It's "Levi-o-sa", not "Levio-sar".
June 30, 2010 4:49 PM Subscribe
Is Rupert Grint the new Leonardo DiCaprio? Martin Scorsese thinks that Rupert Grint is the real star of the Harry Potter films and would like to direct him in a 'badass' role. Is he right?
Growing up has been eventful for the Harry Potter stars. Daniel Radcliffe has trod the boards naked. Only this weekend the paparazzi chased Emma Watson around the Glastonbury festival. Yet, according to Martin Scorsese, public attention has been focused on the wrong actor – for the celebrated auteur, it's all about Rupert Grint.
In related Rupert Grint News: Rupert Grint: 'I'm kind of excited' The actor talks about life after Harry Potter.
In related Rupert Grint News: Rupert Grint: 'I'm kind of excited' The actor talks about life after Harry Potter.
It seems a bit like winning the lottery. He bought a hovercraft - I'd probably have done the same in his position.
posted by GuyZero at 4:57 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by GuyZero at 4:57 PM on June 30, 2010
Rupert held his own against Julie Walters, so of course he'll do fantastically. This whole Scorsese thing has been doing the rounds over on the Harry Potter obsessed tumblrs ever since the new trailer for Deathly Hallows came out. (It's awesome and spoiler-filled, by the way.) It's sneakily well-timed.
Anyway, he'll always have a piece of my heart for owning his own ice cream truck and giving everyone treats the last day of filming. Oh, and being outrageously ginger.
posted by Mizu at 5:07 PM on June 30, 2010 [3 favorites]
Anyway, he'll always have a piece of my heart for owning his own ice cream truck and giving everyone treats the last day of filming. Oh, and being outrageously ginger.
posted by Mizu at 5:07 PM on June 30, 2010 [3 favorites]
There are buses going around London right now with movie ads on the sides that show Rupert Grint with a mustache. A mustache, I ask you.
posted by Pallas Athena at 5:07 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by Pallas Athena at 5:07 PM on June 30, 2010
"My mum used to say if there was a film, I could play Ron," he says.
My mum used to say, "Someday, you can sell insurance, just like your uncle!"
/me weeps quietly
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 5:09 PM on June 30, 2010 [19 favorites]
My mum used to say, "Someday, you can sell insurance, just like your uncle!"
/me weeps quietly
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 5:09 PM on June 30, 2010 [19 favorites]
There are buses going around London right now with movie ads on the sides that show Rupert Grint with a mustache. A mustache, I ask you.
Someone please find a photo of this!
posted by Fizz at 5:10 PM on June 30, 2010
Someone please find a photo of this!
posted by Fizz at 5:10 PM on June 30, 2010
Martin Scorsese wants Rupert Grint to take on roles 'out of his comfort zone'. Presumably, he hasn't seen him in Cherrybomb
Heh. "Cherrybomb" looks deliciously awful.
posted by dersins at 5:14 PM on June 30, 2010
Heh. "Cherrybomb" looks deliciously awful.
posted by dersins at 5:14 PM on June 30, 2010
I unabashedly love the Harry Potter books and Ron was always my favorite character. I like the movies, and I think Rupert Grint really nailed it as Ron.
Could the pictures of Rupert with a mustache be from the epilogue scene in Deathly Hallows? Is he aged or normal looking?
posted by TooFewShoes at 5:16 PM on June 30, 2010
Could the pictures of Rupert with a mustache be from the epilogue scene in Deathly Hallows? Is he aged or normal looking?
posted by TooFewShoes at 5:16 PM on June 30, 2010
All future interviews with Rupert Grint will be known as "Grinterviews".
Thank you for your attention.
posted by Wataki at 5:17 PM on June 30, 2010 [21 favorites]
Thank you for your attention.
posted by Wataki at 5:17 PM on June 30, 2010 [21 favorites]
what's with the ginge thing?? i dont get why people are so happy he's "so ginger" (another Nickelodeon show i loved [see airbender thread for context])
:)
posted by liza at 5:17 PM on June 30, 2010
:)
posted by liza at 5:17 PM on June 30, 2010
Someone please find a photo of this!
He's got sort of a mustache in Wild Target. The hairy Eastern European in me laughs at his excuse for facial hair, while the prepubescent Ron-obsessed tween girl in me goes all a-twitter at the idea of it (if not so much the execution.) This one pleases me the most.
posted by Mizu at 5:18 PM on June 30, 2010
He's got sort of a mustache in Wild Target. The hairy Eastern European in me laughs at his excuse for facial hair, while the prepubescent Ron-obsessed tween girl in me goes all a-twitter at the idea of it (if not so much the execution.) This one pleases me the most.
posted by Mizu at 5:18 PM on June 30, 2010
Scorsese: When Leo was in Titanic and Romeo + Juliet, nobody saw him becoming a badass in movies like The Departed. But he has become one of the greatest actors of all time.
I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree with that second comment, there, Marty.
posted by paisley henosis at 5:18 PM on June 30, 2010 [4 favorites]
I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree with that second comment, there, Marty.
posted by paisley henosis at 5:18 PM on June 30, 2010 [4 favorites]
Could the pictures of Rupert with a mustache be from the epilogue scene in Deathly Hallows? Is he aged or normal looking?
Probably from Wild Target. [pic]
posted by dersins at 5:20 PM on June 30, 2010
Probably from Wild Target. [pic]
posted by dersins at 5:20 PM on June 30, 2010
Nothing personal against the young man, but every time we watch Chamber of Secrets, Mrs. Beese and I exchange glances at each "Grint hamming shamelessly" moment - of which there are several.
