to think that the Harry Potter are timeless literature and the films are woefully miscast?

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Inflammatory title to draw you in. I hope. I just fancied some HP chat.

I'm re-watching the films at the moment. Is it me or is there something old-ladyish about Alan Rickman's mouth? I realize I am thinking about this far too hard, and I know it's practically forbidden to speak ill of him on MN. But every time I see those films, I'm disappointed again that he just isn't as sexy as his voice.

I also think the Burrow looks all wrong to me. I love what they do with the reeds in the scene where Bellatrix taunts Harry and he and Ginny run after her. But I imagined the Burrow being rural and farmland-ish, with an overgrown garden around it - not plonked down in the middle of a marsh. Am I right?

What's your favourite bit of the films/books?

Antioch is am ancient Turkish city and Cadmus was a character in Greek Mythology iirc

My interpretation of the ending. I read the books quite often and that's what I've come to - it took a while mind!

Hmm, I think the Mudblood thing was the last straw though, as she was uncomfortable with his Death Eater friends (and opinions) before then.

Lily and james were probably just people like anyone else. Flawed. Ron in particular is extremely flawed but the good wins out.

Stands to reason Harry has his parents on a pedestal though.

Can someone explain why, when Severous sends off his stag patronus, Dumbledore says 'lily' ??

And isn't mudblood broadly the equivalent of "n**r" in the HPverse? I can see how it would be offensive enough to finish a friendship.

Daniel Radcliffe was, and probably is, a bloody awful actor. The books were sooo much better than the films. Though I say that about almost every film I see that was a book first.

When you read a book, your imagination creates the characters in your mind, and someone else's imagination is never the same.

Teddy, it's a doe. A doe was Lily's Patronus.

That's why James and Lily were made for each other...

See, I didn't start the books until after 6 had been published, at which point I think the first film was out, so DR et al are the characters in my mind's eye also.

ABland - yes, it is. But it's also something he says in a great deal of anger, isn't it?

I can understand someone thinking their friend has crossed a line with it, but Draco calls Hermione that with far less reason and Harry still saves his life.

Hedwig was supposed to be female but the owl (or owls) who played her was male. Just because male snowy owls are a bit snowier than females (and perhaps because they're not as big and heavy, though it's still a good 1.5kg sitting on a kid's arm).

I was ten when the first book came out. Grew up with the books :)

Can't wait to read them to DC

LRD - maybe it is easier to cope with that level of insult from an enemy, then from a friend who you have known since young childhood, and have stuck with through some questionable choices.

I suspect it was the last straw for Lily and will have hurt her more from Snape than Draco saying it to Hermione.

And as for James being a wanky prat - so was Snape. But he still came good.

Yes, can believe that slithy.

Can anyone explain another thing to me? If Lily was already sorted into Gryffindor, and the hat takes people's preferences into account, how come Snape ended up in Slytherin?

I'm guessing it takes people's preferences into account, but only as far as personality can allow - so if Snape had a Slytherin personality, no amount of preference would put him in Gryffindor.

Hmm, I think there's a difference between falling out with someone and then not saving their life - I think Lily might have saved Snape's life in the same position.

I thought Snape was sorted first? But anyway, his 'gut' preference was for Slytherin so maybe the Hat 'knew' that.

Didn't Snape want to be in Slytherin though?

Thanks slithy, I'm currently re-reading for the second time but only up to ootp. I like that interpretation.

I can see why Lily and James would be placed on a pedestal. They like Harry became 'celebrities' following voldemort's attack and therefore remembered by most for their positive qualities. It would also be understandable for Harry to easily accept that point of view following his upbringing with Aunt Petunia and her sly put-downs of Lily.

Lily would have been sorted first alphabetically.

What was Lily's maiden name? Aren't they sorted alphabetically?

Evans.

So yes, she must have been done first - but I think Snape 'knew' he'd be Slytherin so wouldn't have even 'thought' it at the Hat like HP did.

All the Dumbledore scenes were wrong for me, partly because of Gambon but also because his relationship with Harry was not properly explored (the reason I love HP is for Dumbledore and his relationship with Harry). Harris did a better job, but his interpretation only fits the Dumbledore of the early books and would have had to have developed some to meet the needs of the later books.

I didn't mind most of the casting other than that. I know Daniel Radcliffe can't act for toffee, but, apart from the colour of his eyes, I still picture him when I read about Harry. Minor characters, like pompous Robert Hardy playing Fudge, and Emma Thompson's Professor Trelawny, are spot on.

Ahh, yes, that makes sense if he wouldn't have thought about it.

dumbledores - I do like your name.

But yes, I agree about the relationship.

God I never knew so many people think DR can't act - I think he's very good. Maybe not in the first films when he's very young but certainly in the later ones I find him convincing enough.