Mischief Managed: Some Thoughts on the Final Movie and the Success of the Series

It seems that I have spent the whole of my life waiting (sometimes patiently and sometimes not) for the next installment of Harry Potter. Having entered the series at just about the time the second book was released, I have had to wait for five books and eight movies. And although J. K. Rowling has managed to assuage a small piece of the void left in her most devout fans with the promised release of the online world Pottermore, that waiting is now over.

The emotional distress was evident while sitting in the theater watching Harry confront Lord Voldemort for the last time. The sniffles, nose blowing, and eye-wiping were indication that I was not alone in my sorrows. Whether it was because of the brilliance of the movie, the remembrance of the novel, or the weight of a final goodbye remains unclear. But a whole generation of young people has grown up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and this last movie felt as if it were the ultimate adieu.

Having just revisited the seven previous movies in preparation for this latest release (in addition to rereading the second half of the seventh book), it is clear that the last installment in the series is visually the most compelling. This doesn't come as a surprise to long-time fans because the last three-hundred pages of the Potter saga have more action than a James Bond movie. It is an epic tale with an epic finale, and the visual representation of the end left little to be desired.

It was disappointing not to see Kreacher lead the house elves out of the kitchens brandishing knives and attacking the legs of Death Eaters, and it was disappointing that the final duel between the greatest nemeses of a generation didn't take place in front of the whole wizarding world, as it had in the book. Nevertheless, scenes which the audience might have expected to fall short, such as the dragon-riding escape from Gringotts, were done brilliantly.

I will say that the film felt unnecessarily rushed at times. The dialogue between Harry and Dumbledore in the penultimate chapter of the book provides a necessary reprieve from the ceaseless action at Hogwarts. One gets the sense that in the screenplay, the goal was to get through that part as quickly as possible to return to the action at hand. Given that most of the other movies last over two-and-a-half hours, it was surprising that this scene wasn't more drawn out, especially considering that information necessary to the understanding of the culmination of the plot-line was left out. Yet these are pedantic points and the eighth film is certainly a more than worthy conclusion to the visual representation of the best literary and film series of a generation.

But why are so many people so crazy about Harry and his cohort? It is a difficult question, and one which surely has many answers. The books are marvelously creative. Regardless of one's perspective on the quality of the writing, the world created by Rowling throughout the seven books is absolutely wondrous. From Harry's first visit to Diagon Alley, readers are consistently enchanted by Rowling's creativity. The series is also immensely readable, pitting a simple, yet well-crafted, plot of good against evil alongside thoughtful characters and the aforementioned beautifully created magical world.

But I'd venture to guess that the single biggest reason for the series's success is that it has made everyone who is just a little bit different see a society in which that might not matter just so much. The three protagonists are an orphan (Harry), a poor boy (Ron), and a muggle-born nerd (Hermione). Pair them with the eccentric (Luna) and the chubby-and-dumb (Neville), and you have a recipe for empowering those who have none. Even the adults in the story are of similar stock: Lupin -werewolf; Sirius - fugitive; McGongall - cold, cat lady; Snape - emotionally troubled; Kingsley - black; Flitwick - midget; Hagrid - half-giant; Doby - a house-elf representing the servent class; Dumbledore - gay. Luna, Neville, Sirius, Snape, Hagrid, and Dumbledore all come from families that, like Harry's (and Rowling's), are unorthodox. In fact, the Malfoys are just about the only family living what society dictates as the good life, but they seem far from happy throughout.

And while such a collection of misfits might sound like something of an exaggeration of society's eccentricities, it's probably more accurate than we might imagine. Rowling reminds us that everyone has had to overcome tremendous difficulties, and that those who haven't had to do so will, a la Draco in book six. The truth of the matter is that the series is something of an invective against hierarchy. In Voldemort's camp, a rigid hierarchy is the goal. In Harry's camp, it is each individual's unique and marginalizing characteristics that come together to defeat the powers that would seek to marginalize them. Luna spots Harry using her unusual glasses in the sixth book. Neville tells Harry about Gillyweed in the fourth book. The love of mothers (Lily Potter and Molly Weasley) saves their children (Harry and Ginny). And Hermione's intelligence solves all sorts of problems for Harry and co. In the end, the forces of good obliterate the forces of evil by celebrating their differences rather than trying to conform to some amorphous and unattainable concept of normality. The novels speak to so many people precisely because so many people are so afraid of being different.

So thank you, Ms. Rowling. You have helped hundreds of millions of people realize that not only is it okay to be different, it's good, not only should we not be afraid of being different, we should strive for it, not only should we not be intolerant ourselves, we should seek to wipe out intolerance at every turn. So here's to difference, here's to uniqueness, here's to embracing the magic that rests in each of our eccentricities. Let us bid Harry and the wondrous world of J. K. Rowling farewell having learned valuable lessons and recognizing the witch or wizard within us all.