We do the same thing watching James Cameron movies when a particularly awful line of dialogue is spoken.
posted by Joe Beese at 5:20 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
We do the same thing watching James Cameron movies when a particularly awful line of dialogue is spoken.
posted by Joe Beese at 5:20 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Fizz: "Martin Scorsese thinks that Rupert Grint is the real star of the Harry Potter films"
FWIW, I totally agree with this, at least among the main kid characters (the supporting cast, of course, is full of fantastic actors). Daniel Radcliffe has sadly turned out to be a below average actor with moments of full-on horrible, and Emma Watson is quite decent, but never rises above average-to-good. Rupert Grint is the only one of them who seems to have real talent and a genuine voice, which shows even through the barrage of forced cockney they've saddled him with.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 5:21 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
FWIW, I totally agree with this, at least among the main kid characters (the supporting cast, of course, is full of fantastic actors). Daniel Radcliffe has sadly turned out to be a below average actor with moments of full-on horrible, and Emma Watson is quite decent, but never rises above average-to-good. Rupert Grint is the only one of them who seems to have real talent and a genuine voice, which shows even through the barrage of forced cockney they've saddled him with.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 5:21 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
I like him, really I do. I hope he does well. I like Radcliffe too.
But Hermione won my heart from the very first Harry Potter book, and I think Emma Watson 1) played Hermione faultlessly and 2) steals the screen in every HP movie.
No, I am not biased. Not at all.
posted by bearwife at 5:22 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
But Hermione won my heart from the very first Harry Potter book, and I think Emma Watson 1) played Hermione faultlessly and 2) steals the screen in every HP movie.
No, I am not biased. Not at all.
posted by bearwife at 5:22 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
FWIW, I totally agree with this, at least among the main kid characters (the supporting cast, of course, is full of fantastic actors). Daniel Radcliffe has sadly turned out to be a below average actor with moments of full-on horrible, and Emma Watson is quite decent, but never rises above average-to-good. Rupert Grint is the only one of them who seems to have real talent and a genuine voice, which shows even through the barrage of forced cockney they've saddled him with.
But could this be a result of some rather dismal writing. The series is all about Harry and unfortunately due to time constraints, many of the secondary characters and the actors who portray them are not given much to work with. I think that Emma Watson is fantastic and will cast off the shackles of HP fairly quickly, as well as Rupert.
posted by Fizz at 5:24 PM on June 30, 2010
But could this be a result of some rather dismal writing. The series is all about Harry and unfortunately due to time constraints, many of the secondary characters and the actors who portray them are not given much to work with. I think that Emma Watson is fantastic and will cast off the shackles of HP fairly quickly, as well as Rupert.
posted by Fizz at 5:24 PM on June 30, 2010
The Ron character in the book had a more animated personality, so it's not surprising that the film version gave the actor more to work with. I love everything about HarryWorld - the books, the movies, the actors, the author, everything.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 5:46 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 5:46 PM on June 30, 2010
Eddie Edwards? Christ..
posted by Put the kettle on at 5:53 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by Put the kettle on at 5:53 PM on June 30, 2010
Emma Watson is the very definition of 'underwhelming' for me. Pretty, yes... But I did consider starting an online petition to get her replaced on the last movie. After reading the emotional heights the character has in the 7th novel, I said, "Too bad Watson will blow this scene... I need to start a petition!"
But then I said, "Who cares? Her career is over after the last movie anyway. I've seen Ballet Shoes."
I'm also waiting for the movie in which DiCaprio is a badass. It seems as though every part he takes is an attempt to prove to me that this baby-face, 14-year-old-lesbian-looking guy is a MAN dammit! Would it kill him to do a comedy or two? Show some friggin' range? Serious actor is serious. You can tell because he smokes.
So before it's all bash-city... Grint is a delight in every one of the HP movies and he continually gets better. I'm looking forward to his post-HP career.
posted by CarlRossi at 6:02 PM on June 30, 2010 [5 favorites]
But then I said, "Who cares? Her career is over after the last movie anyway. I've seen Ballet Shoes."
I'm also waiting for the movie in which DiCaprio is a badass. It seems as though every part he takes is an attempt to prove to me that this baby-face, 14-year-old-lesbian-looking guy is a MAN dammit! Would it kill him to do a comedy or two? Show some friggin' range? Serious actor is serious. You can tell because he smokes.
So before it's all bash-city... Grint is a delight in every one of the HP movies and he continually gets better. I'm looking forward to his post-HP career.
posted by CarlRossi at 6:02 PM on June 30, 2010 [5 favorites]
How the Grint stole Pottermas
posted by grobstein at 6:06 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by grobstein at 6:06 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm pretty sure post-Titanic Leonardo DiCaprio is not whatever Martin Scorsese has convinced himself he is.
