U.S. Campus Life

The Harry Potter effect

By Masako Yamada

In general, I'm not a person to keep up with trends. This might make me a bit old-fashioned, and it might hinder my ability to keep up with small talk at cocktail parties, but I'd say I feel almost proud of my inability to be trendy. One of the fads that I have NOT followed is the Harry Potter fad. It's not that I've actively tried to go against the fad. I'm not a rebel. However, given my other interests, reading Harry Potter has never been high on my list of things to do. I simply have never been interested in fantasy stories.

The Harry Potter series of books have been highly touted for years, and I know that both children and adults have been enraptured by the stories. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that the fabric of the United States has changed (if only slightly) because of the books: Harry Potter is not just a fictional character, he's an international phenomenon. The books have dominated best-seller lists, encouraging kids who previously didn't like books to read.

I've seen the strong effect of the Harry Potter books. Two of my friends who are studying to become teachers have decided to use the Harry Potter books to create a curriculum to teach English to foreign students. One law professor with whom I play chamber music told me that he (and many of his neighbors) pre-ordered the latest Harry Potter book online so that his daughter would be able to get a copy as soon as it was released.

I must admit I've finally succumbed to the peer pressure this weekend. The Harry Potter movie was released, and I went on an excursion with a group of friends to watch the movie. I don't know whether I would've trekked to the theater on my own, but since I was invited by some friends, I decided to give it a chance. We chose a late night show that started at 10:30 p.m. and ended around 1:00 a.m. Obviously, there were no young children (or their parents) at the theater at this time. It was full of young (trendy) people on similar group expeditions. It almost felt like being at a nightclub.

Given that so much excitement has been generated Eand sustained Eover some books, it's almost obvious that a movie based on the series would be a phenomenal success. We knew that the shows would be sold out, so we bought tickets online in advance. We got our tickets and headed toward the door to the theater 30 minutes before the start, but at that point, a very long line had already formed. When the doors opened, people rushed into the theater. Even though we'd gotten to the theater "early," our seats were quite a bit toward the back of the theater. Fortunately, the screen was huge and the seats "stadium style," so the view was nevertheless excellent.

And the movie? I found it utterly charming. It had some weird characters and special effects because it's a movie about magic, but at its core, it was a movie about fundamental human longings and dreams. I would say that as an adult, the portrayal of human relationships was the best part of the movie. I suspect that out of my party of eight, I was the one most honestly moved by the movie. I entered without any expectations, I let myself be carried away, and I actually shed a few tears here and there. Most of the others were a bit more objective, especially since they had a set of expectations based on their having read the novels. Although I wished they didn't pick apart the movie so much, I did appreciate their explaining to me the differences between the books and movie.

I've heard that opening night of the Harry Potter movie generated more ticket sales than any movie in history, and the online ticket-reservation service posted a record-breaking number of sales, as well. The author of the books is one of the richest people in Britain. The influence of this be-spectacled, mop-topped boy is almost unbelievable. The movie was not the most intellectual, or aesthetic, or clever, or spectacular one I've ever seen, but its simple charms somehow managed to be moving. I'm glad that my friends convinced me to go. Now I'm eager to read the books.

Shukan ST: Nov. 30, 2001

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