movie/canon (was Re: Lavender Brown - help needed

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 160352

Rita:
snip 

>I remember reading an article in Polish press when the first movie
> came out, that JK Rowling personally supervised the process of
> casting young actors to make sure they all look the way she
> imagined her characters 

Potioncat:
As a group we are very canon based, which means we go strictly by the 
book. But, we do look for clues in everything that JKR touches.
We have some fun when movies come out, wondering if JKR gave the 
director some secret information, or if an actor knows something we 
don't. Ususally our questions are based on some comment that someone 
is quoted about or that JKR has said. 

And you're right---I think---I recall an interview the producer of 
SS/PS saying that JKR was very definite about how the characters look 
and what their background was. At the time the British edition did 
not specify that Dean Thomas was black. So it was important that she 
told them how to cast that character.

On the other hand, there is at least one statement by JKR saying she 
has nothing to do with choosing the actors who play the parts. So we 
have to be somewhat cautious in making connections between the actor 
and the character. After all, look at the difference between the age 
of movie!Snape and canon!Snape.

My point is we have to be very careful in how the movies influence us 
in our delving for HP truths. We call it movie contamination and it 
happens to all of us from time to time.

But after all this, I really don't think it matters how you 
personally visualise Lavender.  Of course, Rickman has forever 
improved Snape's standing with fandom and you won't hear me 
complaining.

Potioncat, hoping this is canon-based enough to be here.