Still, Rupert Grint would probably fit pretty well into any Paul Dano sort of role role where being English and ginger are not a detriment. I wouldn't mind seeing more of him.
posted by Sys Rq at 6:06 PM on June 30, 2010
Still, Rupert Grint would probably fit pretty well into any Paul Dano sort of role role where being English and ginger are not a detriment. I wouldn't mind seeing more of him.
posted by Sys Rq at 6:06 PM on June 30, 2010
I approve wholeheartedly of this post, if only because it informed me that there's an Eddie the Eagle movie in the works. That man made me love sports again.
posted by 256 at 6:07 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by 256 at 6:07 PM on June 30, 2010
It's funny how everyone has a different opinion on which of the actors are obviously terrific/rubbish. Of the three, Grint strikes me as the one with all the natural talent, but Daniel Radcliffe clearly just wants it so much more, to be a part of all the Craft and the Acting. Emma Watson has been coasting since at least the third movie, with a generous amount of assistance from her eyebrows. Obviously rubbish. It doesn't help that the screenwriter wastes all the good lines on her while stripping poor Ron of his many lovely qualities for the sake of maximum goofiness. Grint hasn't been given the chance to develop in the role.
posted by two or three cars parked under the stars at 6:13 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by two or three cars parked under the stars at 6:13 PM on June 30, 2010
Emma Watson works as Hermoine for me and I'll admit that part of it is that she's turned out to be a beautiful woman, that certainly isn't going to hurt her in the business.
posted by Fizz at 6:36 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by Fizz at 6:36 PM on June 30, 2010
I have enjoyed watching Rupert Grint in the Potter movies and well, he is a ginger. Um, yeah...
posted by govtdrone at 6:44 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by govtdrone at 6:44 PM on June 30, 2010
But Hermione won my heart from the very first Harry Potter book, and I think Emma Watson...steals the screen in every HP movie.
Steals the screen because Kloves gave all of Ron's important lines and actions to Hermione, you mean?
Emma Watson works as Hermoine for me and I'll admit that part of it is that she's turned out to be a beautiful woman
While Hermione in the novels is specifically *not* a pretty girl, which was thrown away for the film casting.
(No, I'm not bitter about those two facts at all, why do you ask?)
Still, I'm with the tiny little auteur on this one - Grint is the man. I hope he has a long career making interesting movies and kicks the "Launched By The Harry Potter Franchise" to the side, pronto.
posted by tzikeh at 6:45 PM on June 30, 2010 [4 favorites]
Steals the screen because Kloves gave all of Ron's important lines and actions to Hermione, you mean?
Emma Watson works as Hermoine for me and I'll admit that part of it is that she's turned out to be a beautiful woman
While Hermione in the novels is specifically *not* a pretty girl, which was thrown away for the film casting.
(No, I'm not bitter about those two facts at all, why do you ask?)
Still, I'm with the tiny little auteur on this one - Grint is the man. I hope he has a long career making interesting movies and kicks the "Launched By The Harry Potter Franchise" to the side, pronto.
posted by tzikeh at 6:45 PM on June 30, 2010 [4 favorites]
While Hermione in the novels is specifically *not* a pretty girl, which was thrown away for the film casting.
I will do some checking but does it explicitly state in the novels that she is unattractive in any way?
posted by Fizz at 6:50 PM on June 30, 2010
I will do some checking but does it explicitly state in the novels that she is unattractive in any way?
posted by Fizz at 6:50 PM on June 30, 2010
If this happens, it will write its own headlines...!
"Ron Sleazily!"
"The Red-Headed Stepchild Steps Out!"
"The Red-Headed Stepchild Strikes Out!"
"Ginger Bore"
"Cherry Bombed"
"Ron Weasley and the Ghastly Horribles"
posted by markkraft at 6:53 PM on June 30, 2010
"Ron Sleazily!"
"The Red-Headed Stepchild Steps Out!"
"The Red-Headed Stepchild Strikes Out!"
"Ginger Bore"
"Cherry Bombed"
"Ron Weasley and the Ghastly Horribles"
posted by markkraft at 6:53 PM on June 30, 2010
I am seriously agog (yes, AGOG) at this thread. Did I fall through into an alternative universe where *Rupert Grint* can act at all let alone is the best actor in those movies? We're talking about the guy who portrays two emotions ("confused with mouth open" and "confused with forehead wrinkled") right? The guy who cannot even depict shouting in a realistic manner?
posted by DU at 6:53 PM on June 30, 2010 [12 favorites]
posted by DU at 6:53 PM on June 30, 2010 [12 favorites]
Fizz: "does it explicitly state in the novels that she is unattractive in any way?"
Just looked over and asked Mrs. Beese, who is well steeped in this subject:
[nods vigorously] Messy hair, huge teeth.
posted by Joe Beese at 6:54 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Just looked over and asked Mrs. Beese, who is well steeped in this subject:
[nods vigorously] Messy hair, huge teeth.
posted by Joe Beese at 6:54 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
No, just that she has big teeth (which she later reduces magically) and frizzy hair.
posted by bettafish at 6:55 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by bettafish at 6:55 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Well, if we cannot have fine acting then we can at least have some eye candy.
posted by Fizz at 6:56 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by Fizz at 6:56 PM on June 30, 2010
Don't you guys remember in book four when she went to the ball? When she did her hair, makeup, etc, I'm pretty sure she was quite beautiful.
posted by Precision at 6:59 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Precision at 6:59 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
"While Hermione in the novels is specifically *not* a pretty girl. . ."
Not so!
"Vot is the point of being an international Quidditch player if all the good-looking girls are taken?" - Viktor Krum, referring to Hermione
posted by markkraft at 7:01 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Not so!
"Vot is the point of being an international Quidditch player if all the good-looking girls are taken?" - Viktor Krum, referring to Hermione
posted by markkraft at 7:01 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
"Messy hair, huge teeth."
She grew into them!
posted by markkraft at 7:03 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
She grew into them!
posted by markkraft at 7:03 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
While Hermione in the novels is specifically *not* a pretty girl, which was thrown away for the film casting.
