[HPFGU-Movie] Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban: Campaign to keep Quidditch & Sean Bigger

[Julie Holmes]

<----- Original Message ----- From: Richelle Votaw >

<My point in this matter is not that the movie will be ruined without Oliver
Wood, as much as I like him.  My point is that this movie will be ruined if
they continue to so carelessly toss aside characters that most of the HP
world hold dear.  Quidditch is a team sport, it's like making a baseball
movie and cutting the outfield or something.  It just doesn't add up.>

I know it's frustrating when a series we hold dear to our hearts is not
translated to the silver screen in a way we totally approve of. It *is*
frustrating! That said, I'm not sure we can read Quidditch as being totally
decimated into the the lack of *one* character being present. For example,
what if they've chosen to take away Oliver Wood so they can better try and
explain Harry noticing Cho Chang for the first time? (I'm not saying this is
what they're going to do, just making up an example). For as many people who
hold dear Oliver's Quidditch obsession, there is- I daresay - an equally
rabid fanbase, which can't wait to see the Harry and Cho interaction (albeit
most of their interactions happen in GOF).

I guess *I* can't make the stretch to "carelessly tossed aside" even though
*I* happen to love Wood and will definitely miss seeing him in POA. And
yeah, SB is major eye-candy for me; as well, I enjoyed SB's screen presence
and his acting talents. He was very good in the scene where he explains
Quidditch to Harry for the first time in PS/SS, but I think it's important
to remember that even during this scene, canon!Oliver was not represented.
Movie!Oliver simply does not come across as Quidditch obsessed per se. The
closest glimpse of that side of Wood we see is his "You can't cancel
Quidditch!" line in COS when McGonogall cancels the Gryffindor/Hufflepuff
match. Even his "I spent the whole summer devising a new Quidditch program"
line, said offhandedly as the Gryffindors are on their way to their first
practice just prior to the slugfest doesn't convey (IMO, of course) Wood's
complete and total obsession with Quidditch.

It's details like this that make me long for a well-done, in-depth mini
series, rather than feature films. Just imagine a BBC production of the
Harry Potter series, where all the details could be included. Wouldn't that
be lovely? Maybe down the road...I've had to totally divorce
movie!HarryPotterSeries and canon!HarryPotterSeries in my mind. I enjoy the
movies very, very much. I think they are well-cast. But the movies are the
one place that I would prioritize plot over characterization, and that's
saying something because I am a very character-driven person when it comes
to the HP world.

:) Julie