Harry Potter for Thanksgiving?



Everyone's favorite teenage wizard is back in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, the first installment of the final chapter of the HP series. As I stood in line at the waiting for seating to begin at the film's premiere, the anticipation in the crowd was easily apparent. So much so in fact, that the film's Thanksgiving Day success is practically a shoo-in.

The fans will include young and old alike, with the younger crowd making up the majority.  Sitting in the packed theater, I even saw that several fans were decked out in costumes made to resemble their favorite characters from the books, while those less bold were content to simply carry a copy of the book or wear a Harry Potter themed scarf or shirt. Regardless of how it's expressed, the Harry Potter theater experience is bound to outlive those leftovers in the fridge – and for good reason.

This time around, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger (Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, respectively) trade in the halls of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry for the open road as they search for Horcruxes, the only way to destroy the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).  Along the way, the trio uncovers the legend of the mysterious Deathly Hallows and a race ensues to discover them before Voldemort does.

 I had high hopes for this film, and after viewing it I was not disappointed.  The story itself is a radical departure from the rest of the series.  Most of the rich supporting cast appears either very briefly or not at all, placing the weight of the film almost entirely onto the shoulders of the three main characters.  Radcliffe excels as a more mature Harry who struggles to embrace the path he must walk, despite the fact that he doesn't entirely know the destination.

Grint continues to be the heart of the group, adding both emotional tension and frequent humorous moments to lighten the otherwise dark narrative.  Watson performs wonderfully as the bookish member of the trio, but also manages to bring a great amount of pathos to the film (Her first scene in the movie is guaranteed to pluck a heartstring or two). Finally, I have to give a nod to Fiennes' Voldemort.  His darkly sinister portrayal is as chilling as ever and serves as a perferct counterweight to the actions of the three heroes.

But one can't discuss Deathly Hallows without mentioning how loyal the film was to the original book. Fans will be pleased to hear that this is the most loyal adaptation of the book since Chris Columbus' versions of Harry Potter and Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.  Several moments of dialogue are lifted directly from the pages, and nearly every moment important to the plot has been retained and adapted faithfully.  In addition, the way in which the film tells the legend of the Deathly Hallows is nothing short of impressive.  I credit this success to the fact that Deathly Hallows has been split into two films, with Part 1 containing roughly the first two-thirds of the book, and Part 2 the epic finale.

That said, the movie is not perfect.  The film feels rushed until Harry, Ron, and Hermione obtain the first horcrux, and die-hard fans of the books will be slightly disappointed by the omission of a few minor plot points and the artistic liberty taken with some others.  The largest head-scratching moment, however, belongs to a random dancing scene between Harry and Hermione. Also, this movie definitely was made for an audience already familiar with Deathly Hallows. If you are new to the series or have only watched the movies, you may be surprised or even confused by the addition of several heretofore unseen characters. The most notable return to the silver screen perhaps is Dobby the house-elf, who has been conspicuously absent since Chamber of Secrets.

Despite these flaws, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is the best HP film to date.  It succeeds cinematically while managing to stay faithful to the source material – a rare feat in the massive genre of book-to-movie adaptations.

I also  would recommend this movie as an excellent Thanksgiving outing, but with a few caveats.  As previously mentioned, those who haven't read the Harry Potter books may be well served by a friend who can offer up a Harry Potter Cliffs Notes session on the drive to the theatre. Also, as a word of warning to parents: The film is rated PG-13 and contains some scary moments, violence, and some gratuitous, though not extreme, nudity.  And finally, with a running time of almost two and a half hours, it may not be the best choice to immediately follow a tryptophan-laden meal.

While the film succeeds on several levels, perhaps the biggest thing it does is build anticipation for the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 next summer.

Rating:  4 /5  Wizards