Yeah, this is pretty patently false. She has buckteeth for a while, and she doesn't take pains with her appearance, but whenever she does, those around her tend to comment favorably on her appearance (ron, especially, exhibits surprise at those time he is forceably reminded she is in fact a girl.)
There are multiple instances in the books where she turns heads - hell, she gets Viktor Krum.
She's only "not pretty" because she doesn't care to be, not because she's fundamentally unattractive.
posted by namewithoutwords at 7:05 PM on June 30, 2010 [2 favorites]
Yeah, this is pretty patently false. She has buckteeth for a while, and she doesn't take pains with her appearance, but whenever she does, those around her tend to comment favorably on her appearance (ron, especially, exhibits surprise at those time he is forceably reminded she is in fact a girl.)
There are multiple instances in the books where she turns heads - hell, she gets Viktor Krum.
She's only "not pretty" because she doesn't care to be, not because she's fundamentally unattractive.
posted by namewithoutwords at 7:05 PM on June 30, 2010 [2 favorites]
markkraft: he was actually referring to Ginny (if you'll recall, Harry-in-disguise-as-cousin-whatshisname was dissuading Viktor from pursuing Ginny at Bill's wedding.)
posted by namewithoutwords at 7:06 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by namewithoutwords at 7:06 PM on June 30, 2010
Marty, Leo was a star from "This Boy's Life" and "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" Grint? Not so much.
posted by effluvia at 7:07 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by effluvia at 7:07 PM on June 30, 2010
"he was actually referring to Ginny..."
Actually, he was referring to both Hermione and Ginny, as he had just been jolted after hearing that Hermione and Ron were an item. Being a healthy young guy, he immediately started noting how attractive Ginny was too. ;-)
posted by markkraft at 7:11 PM on June 30, 2010
Actually, he was referring to both Hermione and Ginny, as he had just been jolted after hearing that Hermione and Ron were an item. Being a healthy young guy, he immediately started noting how attractive Ginny was too. ;-)
posted by markkraft at 7:11 PM on June 30, 2010
While Hermione in the novels is specifically *not* a pretty girl, which was thrown away for the film casting.
I will do some checking but does it explicitly state in the novels that she is unattractive in any way?
I took the description of her in the books to be awkward and gangly and plain in the manner of a typical young adolescent girl. But it's made clear in the books that Hermione turned into a pretty young woman. (And she did magically fix her teeth.)
But she's a fairly ordinary looking kid at 11.
posted by desuetude at 7:11 PM on June 30, 2010
I will do some checking but does it explicitly state in the novels that she is unattractive in any way?
I took the description of her in the books to be awkward and gangly and plain in the manner of a typical young adolescent girl. But it's made clear in the books that Hermione turned into a pretty young woman. (And she did magically fix her teeth.)
But she's a fairly ordinary looking kid at 11.
posted by desuetude at 7:11 PM on June 30, 2010
Hermione is only portrayed as attractive a few times in the books. Almost all of these times are when Harry is seeing her entirely out of context after her having spent hours making herself presentable, or through Harry's interpretation of Ron's viewpoint.
Generally, she is described as having large teeth (until the midpoint of the 4th books) and always enormously frizzy brown hair. She is generally tidy, but has ink-stained fingers. She's actually described the least of any of the main characters, leading to the idea that Hermione might secretly be a black character in the unfortunately rather whitewashed Potterverse. I love this interpretation (it lends oomph to the Mudblood thing, makes her stick out further among the Weasleys, and gives people a rare black heroine with brains who doesn't rely on feminine wiles) but it's pretty much bunk because every other character that's black is directly described as such (or dark-skinned, or brown, or whatever) and Hermione never is.
Anyway, Harry never sees Hermione as physically attractive, and when we see her through the descriptions of other characters, she's either described in outright lies as pretty in order to vilify her (in Goblet of Fire) or her appearance isn't noted. This is in contrast to a variety of other female characters, whose appearance and level of hotness is pretty well established. (Cho Chang, Lavender Brown, various Order of the Phoenix members, and of course Fleur all come to mind.)
Watson's undeniable prettiness works against her as Hermione. I've never been a fan of her Hermione, mostly because she steals all of Ron's good lines, but especially because they have to so obviously mess her up in order to get her remotely believable as Hermione. I'm not even going to touch the acting eyebrows issue. Luckily, she's had a few excellent gigs as a model. If she wants to give us Burberry eyecandy, I have no complaints.
posted by Mizu at 7:12 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Generally, she is described as having large teeth (until the midpoint of the 4th books) and always enormously frizzy brown hair. She is generally tidy, but has ink-stained fingers. She's actually described the least of any of the main characters, leading to the idea that Hermione might secretly be a black character in the unfortunately rather whitewashed Potterverse. I love this interpretation (it lends oomph to the Mudblood thing, makes her stick out further among the Weasleys, and gives people a rare black heroine with brains who doesn't rely on feminine wiles) but it's pretty much bunk because every other character that's black is directly described as such (or dark-skinned, or brown, or whatever) and Hermione never is.
Anyway, Harry never sees Hermione as physically attractive, and when we see her through the descriptions of other characters, she's either described in outright lies as pretty in order to vilify her (in Goblet of Fire) or her appearance isn't noted. This is in contrast to a variety of other female characters, whose appearance and level of hotness is pretty well established. (Cho Chang, Lavender Brown, various Order of the Phoenix members, and of course Fleur all come to mind.)
