My · Soul · Is · As · Open · As · The · Sky

It's been great. But I'm moving on to another place. I'm not sure if it will be better. But I promise to keep writing.

You can follow me here: http://chowies.blogspot.com/

I just finished watching the Emmys. Some things I want to say... that bit with Colbert and Stewart "giving" the Emmy to Carell in Gervais' absence? HILARIOUS. I have never laughed SO HARD and SO LONG in my life. Truly, the funniest moment on TV for me. A beautiful moment of impromptu comedy right there. I love those three, I really do. (And... kudos to Gervais for the win! Awesome!)

Sad to see Hugh Laurie lose again (and House, for that matter). Happy to hear the Jersey Boys sing again (although, they weren't the same company on Broadway). I actually liked Lewis Black's (who he?) monologue. And as usual, I looked forward to seeing what comedy gold the nominees for outstanding writing for a variety series came up with. Happy happy to see Conan and Co. win. Sad to see TR Knight lose. I hope Heigl's win does not VINDICATE the Gizzie plot angle. And "boo" to the censors. Too many distracting cutaways and muted moments.

And finally, I'm glad to see 30 Rock win. To borrow a phrase from Jamie Pressly - they're the little engine that could.

Madeleine L'Engle died last week. She was 88.



( And the world will never know what other adventures the Murrys might have. I felt like my Meg Murry had died along with her. Some may say that the written word lives on, on the page and in the hearts and minds of readers. But you know, sometimes? It is nice to know that some people, even the fictional, are eternal. And Ms L’Engle’s death just reminded me that Meg Murry is too connected to her, that her death… means that Meg has passed on as well. I will never know what Meg is up to anymore. And I will miss her dearly. )

Some of Owen's quotes from the media.

* I can't think of a movie I wish I'd acted in, but there are movies I wish I'd written.

* Real pain is funny stuff.

* (asked whether or not his improvisational skills bother fellow actors) "Yes, sometimes people get irritated, starting with my brother Luke in "Bottle Rocket". He would get pissed at me, like, 'Why don't you just say the lines that you wrote?'

* Writing is more like having a term paper. You hole up and try to pull something out of nothing.

* Quoting one of his favorite writers, Mark Twain: 'It takes two people to hurt you: your enemy to say something bad about you and your friend to come and tell you what they said.'

* (On "Behind Enemy Lines"): Well, they say comedy's hard, but I think drama's the real killer. When you're doing a comedy you kind of have a sense as you're going along if it's working, if it seems funny, if the crew is laughing, how it's playing. With a drama, you don't have any ideas if it's going to work. With this movie, it was really tough, because most of my scenes are just me running. You show up every day and you have to come up with a bunch of ways to make running dramatic, you know - now you're running though a field, now you're running down a hill, now you're crawling through mud. You have to be a real professional to make that interesting.

* (On "Bottle Rocket"): After test screening so badly, I was never able to enjoy it or be proud of it at all. Also, it felt personal because it was the first time I had acted and people were walking out. So, of course, they're walking out because I'm a shitty actor and so is Luke and what the f*** made us think we could act? We were insane. Why would we think people would laugh at this stuff? It's so stupid, it's so indie humor we think is funny. Of course no one else is going to think it's funny. But when we were filming it, we were killing ourselves laughing. And then it turns out it was pretty good. It has just taken eight years for people to come round to it.

* (On finding funding for "Bottle Rocket"): I think Jim was thinking, 'If I don't make this movie, what's gonna happen to these guys? What will become of them? They just seem to be hanging by a thread here.'

* (On initially screening "Bottle Rocket"): "They put us up, but it's not like it was a luxury hotel,'' says Wilson. "Where we were staying, they told us there were patients on the third floor. But they wouldn't tell us what kind of patients, and they wouldn't let us go up there. So the whole time we were wondering, 'What the f-- are they hiding on the third floor?"

* The way some people are good at figuring out equations in algebra, I like to think I'm good at figuring out why characters behave the way they do. I like the ones who are slightly cracked.

* (On his nose): "That's why you've got to root for me," he said. "Be an individual. Have character."

* Mr. Connelly, my seventh-grade English teacher, his comment was, 'Owen has his head up in the clouds, he needs to come down, he's wasting time up there.'

* From Luke: I really look up to Owen and admire him and I see him on another level than myself. He’s the one who kind of gave me start and he’s a real accomplished writer. I would feel like a fool to be real competitive with him.

Over the weekend, I read some sad news about Owen Wilson. He had been hospitalized after an “attempted suicide”. Now, I don’t know if that is a fact, but I do know he is in a hospital recovering. His publicist had released a beautifully worded statement the next day, asking for the press to respect his wishes to heal in private. Which is why it seems absurd why so many entertainment news shows are giving this so much attention. But I’m so glad – SO GLAD – that no one from Wilson’s camp is feeding the frenzy. I don’t care if non-denial means confirmation of the suicide attempt – let the family deal with it. There’s a particularly nice item on CNN that said how Owen is part of a tight, loving family and that they are taking care of him and dealing with the situation in a manner that is best for him. I like that. And I am reassured by reports that Andrew and Luke, his other brothers, have visited him in the hospital already. His brothers are there; he’ll be fine.

