Harry Potter eve: What movie are you expecting?

Are you ready for Harry Potter 7, Deathly Hallows, Part 1

Don’t worry! No spoilers here! Harry Potter fans, coast to coast, are talking about what they expect to see in this new movie. Many fans have tickets to midnight showings, where some may arrive in elaborate costumes. Today, we’re sharing some thoughts from young fans—and a few thoughts about the violence in this series of movies.

YOUNG FANS EXPECTING A GREAT ADVENTURE

BLAKE, 16: I’m looking for entertainment, but I am going to be looking for accuracy, too. I’m not concerned about the little details, but the movies have been getting further from the books. I hope they get this one just right.

ALEX, 18: I’m disappointed that it’s only Part 1 and we’ve got to wait until next summer for Part 2. I’m looking for an exciting movie and decent special effects. I can deal with the accuracy being off. The last few films have been off, too, so I expect that.

MICHAEL, 16: On the one hand, I do think it’s cool that they’re giving this final book more time by splitting it into two parts. But, I wish we didn’t have to wait for Part 2 so long! It just seems to me that they’re focused on making more money by getting people back into the theaters a second time next year. I don’t think they’re as interested in satisfying the audience.

JOEY, 18: The books and now the movies have grown with us. The first Harry Potter book came out when I was in first or second grade. That was a while ago! The original fan base got older so, as we grew, we wanted things that appeal to our age. A first grader isn’t going to want to see a main character killed off, but a high school student is more accepting of where the story may take us.

SARAH, 17: I’m just looking for entertainment, but accuracy is important. I am going with a good friend who has read every book two or three times. So, she’ll know if every detail is right or not. I hope they get this movie right for both of us.

Care to read more from our young Potter fans?

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE VIOLENCE?

“Harry Potter and C. S. Lewis raise significant questions for Christians about violence.” That’s a concern raised by a number of our readers. The Rev. Rich Peacock, a retired United Methodist pastor and peace activist, sent us a series of questions viewers might want to discuss with friends:

  1. Was the use of violence by the “good guys”—Christian?
  2. Does Jesus affirm redemptive violence by individuals, associations or nations?
  3. Can violence create justice, peace, and reconciliation?
  4. The background for these issues is not only Biblical Christianity, but also the history of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. These western religions have often approved of violence and justified it. And they continue to wrestle with their definition of the ultimate. Is the warrior God or the grace God the one for inspiring human behavior?
  5. In the foreground are the current debates about bullying, wars and weapons. Will there be a new START Treaty to modestly reduce the numbers of nuclear weapons?  The mayor of Hiroshima is promoting the goals of the abolition of nuclear weapons by 2020 and the presence of the Olympic Games in Hiroshima in 2020. Will the religions of the world help to realize those dreams?

We want our international conversation to continue

Conversation is far better than the dangerous shouting matches we’ve been witnessing in our global culture recently. So, please, email us at [email protected] and tell us what you think of our stories—and, please tell a friend to start reading along with you!

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