Watson's undeniable prettiness works against her as Hermione. I've never been a fan of her Hermione, mostly because she steals all of Ron's good lines, but especially because they have to so obviously mess her up in order to get her remotely believable as Hermione. I'm not even going to touch the acting eyebrows issue. Luckily, she's had a few excellent gigs as a model. If she wants to give us Burberry eyecandy, I have no complaints.
posted by Mizu at 7:12 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
If she wants to give us Burberry eyecandy, I have no complaints.
I'd like to second this statement. Here here!
posted by Fizz at 7:14 PM on June 30, 2010
I'd like to second this statement. Here here!
posted by Fizz at 7:14 PM on June 30, 2010
Hermione is quite obviously based on what Rowling thought of herself as a young girl. Rowling is attractive, not model-attractive, but cleans up well.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 7:17 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 7:17 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Rowling is attractive, not model-attractive, but cleans up well.
She seems alright by me.
posted by Fizz at 7:19 PM on June 30, 2010
She seems alright by me.
posted by Fizz at 7:19 PM on June 30, 2010
Hermione is introduced as an eleven-year-old girl with buck teeth and massively frizzy hair. Over the course of the seven books, she gets her teeth fixed (by her Muggle dentist parents), and uses some magical hair product (Sleakeazy's, I think) to do her hair for the dance.
When the very first photo of the three of them was released, the reaction from all of the women I know who were reading the series was the same. While none of us knew if any of them could act, we were not at all surprised that the boys looked exactly as their characters are described in the books, and the girl was as far from the description of Hermione as one could get. None of us were surprised--just surprised that we were as saddened as we were.
markkraft: she grew into them!
Yes. She wasn't, however, a beautiful English rose at eleven years of age. Casting Emma Watson kicked all of the awkward pre-teen girls (and women who once were awkward pre-teen girls) who identified with Hermione right in their buck teeth. Defeated by the double-standard before they even knew how to look for it.
(c.f. The Last Airbender thread for more children denied visual representation in their worlds of fiction.)
posted by tzikeh at 7:37 PM on June 30, 2010 [6 favorites]
When the very first photo of the three of them was released, the reaction from all of the women I know who were reading the series was the same. While none of us knew if any of them could act, we were not at all surprised that the boys looked exactly as their characters are described in the books, and the girl was as far from the description of Hermione as one could get. None of us were surprised--just surprised that we were as saddened as we were.
markkraft: she grew into them!
Yes. She wasn't, however, a beautiful English rose at eleven years of age. Casting Emma Watson kicked all of the awkward pre-teen girls (and women who once were awkward pre-teen girls) who identified with Hermione right in their buck teeth. Defeated by the double-standard before they even knew how to look for it.
(c.f. The Last Airbender thread for more children denied visual representation in their worlds of fiction.)
posted by tzikeh at 7:37 PM on June 30, 2010 [6 favorites]
Watson's undeniable prettiness works against her as Hermione.
This is how I feel, too. I thought the whole point of Hermione's character was that she wasn't all that attractive, but was incredibly smart and a loyal friend. She teaches young readers the value of a strong personality over drop-dead looks. But seriously, who really expected Hollywood to not cast a pretty girl for the role?
posted by gnutron at 8:18 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
This is how I feel, too. I thought the whole point of Hermione's character was that she wasn't all that attractive, but was incredibly smart and a loyal friend. She teaches young readers the value of a strong personality over drop-dead looks. But seriously, who really expected Hollywood to not cast a pretty girl for the role?
posted by gnutron at 8:18 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Casting Emma Watson kicked all of the awkward pre-teen girls (and women who once were awkward pre-teen girls) who identified with Hermione right in their buck teeth. Defeated by the double-standard before they even knew how to look for it.
I dunno, I was once a painfully awkward-looking pre-teen girl yet I was pleased with the casting of Emma Watson. I'll take an only a slightly prettied-up version of the description in the books, rather than some tiny-nosed perfect-skin blonde rosy-cheeked girl with a whisper of peach fuzz for eyebrows. Perhaps I'm just more cynical.
posted by desuetude at 8:28 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
I dunno, I was once a painfully awkward-looking pre-teen girl yet I was pleased with the casting of Emma Watson. I'll take an only a slightly prettied-up version of the description in the books, rather than some tiny-nosed perfect-skin blonde rosy-cheeked girl with a whisper of peach fuzz for eyebrows. Perhaps I'm just more cynical.
posted by desuetude at 8:28 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm with Less Wrong on this one. Ron's a pure-hearted dummy. Gint was decent in Driving Lessons, though.
posted by ActualStackhouse at 8:36 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by ActualStackhouse at 8:36 PM on June 30, 2010
I can't even believe we're debating Hermione's attractiveness, when we're not even looking at the 400-lb. gorilla in the room.
Harry Potter married Ginny Weasley? When he could've had Cho Chang?!
There's only one good answer for this that I know. Clearly, Harry Potter's sexual quirks were set at a pretty early age.
Think about it... he was absolutely miserable with his straitlaced step-parents. Only to run off with a bear-like, animalistic man with access to lots of money for him.
And then there's Dumbledore... who had been watching Harry his whole life, and who "recruited" him at a young age, much like he "recruited" Voldemort. Voldemort, who permanently marked Harry while he was still just an infant, with his wand. The wand, that, like Harry's, contained one of Dumbledore's phoenix feathers at the core.
And Harry immediately took to Dumbledore... moreso than anyone else. Who did Harry love most? For whom would he literally wait months for just to share a few enlightening, meaningful words, guiding him towards his inner truth? Who's magic was at the core of Harry's wand?
