POA Movie - view from a non-reader

[AnitaKH]

My sister would kill me if she saw the title.  In fact, she's an avid reader, and anyone who wants to know everything about the Civil War should contact her.  However, she has not read any of the Harry Potter series, hence the title.   We attended Prisoner of Azkaban a week ago, so I thought I would share her perspective.  (As you may imagine, I grilled her mercilessly after the movie.)
 
My sister, whom we will call "Janet," has seen the first two movies, and she was looking forward to seeing POA.  She tolerates my mania for the books and movies, although I try not to give away critical plot points.  Her younger son has read the books, but he is not prone to discussing novels with his mother, being 17 years old and in possession of his own car.
 
First off, I am pleased to report that Janet loved the movie, and after the above-mentioned grilling, convinced me she followed all the plot points.  She said it is important to pay attention, and bathroom breaks could be fatal to understanding the plot, but she was on top of all the twists and turns.  She said her heart sank when she saw Lupin hug Black, since she really liked him, but she was suspicious that he had a secret.  She was actually relieved to find out his secret was that he was a werewolf.  She also picked up on the antagonism between Snape and the other two, especially Sirius.  
 
Janet accepted without question that Lupin knew how to work the map, and she loved the idea that Ron's rat has been Peter Pettigrew all along.  She had no problem whatsoever with the changes in Hogwarts; even after we went home and watched "Sorcerer's Stone" on DVD, she found the visuals to be stunning in POA.  She just took the changes to be indicative of the passage of time at Hogwarts.  
 
Now, while Janet's not a rabid film buff or in the business, she has seen quite a few movies and is a fan of the genre, so she is not reluctant to make her displeasure known (e.g., we watched "The Big Chill" at my insistence, and she did NOT like it).   Therefore, I can say with confidence that she truly enjoyed the film and is looking forward to seeing Goblet of Fire.  She also knows she (or my nephews) will get the POA DVD from me, if it's out in time for Christmas.
 
I make no claims for Janet's response as the definitive "non-reader's" viewpoint, but I did want to share that some non-readers are pleased with the movie and do not find the omissions puzzling.  
 
akh, who loved the movie but does miss seeing Herimone read a book upside down in the Firebolt scene from the book

		
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