Running Gags

[anne_t_squires]

Curious Cat wrote:
>
> My favorite running gag was in SS/PS when Hagrid kept spilling the 
> beans about stuff and catching himself too late and uttering the 
> line "Shouldn't have tol' ya that."
> 
> OH and the fact that they FINALLY had the twins uttering the same 
> lines in sync. I have known several sets of twins and especially when 
> they were younger, they would say the same thing at the same time.
> 
> What running gag did you find humourous, distracting or annoying?
> 
> Curious
> Cat
>

Anne Squires:

"Ow, Ron, that was my foot you stepped on."  Or something very
similar.  Spoken by Hermione.  

I know this line is definitely in the first three films.  I think it's
also in GoF and OotP.  I don't think this line is actually in any of
the books though.  Of course I could be mistaken.  Anyhow, whenever
Hermione says this it makes me grin each time.  However, in PoA I find
it both amusing and annoying at the same time.  It's amusing to me
because I think the fact that Ron keeps stepping on Hermione's foot is
amusing.  He's such a teenager with the ungainly lack of coordination
that sometimes entails.  And it's Hermione he keeps stepping on.  Come
on, that's just... well, like I said, amusing.  In PoA, Hermione says
this on the train just after the train stops and the power goes off. 
When I look at how that scene is blocked I just don't understand how
Ron could have possibly stepped on Hermione's foot without greatly
contorting himself.  Thus, while I find it amusing, I am also annoyed
because it seems extremely forced.  It's as if someone (writer,
director??) felt the line had to be in the film but they really
couldn't find a place to put it, so they stuck it in this scene.  It's
amusing, but at the same time it always jerks me out of the film for a
second.  I can imagine a boardroom with several people discussing the
fact that they've got this line and they've got to put it in the film
somewhere, so... this scene is as good as any.

JMO

Anne Squires