Of course, there were other clues. Harry took naturally to riding a broomstick, for example, but did he like entering chimneys? No. It made him feel sick, queasy, and dirty. No... he felt most comfortable riding a broomstick, at which he had a natural gift.
So, how did Harry fall for Ginny? She was the only woman, quite literally, that he could potentially consummate a relationship with. Why?! Because Lord Voldemort made Ginny release the :big serpent". The one that Harry struck down with the help of Dumbledore's "sword"... and Dumbledore's phoenix, the one who's magic lies at the core of Harry's shaft.
After that moment, Harry Potter would always associate Ginny Weasley with a "big serpent", even as he cluelessly, awkwardly ignored the advances of others. He viewed Ron as too much of a poor younger brother... one who he mysteriously never spent the slightest bit of his huge fortune to help, but who always got his hand-me-downs (i.e. books, robes, Hermione, etc.).
After slaying the giant serpent, Harry Potter's passion subsided, and his feelings towards others are murky and awkward for several years. That said, he always seemed to go to some "special place" that others couldn't... and when he got there, he'd usually find Voldemort, and the snake. Who was the only guy who ever went there with him, really? Cedric Diggory... the one who shared the winning cup with Harry. Only, of course, Cedric died, and Harry inherited Cho Chang's affections, but was curiously ambivalent about her obvious charms and unable to consummate the relationship.
No... only once the serpent got into his head again, could Harry get past this problem. And when he did, he hooked up with Ginny... and Dumbledore died. And yet, you get this feeling that Harry ultimately settled on a closeted domestic, rather unmagical relationship, as opposed to really finding true love.
Really, it's a bit like Brokeback Hogwarts. . . and don't even get me talking about parceltongue!
posted by markkraft at 9:02 PM on June 30, 2010 [11 favorites]
Harry Potter married Ginny Weasley? When he could've had Cho Chang?!
There's only one good answer for this that I know. Clearly, Harry Potter's sexual quirks were set at a pretty early age.
Think about it... he was absolutely miserable with his straitlaced step-parents. Only to run off with a bear-like, animalistic man with access to lots of money for him.
And then there's Dumbledore... who had been watching Harry his whole life, and who "recruited" him at a young age, much like he "recruited" Voldemort. Voldemort, who permanently marked Harry while he was still just an infant, with his wand. The wand, that, like Harry's, contained one of Dumbledore's phoenix feathers at the core.
And Harry immediately took to Dumbledore... moreso than anyone else. Who did Harry love most? For whom would he literally wait months for just to share a few enlightening, meaningful words, guiding him towards his inner truth? Who's magic was at the core of Harry's wand?
Of course, there were other clues. Harry took naturally to riding a broomstick, for example, but did he like entering chimneys? No. It made him feel sick, queasy, and dirty. No... he felt most comfortable riding a broomstick, at which he had a natural gift.
So, how did Harry fall for Ginny? She was the only woman, quite literally, that he could potentially consummate a relationship with. Why?! Because Lord Voldemort made Ginny release the :big serpent". The one that Harry struck down with the help of Dumbledore's "sword"... and Dumbledore's phoenix, the one who's magic lies at the core of Harry's shaft.
After that moment, Harry Potter would always associate Ginny Weasley with a "big serpent", even as he cluelessly, awkwardly ignored the advances of others. He viewed Ron as too much of a poor younger brother... one who he mysteriously never spent the slightest bit of his huge fortune to help, but who always got his hand-me-downs (i.e. books, robes, Hermione, etc.).
After slaying the giant serpent, Harry Potter's passion subsided, and his feelings towards others are murky and awkward for several years. That said, he always seemed to go to some "special place" that others couldn't... and when he got there, he'd usually find Voldemort, and the snake. Who was the only guy who ever went there with him, really? Cedric Diggory... the one who shared the winning cup with Harry. Only, of course, Cedric died, and Harry inherited Cho Chang's affections, but was curiously ambivalent about her obvious charms and unable to consummate the relationship.
No... only once the serpent got into his head again, could Harry get past this problem. And when he did, he hooked up with Ginny... and Dumbledore died. And yet, you get this feeling that Harry ultimately settled on a closeted domestic, rather unmagical relationship, as opposed to really finding true love.
Really, it's a bit like Brokeback Hogwarts. . . and don't even get me talking about parceltongue!
posted by markkraft at 9:02 PM on June 30, 2010 [11 favorites]
every time we watch Chamber of Secrets, Mrs. Beese and I exchange glances at each "Grint hamming shamelessly" moment
To be fair, I think Chamber of Secrets is by far the weakest one - of both the books and the movies.
posted by naoko at 9:17 PM on June 30, 2010
To be fair, I think Chamber of Secrets is by far the weakest one - of both the books and the movies.
posted by naoko at 9:17 PM on June 30, 2010
Grint became the best child actor in the series for me in Prisoner when he starts playing up his injury.
Hermione: That looks really painful.
Ron: It's sort of painful. They er, they might... chop it.
Hermione: I'm sure Madame Pomfrey will fix it in a heartbeat.
Ron: It's too late, it's ruined. (the perfect pause) It'll have to be chopped off.
Dude who plays Draco did well in Half-Blood Prince too.
posted by infinitewindow at 9:44 PM on June 30, 2010
Hermione: That looks really painful.
Ron: It's sort of painful. They er, they might... chop it.
Hermione: I'm sure Madame Pomfrey will fix it in a heartbeat.
