Things films do better than books

[Alison Williams]

I'm one of those people who always prefers a book to a film.  I enjoy all
the extra room for character development, jokes, minor characters, red
herrings, exposition, detail etc.  But I do watch and enjoy the films, so I
must be getting something from them that I'm not getting from just
re-reading the books.  

One of the main things I've noticed is that I get a powerful visual reminder
from the films that this story is about growing up.  Of course I know that's
the case when I read the books, but the films really emphasise it for me.
The changes in people between the ages of 11,12,13 etc are clear to see but
not nearly so easy to explain in words, and even if there is a reference in
a book to someone being, say, taller, it is said once and then the story
moves on.  When I read the books I might pick up on slight changes in the
way characters talk or act, but when I watch the films the change from year
to year is much more striking and is right there clearly in every scene.  I
found it was a surprise when I saw CoS to see how much they'd all changed
and even more so in PoA.  

I'm sure there must be other things films do better than books, but that's
the one that really struck me.

Alison