worked closely with Steve Kloves, the writer for many of the movies, as well as the directors on each Harry Potter movie, and the producers. She acknowledges that the medium is completely different and that it is impossible for her books to translate directly into film. All parties involved express their pleasure with the results.

My friend loves the Harry Potter movies; she has never read the books. If I could forget what I have read I would agree with her that the movies are good. In and of themselves I believe they are. However, I would cheerfully wish myself into my friend's position whenever I watch a Harry Potter movie. No matter how good they look, I can see great gaps where characters and plot points are missing or underdeveloped, lines and actions have been given to different characters, and scenes are rearranged, rewritten, replaced, or removed all together.

The Marauder's Map plays an integral part in the third installment of the series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. This map, authored by Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, has fallen into Harry's possession. In the movie, Professor Remus Lupin discovers Harry has it, though at the time it appears to be just a parchment that insults people. However, Lupin proceeds to criticize Harry for possessing a magical map. When Harry tells the Professor that he thinks the map is malfunctioning and why, Lupin replies, "That's not possible." Later, when Sirius Black shows up and Harry says the map is lying, without asking what map, Black cries, "The map never lies!" Yet never in the film is either man's knowledge of this map explained. In the book we are eventually told that Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs were the nicknames of Professor Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and James Potter (Harry's father) when they were at school together. Having helped create the map, Lupin and Black naturally know how it works.

Opening the more recent movie covering the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry is attacked by dementors in the Muggle neighborhood where he lives. Following one letter explaining he is expelled from Hogwarts pending a trial, Harry is soon after removed to the hidden headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix by a group of wizards that shows up at his room. Once there Harry seems mildly irritated that he has been left out of a few things all summer and raises his voice slightly. Yet the Weasley twins, Fred and George, show up making incongruous jokes about how loud Harry is shouting. This response fits much better with the book Harry who is yelling forcibly at his two best friends. The reader understands his frustration because they have spent the last few chapters with him wondering what is going on, reliving in nightmares the night Voldemort returned, being suddenly attacked by dementors where no dementors should be, and receiving notices that he: is expelled from Hogwarts, will be arrested, must stay put, and will be reinstated in Hogwarts pending a trial. To top it all off a group of wizards turns up to take him to an undisclosed location where apparently his friends have been having loads of fun together (in his opinion) while he was stuck alone all summer. Wouldn't you yell too?

Those are only two examples, but there are five film's worth available. Though I would never discourage anyone from watching the Harry Potter movies, my loyalty will always be stronger for the books. Anyone would benefit from reading the books for the added details and the deeper understanding they will gain of who the characters are and what motivates them. However, if you need a quick Harry fix and can separate what you know of the books from what you see in the movies, by all means watch the movies. Just please don't invite me!