Ron: It's too late, it's ruined. (the perfect pause) It'll have to be chopped off.
Dude who plays Draco did well in Half-Blood Prince too.
posted by infinitewindow at 9:44 PM on June 30, 2010
Rupert is a great actor. Dan is painful to watch at times (especially when he has to show emotion). But I think Emma Watson could have been good if not for Steve Kloves's unseemly and huge crush on Hermione. Kloves just can't separate that crush from his writing and it gets worse and worse; Hermione's character just gets distorted into wish-fulfillment and Watson has nothing to work with.
posted by 6550 at 10:02 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by 6550 at 10:02 PM on June 30, 2010
As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a wizard.
posted by Spatch at 11:26 PM on June 30, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Spatch at 11:26 PM on June 30, 2010 [2 favorites]
Evanna Lynch is far and away the best child actor in the series. Her Luna Lovegood is an impossible combination of daffy, wise, and badass.
posted by whuppy at 2:12 AM on July 1, 2010 [8 favorites]
posted by whuppy at 2:12 AM on July 1, 2010 [8 favorites]
To be fair, I think Chamber of Secrets is by far the weakest one - of both the books and the movies.
CAPSLOCK!HARRY YELLED "YOU'RE WRONG! NO HALF-COMPETENT EDITOR WOULD LET ORDER OF THE PHOENIX BE PUBLISHED!"
posted by Francis at 3:46 AM on July 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
CAPSLOCK!HARRY YELLED "YOU'RE WRONG! NO HALF-COMPETENT EDITOR WOULD LET ORDER OF THE PHOENIX BE PUBLISHED!"
posted by Francis at 3:46 AM on July 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Daniel Radcliffe has sadly turned out to be a below average actor with moments of full-on horrible....
I went to see the stage production of Equus last year; not for any HP fanhood, either (I've been a fan of the play itself since reading it at the age of twelve). I've had four instances now where I went to see a play on Broadway which featured some Celebrity Name in the casting, and in all other occasions there was always a moment at the beginning when I thought "hey look it's THAT GUY".
With Equus, I did not. Dan Radcliffe was Alan Strang from the moment he stepped onto that stage, and he was far and away the best performer in that production.
Not sure how he's done in the other movies -- I've not seen most of them -- but based on how he did in Equus, I now believe the hype. The kid is doing good.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:59 AM on July 1, 2010
I went to see the stage production of Equus last year; not for any HP fanhood, either (I've been a fan of the play itself since reading it at the age of twelve). I've had four instances now where I went to see a play on Broadway which featured some Celebrity Name in the casting, and in all other occasions there was always a moment at the beginning when I thought "hey look it's THAT GUY".
With Equus, I did not. Dan Radcliffe was Alan Strang from the moment he stepped onto that stage, and he was far and away the best performer in that production.
Not sure how he's done in the other movies -- I've not seen most of them -- but based on how he did in Equus, I now believe the hype. The kid is doing good.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:59 AM on July 1, 2010
Emma Watson has been coasting since at least the third movie, with a generous amount of assistance from her eyebrows.
I can't watch the movies with a straight face because of Emma Watson's eyebrows. They're hilarious and amazing.
I agree with whuppy; Luna Lovegood is the best thing about the books and the movies.
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 4:41 AM on July 1, 2010
I can't watch the movies with a straight face because of Emma Watson's eyebrows. They're hilarious and amazing.
I agree with whuppy; Luna Lovegood is the best thing about the books and the movies.
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 4:41 AM on July 1, 2010
Luna is the greatest. I was actually rooting for Luna/Harry at one point because I thought they had much deeper interaction than Harry and Ginny, but alas earwax.
tzikeh: (c.f. The Last Airbender thread for more children denied visual representation in their worlds of fiction.)
Um. In Harry Potter, we have the casting of a pretty, white, brunette girl for a pretty-side-of-average, white, brunette girl. In The Last Airbender, we have: white people cast as Tibetan and Inuit protagonists, Asian extras and minor cast used essentially as exotic props that justify labelling the film as "diverse," erasure of the variety of Asian ethnicities by casting aforementioned diversity props interchangeably, erasure of the variety of Asian cultures by changing specific cultural influences in the source material to generic, exotified "Asian-looking" elements ...
Was there a Hollywood double standard at work in Watson's casting? Almost certainly. Is there a need for more realistic, relatable role models of all types for children? Indubitably. But speaking only for myself as a geeky, mixed Asian, slightly-less-awkward-than-in-adolescence, brunette woman who's into both franchises and looks a lot more like Hermione than Katara, Hermione's casting barely pinged my radar where the goings-on in TLA frustrated and enraged me. I see where you're coming from, and the two events aren't unrelated, but the scale of offensiveness is so different that I find the (unqualified) comparison rather trivializing.
posted by bettafish at 6:19 AM on July 1, 2010
tzikeh: (c.f. The Last Airbender thread for more children denied visual representation in their worlds of fiction.)
Um. In Harry Potter, we have the casting of a pretty, white, brunette girl for a pretty-side-of-average, white, brunette girl. In The Last Airbender, we have: white people cast as Tibetan and Inuit protagonists, Asian extras and minor cast used essentially as exotic props that justify labelling the film as "diverse," erasure of the variety of Asian ethnicities by casting aforementioned diversity props interchangeably, erasure of the variety of Asian cultures by changing specific cultural influences in the source material to generic, exotified "Asian-looking" elements ...
