What to take out - GoF

[feliciarickmann]

 Gulplus said * I'm currently just finishing my first re-read (!) of 
GoF and have been thinking about what could be excised all along.*

I am going to keep a copy of your thoughts for when I get around to 
editing the story for film in September (well I ahve to do something 
on a  very very long flight) but have a few comments pro tem.

> The Hogwarts Express and the Sorting can both go. 

Definitely, the novelty will have worn off by then and it's cut to 
the first intersting bit i.e.

>The arrival of the other schools, the announcement of the Tournament 
>and the wand-weighing can be concatenated (all the last needs to do 
is to remind us what's inside Harry's wand, and to give John Hurt 
another cameo). :-) 

Rita could also be (very) briefly introduced here and her further 
appearances kept to a minimum. (Please!)

SPEW can be abbreviated to a side-plot. Personally, I'd 
> gladly get rid of the whole Yule Ball and everything surrounding 
it, but I fear this won't happen. 

Agreed.

>Harry's discovery of the egg's "secret" can be made into less of a 
>climax and the whole Prefects' Bathroom sequence could go. 
 
Oh shame!!! I would willingly forgo the Yule Ball, in return for the 
bathroom scene, if only for the special effects. After all Cedric is 
using it as his means of returning Harry's earlier favour.


>What *can't* be lost? In order, going to the Weasleys, the World Cup 
> (it's the only instance of flying other than the First Task, and 
> people want to see flying in an HP movie!) Events surrounding the 
> World Cup (meeting various MOM folk, the Twins' bet, the Dark Mark, 
> etc). The concept of the Portkey has to be introduced as well. 
> Moody's "problems" could be introduced at that point, too.

I always thought the World Cup could be heavily abbreviated as much 
of it is description and it's amazing what you can squeeze into half 
an hour.... but never mind.

> The first sequence with Sirius (in the cave) is needed to tie 
> together several expositional matters. I'd dearly love to get rid 
>of Rita Skeeter as well, and although a couple of her bits push the 
> narrative forward, this could be done by Dumbledore, McGonagall or 
> even Sirius

Fair enough.  Although Rita does come into her own, being a beetle 
and causing problems etc., and is ultimately caught by Hermione which 
is a lovely part of the book's ending.  It depends if they ahve the 
luxury of indulging in a character who always truck me as being too 
close to Dame Edna Everage for comfort....

>I'd also like to get rid of the Pensieve (it smacks too much of a 
>plot device to me) and have Crouch Jr's trial told in a straight 
>flashback. 

NO!!  I think the pensieve is a masterstoke, almost as ood as the end 
of PoA but NOT QUITE.  I think it's a wonderful plot device for 
flashback.  Sorry the pensieve stays in some form or other....

> I can't really see anything from the introduction of the Third Task 
> onwards which could be chucked out. All in all, I really can't see 
>this story being told in less than 3- 3.5 hours and that is an 
>*awfully* long movie to target at kids...

Much extraneous matter about Hagrid & Madam Maxim could be condensed 
maybe?  

Better re-read it myself, and as a Book this time, not accompanied by 
Stephen Fry.....

Felicia
pleased to see CoS as a PC game is due 8th November * g *