Peeves, etc (was Re: hello)

[GulPlum]

At 19:37 18/06/05 , artsylynda at aol.com wrote:
>
>In a message dated 6/18/2005 11:21:14 A.M. Candace Ann  writes:
>
>I am  new to the group and was just wondering why JKR left PEEVES out
>of the  movies?
>
>JKR didn't leave Peeves out of the movies, Steve Kloves (the screen  writer)
>did, probably to save money.

Not true.

>Peeves would have to be created by  CGI or some other special effect (or a 
>midget on wires, who knows?), all of  which costs money and screen time.

Peeves was included in the script of PS/SS and his scenes were filmed - he 
was played  by Rick Mayall. The character was excised from the final cut by 
Chris Columbus (director) because, according to what he said at the time of 
the film's release, he was unhappy with some technical aspect (he was 
pretty vague, but it boiled down to "it didn't work"). Rick Mayall also had 
something similar to say about it at the time. Considering the speed at 
which the movie was made, I suspect it was more a question of time running 
out rather than money.

As the character hadn't been established in what made it to cinemas as the 
first movie, there was little point in including him in the later ones, so 
he was excised at script stage.

<snip the rest>

Second point, regarding Dan reaching 16 and its possible impact on the 
movie-making process:

>as I understand it they [Brits] finish school at 16, they can get married 
>at 16, actors that age can work  a full day just like an adult, etc..  And 
>he's going to Australia in  November to film "December Boys" where his 
>character will have a LOVE  AFFAIR!!  (according to the press info released).

Just to clarify the age issue: for various reasons, there is no single age 
of "maturity" in UK law, or practice. Different ages apply to different 
things.

(As an aside, but to give you a flavour of what I'm talking about, there is 
no UK equivalent of one of the charges of which Michael Jackson was 
accused, "giving alcohol to a minor" or whatever the actual charge was, 
because technically there is no age limit in UK law for drinking alcohol. 
There is a limit to *buying* it - 18 - and a limit of 14 to enter licensed 
premises - i.e. pubs and bars - other than those serving food; *forcing* a 
minor to drink alcohol would be dealt with under a variety of other laws, 
including child endangerment.)

Whilst compulsory education in Britain finishes at 16, once they have sat 
their GCSEs (real-world equivalent of Hogwarts OWLs, usually taken in the 
year of their 16th birthday), the majority now stay on to 18. For the 
practical reason that whilst 16 year-olds can seek full-time employment, 
it's difficult because the vast majority of employers require new staff in 
all but the most menial of jobs to have A Levels (real-world equivalent of 
NEWTs). And this is because more and more people stayed on at school for 
the extra two years, so it became the norm.

Furthermore, technically there is no actual age limit to taking GCSEs or A 
Levels; because they are examinations in individual subjects rather than a 
US or European "graduation"-type diploma, anyone can take them at any time 
if they consider themselves prepared (although usually one will need an 
educational establishment to arrange the exams). As a result, it's 
technically possible (and very much true in practice) to take A Levels well 
into your 20s or beyond. I know several people who took specific A Levels 
in their 30s or 40s for career reasons of one sort or another.

Incidentally, the Hogwarts careers advice sessions at 15 are a reflection 
of real-world school practice, for the reasons stated in OOtP.

As far as Potter actors go, the Phelps twins certainly didn't stay on past 
their CGSEs, and I think that Rupert isn't either. Tom Felton, I recall, 
isn't staying on for A Levels, but is going to a fishing college (a word 
which doesn't mean the same thing as it does in the USA!) instead.

Dan may or may not choose to leave after his GCSEs, but I'm sure that his 
parents, like most British parents, are doing their best to convince him to 
stay on for his A Levels. Regardless of the speculation of how much money 
he has in the bank and whatever the truth is, it's certainly true that he 
has enough already not to need to need a "proper" job, ever, and thus he 
doesn't need qualifications for the usual bread-and-butter reasons.

Which brings me on to my next point: children under 14 are exempt from 
paying tax on earnings (for the simple reason that there's an assumption 
that they won't earn enough to take them over the basic exemption limit we 
all have of just over £5,000 or around $8,500 a year). At 14 that changes, 
because children are given a National Insurance number (equivalent in some 
respects, as I understand it, to the American Social Security number), 
which is the gateway to paying taxes (that number is the index for the 
government to know who's earned what and thus what tax they have to pay; it 
has other uses as well, but that's the principal one).

Employment law allows anyone over 14 to work any hours they want (other 
than on days they are meant to be at school). Technically, therefore, 
during school holidays, children over 14 can work the same hours adults can 
(for instance, when I was 14, many moons ago, I had an official job and 
worked 48-50 hour weeks during the summer and Christmas break from school). 
It's not accidental that when Billy Eliot was being made a few years ago, a 
14 year-old (Jamie Bell) was chosen to play the titular character, who was 
meant to be 11...

I was therefore a bit surprised to find that (presumably on the insistence 
of Dan's parents), principal photography for GoF wasn't started last summer 
instead of waiting until the start of the school term. The same goes for 
OotP, starting in the new year, rather than this summer.

I *think* Dan is meant to be taking his GCSEs next year (rather than right 
now, but I may be mistaken), which means that he'll still be subject to 
education law (rather than just employment law) during the filming of OotP. 
On that assumption, there's nothing stopping him giving up on school 
temporarily for a few years after that to finish filming the Potter series 
(assuming Book Seven will be out within the next couple of years)  before 
going back to do whatever A Levels he thinks are appropriate to whatever he 
might want to do with the rest of his life. Or he could give up on academia 
entirely and go to drama school (my own opinion is that he needs it) or 
other performing arts educational institution which is reliant on talent 
rather than academic qualifications. I'm sure he'd be accepted, given his 
track record (not to mention that he's in a position to pay any fees 
necessary).

A couple of extra observations: 16 year-olds can marry in the UK, true, but 
only with formal parental consent (although there are a couple of tiny 
loopholes). 16 is also the age of sexual consent (there is a well-reported 
case before the courts right now of a - female - teacher who was having a 
relationship with a 15 year old pupil; according to press reports, she was 
very careful not to cross the line until his next birthday...).

As for the film Dan's meant to be making in Oz later this year, could I 
point out to those who are thinking this may be somewhat salacious that 
"Summer of '42" made in the early 70s which dealt with a fairly similar 
topic (certainly in respect of the teenager's first sexual encounter) was 
rated "PG" on both sides of the Atlantic.

--
Richard AKA GulPlum, passing through (and who copied most of the above from 
something he wrote for other purposes, for another audience)