I had never read any of the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling and really had no interest in seeing the movie until I heard what an uproar was suddenly occurring over the children’s book series. Debates over whether this sort of material was suitable for children and whether it was “a re-packaging of witchcraft for the youth of America.”
Because of all the controversy – and because I like to make my own judgements rather than just assuming everyone else knows what they are talking about – my friends and I decided to make our way to our favorite cineplex and see Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
The story is set in England and has beautiful scenery of the English country side, and the film was shot on location at some of the most beautiful castles the British Isles have to offer.
In the movie, Harry (played by Daniel Radcliffe) is an orphan whose parents – who were both wizards – were murdered when he was an infant.
He is sent to live with his Aunt Petunia (Fiona Shaw), his bullying uncle Vernon (Richard Griffiths) and their spoiled son Dudley (Harry Melling). Petunia and Vernon dote on Dudley while they make Harry live in a storage closet beneath the stairs and do not allow him to have any sort of a normal life. Even the coming of his 11th birthday brings Harry no pleasure because he knows he will not receive presents, a card or any kind of a birthday treat.
This year, however, things are different for young Mr. Potter. The professors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, send Harry an invitation to attend the school. Uncle Vernon refuses to let Harry even read the letters that arrive from the school. Because of this, Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), one of the wizards at the school, comes to personally invite Harry to the school.
Hagrid explains to him that his parents did not die in a car wreck as his aunt and uncle had told him but that they were killed by a powerful wizard named Voldemort when they tried to stop him from accomplishing his evil goals.
On the train ride to the school, Harry makes friends with Ron Weasly (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson).
Once he reaches the school, Harry’s life becomes an exciting adventure for him, and he finds the home and family that he never knew.
At the school, Harry meets the director of the school Albus Dumbledore (Richard Harris) and Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) both of whom take a special interest in him.
Finally able to have friends and enjoy life, Harry begins to love life at Hogwarts. He is picked for the position of “seeker” on the Quidditch team for the House of Gryffindor.
Without giving away too much, I shall simply say the movie has the classic plot line of good versus evil, and in the end, good triumphs.
As far as things that would be “bad for the youth of America,” I did not see one example.
However, I did see themes such as “evil doesn’t pay,” “don’t judge a person based on how they look,” “good and innocence always win,” “being selfless for those you care about,” and the “importance of family.” If themes such as these are bad for young people, it is a sad world indeed.
I think a lot of hype has been created about the Harry Potter book series and the movie because it deals with the subject of witchcraft. But, when you look at it, so do most children’s classics.
Look for example at The Wizard of Oz. Glenda the “good witch of the North” protects Dorothy from the Wicked Witch of the West as she travels through the Land of Oz on her way to see the “good” Wizard of Oz.
The Wizard, like the Harry Potter story, is about an evil witch/wizard seeking a great power and being defeated by good and innocence.
But no one raises a stink about that.
Look at most Disney movies: Fantasia, Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin and The Emperor’s New Groove, just to name a few.
If you think the Harry Potter books are the spawn of evil and should be kept from the youth of this nation, fine, keep them from your own children.
If you don’t want your children reading about witchcraft then don’t let them. But do not attempt to ban the books, because that takes away J.K. Rowling’s freedom of speech and it takes away the rights of others to read what they want.
It all comes down to responsible parenting. Sure there are elements of witchcraft and other fantasy in Harry Potter, but if parents don’t want their children believing in those things, they should sit down and talk with their children about them, not attempt to ban such books.
I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I thought it had a good story, good morals, excellent scenery and beautiful imagery. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest, I would give this movie a 9.5. (It loses a half- point because it was a bit long).

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