Was there a Hollywood double standard at work in Watson's casting? Almost certainly. Is there a need for more realistic, relatable role models of all types for children? Indubitably. But speaking only for myself as a geeky, mixed Asian, slightly-less-awkward-than-in-adolescence, brunette woman who's into both franchises and looks a lot more like Hermione than Katara, Hermione's casting barely pinged my radar where the goings-on in TLA frustrated and enraged me. I see where you're coming from, and the two events aren't unrelated, but the scale of offensiveness is so different that I find the (unqualified) comparison rather trivializing.
posted by bettafish at 6:19 AM on July 1, 2010
In the books, Hermione is described as having bushy brown hair, brown eyes, and large front teeth until Goblet of Fire, when she is hit by a spell cast by Draco Malfoy, that causes her teeth to grow uncontrollably until she has Madam Pomfrey magically shrink them to a size smaller than they were originally.
posted by podwarrior at 7:17 AM on July 1, 2010
posted by podwarrior at 7:17 AM on July 1, 2010
Spatch, you're a funny guy.
posted by e.e. coli at 7:49 AM on July 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by e.e. coli at 7:49 AM on July 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
People appear to have entirely forgotten about Leonardo DiCaprio's spellbinding turn as Luke Brower in Growing Pains. The way he pretends to fiddle with a locker... the way he tries to masterfully hide the fact that he didn't know what to do with his hands during conversational scenes... it was clear then that he was going to one day become the... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaLKi_tiVV8
Oh nevermind I can't fake this... I think that lesbian-looking little "I'm so tough" dude is totally overrated as an actor. Sorry, Marty. I do think Rupert has potential though, mainly because he has a uniqueness to him. Plus Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe have just shown me more moments of outright painfully horrible acting than he has.
posted by miss lynnster at 9:38 AM on July 1, 2010
Oh nevermind I can't fake this... I think that lesbian-looking little "I'm so tough" dude is totally overrated as an actor. Sorry, Marty. I do think Rupert has potential though, mainly because he has a uniqueness to him. Plus Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe have just shown me more moments of outright painfully horrible acting than he has.
posted by miss lynnster at 9:38 AM on July 1, 2010
Okay, well... I have been off Mefi for so long I forgot about LINKING in the thread. Sorry. Try that again: Leonardo DiCaprio as Luke Brower in Growing Pains.
posted by miss lynnster at 9:40 AM on July 1, 2010
posted by miss lynnster at 9:40 AM on July 1, 2010
Just have to clear this up:
tzikeh: Over the course of the seven books, she gets her teeth fixed (by her Muggle dentist parents)
Hermione gets her teeth fixed in Book 4 by Madame Pomfrey, the school nurse, when a tooth-growing spell that Malfoy meant for Harry accidentally hits her. She mentions later that her parents specifically told her not to use magic to fix them, but when she was in the hospital ward, she just didn't tell Madame Pomfrey to stop.
posted by frecklefaerie at 10:10 AM on July 1, 2010
tzikeh: Over the course of the seven books, she gets her teeth fixed (by her Muggle dentist parents)
Hermione gets her teeth fixed in Book 4 by Madame Pomfrey, the school nurse, when a tooth-growing spell that Malfoy meant for Harry accidentally hits her. She mentions later that her parents specifically told her not to use magic to fix them, but when she was in the hospital ward, she just didn't tell Madame Pomfrey to stop.
posted by frecklefaerie at 10:10 AM on July 1, 2010
Why?! Because Lord Voldemort made Ginny release the :big serpent". The one that Harry struck down with the help of Dumbledore's "sword"...
what is this i don't even
posted by GuyZero at 10:32 AM on July 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
what is this i don't even
posted by GuyZero at 10:32 AM on July 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
I've never really noticed the eyebrow thing, just thought she had a few moments of total woodenness ... but Holy Shit!
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:52 PM on July 1, 2010
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:52 PM on July 1, 2010
dersins: Martin Scorsese wants Rupert Grint to take on roles 'out of his comfort zone'. Presumably, he hasn't seen him in Cherrybomb
Heh. "Cherrybomb" looks deliciously awful.
I'm afraid you're only half right.
(says a fan of deliciously awful things)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:04 PM on July 1, 2010
Heh. "Cherrybomb" looks deliciously awful.
I'm afraid you're only half right.
(says a fan of deliciously awful things)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:04 PM on July 1, 2010
Good job, Ronnie the Bear / Ronnie the Effing Bear / Ron Weasel / Ron The Mighty! Way to draw attention to yourself.
posted by battleshipkropotkin at 1:25 PM on July 1, 2010
posted by battleshipkropotkin at 1:25 PM on July 1, 2010
"Heh. "Cherrybomb" looks deliciously awful."
Let's face it... "Cherrybomb" looks like a Gregg Araki film, only without all the subversive fun of it actually being made by Gregg Araki.
It looks like a bad movie that doesn't dare to be so bad that it's good.
posted by markkraft at 1:47 PM on July 2, 2010
Let's face it... "Cherrybomb" looks like a Gregg Araki film, only without all the subversive fun of it actually being made by Gregg Araki.
It looks like a bad movie that doesn't dare to be so bad that it's good.
posted by markkraft at 1:47 PM on July 2, 2010
Why?! Because Lord Voldemort made Ginny release the :big serpent". The one that Harry struck down with the help of Dumbledore's "sword"...
what is this i don't even
It vibrates.
posted by Sys Rq at 6:26 PM on July 2, 2010
what is this i don't even
It vibrates.
posted by Sys Rq at 6:26 PM on July 2, 2010
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posted by Fizz at 4:57 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]