HP4GU Rules -- Adaptations (GWTW in particular) -- Film Student Views -- British Dialogue -- and More Misc Comments

[Penny & Bryce]

Hi

Many thanks to Joywitch for taking the initiative & stating the obvious. 
The rules of HP4GU do indeed apply on this list. If you're not familiar 
with the main group, please at least read the Netiquette, list rules, 
VFAQs & other ADMIN files at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups

ADAPTATIONS -- People keep mentioning Gone with the Wind as an example 
of a movie adaptation that is better than the book. I must disagree. The 
movie is excellent & classic (it's one of my all-time favorites in 
fact). But, it is a fair bit different than the novel (which stands 
among my all-time favorite novels). I think probably that the adaptation 
of GWTW is, however, more successful than HP & SS because they did 
deviate from the novel so much. Incidentally, Joywitch, I've always 
thought the novel GWTW was superior to the movie, although I like them 
both.  Ah, I see Tabouli agrees with me.  :--)

> What's this?  We have a film student in our ranks?  Ali, I'd love to
> hear your thoughts about Mr. Columbus' direction and the adaptation
> of the book and how a "Wildgoose" production might have been
> different, if you have time. 

I second this!  Great thoughts, Ali!  I really enjoyed reading your 
explanations about why some of the film's problems came to be.  More, 
more...

BRITISH DIALOGUE -- Dave mentioned that he disliked the British dialogue 
that Kloves et al employed at various points.  Is this just Dave, or do 
other Brits agree?  Wouldn't the all British cast have made this clear 
to Kloves, Columbus or whoever was around that the dialogue was all 
wrong?  Wouldn't they have perhaps instinctively (ad lib) changed it 
while filming if nothing else?  Just curious.

THE MUSIC -- I gather from comments that people either loved it or hated 
it, with little middle ground.  I loved it.  Bryce hated it.

Catlady said:

> I don't understand why some people Like the music. I Hated the music
> at the end, which continued under the end credits -- it made me not
> only wince but grind my teeth. Oh, the pomposity, oh the grandiosity,
> oh the loudness.

I *wanted* grandiose, bombastic & loud (soaring french horns at just the 
right moment).  I loved it, loved it, loved it (thank God since it was 
the only CD in my car yesterday when I was stuck in gridlock traffic for 
the better part of an hour).

MISCELLANEOUS COMMENTS --

BTW, I agree with the Goat about the Hedwig flight scene.  It was a nice 
segue IMO.

Barb said:

> I don't see why they couldn't have kept Harry's recitation of the
> information on Dumbledore's wizard card from the Chocolate Frog
> package.  IMO, it painted a very succinct picture of Dumbledore
> (Kloves savaged Dumbledore's character) as well as establishing his
> link with Flamel.  The whole point of Harry recalling this was that
> it wasn't something one could just find in a book unless you knew
> specifically to research alchemists.  Hermione stumbling on this was
> very annoying.  Harry was was supposed to pick up on it.

:::nods::: Yes, I agree completely.  That's one of Harry's big moments 
in PS/SS, *and* it would definitely have given us more about 
Dumbledore's character in a fairly small amount of screen time.

Penny