Casting decisions (was: Half-Blood Prince)

[cubfanbudwoman]

SSSusan:
> So I guess I would like to ask for your source for the "had no 
> say...none" remark. 
 
md:
> How did I just know, just know that if all I did was make a comment 
> that you would take offense and respond as if I had attacked you 
> personally?

SSSusan:
Wha-???  I didn't take anything personally at all.  You quoted me, so 
I responded with my reasoning for my remark.  How is that taking 
offense, to attempt to have a discussion?

You know, when a person takes a very strongly stated position at one 
of the HPfGU groups [such as that JKR had "no role at all"], it tends 
to bring out challenges.  What I did was provide some sources for the 
position I took and asked whether you could do the same for yours.  
That's pretty much SOP around HPfGU.  I didn't call you names or 
insult you, so I'm not quite sure where all this is coming from.


md:
> My point is that she could have screamed from the mountain 
> tops "NO! He's too old to play Snape! NO. NO. NO!!!" and Chris
> Columbus and pals didn't have to do anything about it. 

SSSusan:
I imagine that, legally, you are correct.  Again, a "rights 
perspective" wasn't what I had been saying, so much as that I was 
trying to point out that JKR *has* been involved in various ways and 
that she has felt that she's been included -- that her input has been 
invited, in fact.  That's why I included the links that I did.

>From the first, for example:
"The first time I met Chris Columbus, the director, he promised me 
two things: he promised that he would remain as faithful to the book 
as he possibly could within the constraints of film; and he promised 
me that he would have an all-British cast. And, he kept both promises 
and so I was a happy woman," Rowling said.

Sounds to me like a situation where, whether he HAD to or not, the 
director wanted to do what would make JKR happy and in fact did so.  

With this and with the examples about her input on the grounds and, 
as you've mentioned, continuity concerns, it is my conclusion that 
JKR's input has been welcomed, across more than one director.  So my 
contention that JKR *could* have gently instructed the movie PTB *if* 
she was concerned about something I still think is a reasonable 
conclusion.  No, there's no guarantee that anyone would've listened 
to her or done as she suggested, but I do think there has been a 
pattern of folks having done so.


md:
> My point was only that, in the end, she had no power. I don't need 
> to source that, she has "based on" credits, that means she had no 
> power and once she sold the movie rights was fortunate they 
> consulted her, most authors don't get that much.

SSSusan:
Okey dokey, and I see you position re: legal rights.  I've been 
talking more about a culture of respect for and of listening to the 
author.  

And I'm just saying that providing a quote or two tends to help one's 
cause.  

Siriusly Snapey Susan