It’s a slow process

You may remember an earlier post I made about participating in Gallysmith’s Harry Potter Reading Challenge. I don’t actually own any of the books so I was fortunate enough to borrow the first two books from my mom. What’s that say when my mom owns and has read the books before me.

Since I enjoy the movies so much, I thought reading the books would be enjoyable. But the main reason I joined the challenge was to share the stories with my kids (who also enjoy the movies). We’ve been reading a few pages each night as part of the kids bedtime routine. The only problem with reading to the kids, I only get to read the book at bedtime , to the kids. This makes for a long read.

Some nights I would read ahead, thinking the kids wouldn’t know any better. The next night I’d get caught and have to read the chapter again. It’s been a slow process but we have finally finished the first book. It’s a good thing we have until next August to finish the challenge.

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I’m sure I could write it better

As you already know, I’m participating in the Harry Potter Reading Challenge happening over at Galleysmith. I was fortunate enough to have my mom lend me her copies of The Philosophers Stone and The Chamber of Secrets so we were able to start reading. My husband and I have been taking turns reading a chapter to the kids each night at bedtime. We’ve all been really enjoying the experience.

Since I’ve seen the movies also, I can’t help but compare each scene we read in the book to the corresponding scene in the movie, if it exists. Yesterday the kids asked to watch The Chamber of Secrets movie. We finished watching The Philosopher’s Stone a few days earlier (again) so when we asked the kids what they wanted to watch, The Chamber of Secrets was the obvious next choice.

There’s a scene in movie where Ron and Harry are in Professor Dumbledore’s office being reprimanded by Professor Snape for damaging the Whomping Willow:

Snape: Not to mention damaging a Whomping Willow that’s been on these grounds since before you were born

Okay, maybe it’s just me, but this line really bugs me. If you’ve seen the movie, the tree is so large it has to be hundreds of years old. And how old are Harry and Ron in the second story? Thirteen? Saying that tree is over thirteen years old is ridiculous! Of course I assumed this was a line that was pulled from the book. But after reading and re-reading the pages this scene occurs on in the book, it’s obvious the screenwriters added this.

I’m sure I could come up with something better:

• a Whomping Willow that’s been around since before Hogworts was built
• a Whomping Willow the founders of Hogwarts planted
• a Whomping Willow that’s been around since before Dumbledore was born

Well you get the idea. At least these examples emphasize the old age of the tree, which I am assuming was the intention of including the line in the movie in the first place.

What would line would you write instead?

Beyond Harry Potter

As the new Harry Potter movie is due in theatres this summer, we’ve been watching all the previous films as a refresher. I’ll admit, I’ve never read the books but I’m a big fan of the movies.

As we were watching the first movie seeing Alan Rickman in the role of Professor Severus Snape, one of my favourite characters I might add, I was reminded of another movie of his I really enjoy. Then I started to think about other characters in the Harry Potter film and the other movies they have done:

Alan Rickman (plays Professor Severus Snape) – Truely, Madly, Deeply (1990): A woman looses her husband and tries to deal with the grief, but her husband’s ghost (Alan Rickman) can’t bring himself to leave her. A great movie.

Maggie Smith (plays Professor Minerva McGonagall) – Gosford Park (2001): A murder mystery surrounded by the  examination of the English class structure of master vs. servant. Maggie Smith plays a member of the upper class society, which she does quite well.

Robbie Coltraine (Rubeus Hagrid) – Cracker (1993-95): Not a movie, but a great murder mystery TV series. Robbie Coltraine plays a psychologist called on by the police to solve local murders.

John Hurt (Mr. Olivander) – A Man for all Seasons (1966): During the time of Henry the Eighth and his battle with the catholic church around divorce, one man holds on to his morals and stands against him. John Hurt doesn’t play a big role, but this is still one of the movies I think of him in.

Julie Walters (Molly Weasley) – Calendar Girls (2003): The Woman’s Institute (of which Julie Walters plays one of the more adventurous women with Helen Mirrim) decides to take a new spin on the annual WI calendar by posing nude.

So it looks like after I get through the Harry Potter movies, I’ll be pretty busy watching these. And maybe you’ll check out one or two of these yourself.