Harry Potter . . . Where do I even begin?
I didn't fully jump on the Harry Potter train until after the last book was published. I know. Those of you who know me are completely surprised by this statement because I am rather obsessed with the series now.
My mom didn't like us watching or reading things that had magic or sorcery or the like because she was concerned that our spiritual life would be damaged by such stories. This banning, however, just enticed me. I had to know what I wasn't allowed to read (or watch when the movies came out). I remember the first time I saw Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets was at my dad's house. I was frightened of what my mom would think, but it was also very exciting because I do my best not to break any rules. Dad also had the books. I read the first four that summer and enjoyed them, but I didn't find anything spectacular about any of them. Every summer after that, I would read the books over, including the fifth one once it was published. After that, I knew I wasn't reading them to break my mom's rules. I was reading them because they were wonderful. I feel deeply and irrevocably in love with Ms. Rowling and the powerful story she had to offer. Since that day, much of my scholarly, academic life has been dedicated to finding ways to work Harry Potter into all of my seminar paper assignments, and reading about how different people interpreted and explored the series (I realize that sounds lame, but I'm an English major; it's kind of a required enjoyment).
Enough about me. Let's start celebrating the series that changed my life as well as the lives of millions around the world; after all, that is why you are reading this . . . if anyone is reading, anyway.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the first film installment of a seven book series that changed the literary world as we knew it. Starring some of the most celebrated British actors (Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane, etc.) as well as new / fairly unknown children (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Harry Melling) and directed by Chris Columbus (The Goonies), Sorcerer's Stone tells the story of a boy named Harry who escaped certain death as a baby and had been mistreated his entire life finding out he is a wizard. The movie follows Harry as he leaves everything he has known to join the magical world, where he truly belongs, by attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Through out the film, Harry makes friends, enemies, and is trained in the magical arts so that he is able to fight and win against Voldemort / Quirrell.
Even though this movie came out over 10 years ago and I've seen it hundreds of times, I still get chills down my spine because it is just as magical the thousandth time as it was the first time around. The now famous music (thank you John Willams) begins to play and suddenly you're transported directly into the world J. K. Rowling created for all of us to enjoy.
I fully believe that a good portion of this movie's success is due to director Chris Columbus. He's worked with children on multiple occasions, so he knew how to bring out the best in these child actors as well as how to accommodate their needs both on and off the set. Thus, he was able to begin training Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) and Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), along with the other children, to become the great actors / actresses they would need to be to finish the series. The most important thing Columbus did, however, was that he kept faithful to the book (as much as could be managed since some things had to be cut). Thus, he set the foundation grounded deeply in what Ms. Rowling had written for the future directors to follow as the movies were filmed.
As Hermione, Emma had to practice the annoyed, somewhat frustrated, attitude and facial expressions that she regards Ron Weasley. She also had to play the teacher's pet: the girl who has all the right answers.
Rupert needed to balance himself between being the goofy best-friend to being serious, taking on responsibilities and doing what needs to be done when the time comes. For example, Rupert's shift into leader/sacrificial best friend makes the Wizard Chess scene. Thus, his acting ability is what makes this scene special. He rides the knight and bravely sacrifices himself, saying "Harry, it's you who has to go on. I know it. Not me. Not Hermione. YOU."
I would argue that Tom had the easiest job of any of them because he had more acting experience than any of his acting peers (with the possible exception of Matthew Lewis (Neville)). At the same time, however, his job was made harder in that he had never read the books before auditioning. Thus, he was relying solely on his acting ability to get the coveted role of Harry Potter's school rival.
And then there is Dan. As the title and main character, he had the hardest job of all. Since the story is told from his perspective, he is the one readers most identify with and, thus, have the most expectations about how Harry should be played in the film. Dan, however, rises to the occasion, breathing life into the most famous wizard in the world.
Another important tool that contributed to the movie's success was the special effects. Granted, the movie was made in 2001 and we've come a long way since then, but for its time, it was, in a word, magical. It is even more impressive is that many of these effects were done without CG technology. For example, if I remember correctly, the Wizard Chess scene was mostly done through magnets and explosions. It also helps that these actors were in complete awe of the "movie magic". This reaction was mirrored by the audience who were also captivated by the same special, magical effects, adding a shared experience of the magic of the moment.
The most important piece in the puzzle of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone's achievement is connected directly the actors and actresses who brought these characters to life. They were all so wonderful; finally, there was a more standard, visual representation of these lovable characters. The ones that stand out to me the most are Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Hagrid, Mr. Dursley, Ollivander, Ron, Hermione, Neville, the Weasley twins, Quirrell and Mrs. Weasley. They were all just as I imagined them to be. To be fair, this may be because I saw the movies first, but I'm sure other Potter fans feel the same way.
All in all, this film was magical and made a perfect foundation for the next movies to follow.
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