I have always admired Owen Wilson for his work. Well, that, and the fact that he is not bad-looking made me crush on him so, so bad. My misfortune, to be in the Philippines at a time when film distribution centered on the commercial, meant that I was not exposed to Owen’s earlier work as writer, producer, and actor. Yes, he is more than just the bankable, aw-shucks, slacker comedian. He is a writer. A huge reason for my admiration and crush for Owen is the fact that we both write (albeit he is infinitely more successful at it than I am). When I first saw him in “Shanghai Noon”, I was blown away by his onscreen presence. I initially came in to watch (and support) Jackie Chan. I knew nothing of Owen at the time; I had not even seen “Armageddon”, so I had no idea of who he was. But Owen’s performance just took my breath away. He had a gorgeous speaking voice and really beautiful eyes. And excellent comedic timing, too. That led me to look him up online and saw that he is even more accomplished than I expected. I had this impression of him as an up and coming celebrity, when in fact, he had already made a good stamp on the entertainment business. Along with good friend Wes Anderson (whom I also LOVE), he co-wrote and co-produced “Bottle Rocket”. It was a short film that expanded into a feature as it garnered funding from no less than James Brooks, and it paved the way for his initial success. It also paved the way for the rest of the Wilson brothers to enter showbiz (yes, Luke Wilson would not be this famous if it weren’t for Owen’s help!).

I had no idea how good a movie “Bottle Rocket” was. I have heard of it, certainly, but never seen it, nor knew of the creative minds behind it. But I knew it was incredibly funny in an off-hand way. I downloaded the transcript and spent hours reading it and laughing in many parts. I could envision Owen spouting Dignan’s lines, and laughed even more. It was such a terrific script – it had me at “Cacaw!” It was very simple yet nuanced and poignant that I loved him (and Wes) for having such a way with words. I could be wrong, but there were instances where I could tell which parts of the script Owen wrote, for I could sense a different kind of humor there. (I also felt the same way with “The Royal Tenenbaums”.) I fell in love with him then. I watched “Bottle Rocket” on a movie channel years later, and loved Wes’ directorial style. The way he blocked scenes was great, and his use of music was brilliant. Sort of like Cameron Crowe, but more cerebral. (Props go to ex-Devo member, Mark Mothersbaugh, an indispensable part of the filmmaking team of Wes and Owen.) I knew that Wes only needed to refine his technique and then he would go on to make awesome movies.

I moved on to “Rushmore”. I did not realize that Owen was part of the team that brought this movie to the screen until I read it on his bio. I do remember Bill Murray getting a fair amount of buzz about his first serious acting role. (He got nominated for a Golden Globe, but critics were disappointed that he did not nag an Oscar nom after.) I was disappointed in myself for bypassing it, but then again, I did not think “Rushmore” was even shown in the Philippines. I watched the movie again years later, on a movie channel, and was completely flabbergasted by the fact that Owen and Wes had grown as writers and filmmakers. The humor was more biting, but touching. Wes’ directorial style has become clearer and more refined. (See his American Express commercial during this year’s Oscars; I love it because it was clearly WES. He has emerged with a style all his own that became evident in “Rushmore”. Love it.) The use of music has become so much better, and will evolve by the time “Tenenbaums” comes. After that, I was hoping that these two would work together again.

And they did. With “The Royal Tenenbaums”, their stature as filmmakers became evident with the quality of the cast that they were able to put together. Anjelica Huston? Gwyneth Paltrow? Gene Hackman? Who even won a Golden Globe for it? Awesome. I love love LOVE this movie. Not only was this the only movie that I was able to admire Luke Wilson for (again, kudos to Wes and Owen – although Richie’s suicide scene is now even more eerie to relive given what happened to Owen). It was a culmination of everything that Wes and Owen learned from their years as collaborators and made it into this movie. When I saw it, I knew that this was going to be their last film as a writing duo. It was just too good to top. Wes could write something else, and Owen could write something else, but together, they might find their “Tenenbaums” success hard to beat. They got nominated for an Oscar, for chrissakes! And the movie itself was a gorgeous nod to stylized, older films, and the actors were all top-notch. They will never produce that same magic again. And they haven’t. Owen continues to act in Wes’ films, but they have yet to write another film together. “Tenenbaums” was simply the new benchmark for their collaboration. And that year, 2001, was Owen’s banner year. He not only became known as a comic actor, but also as a writer and critically-praised Hollywood insider. It helped that “Zoolander” was also released in the same year. When he and Wes were nominated for an Oscar, I was so excited for them (even though they did not win). And during the Oscar telecast, the opening montage had actors and directors and various guild members recite their favorite movies, and Al Pacino (or was it Robert DeNiro?) mentioned “Bottle Rocket”. I remember in a post-show interview, Owen said he was tickled pink by that revelation, that someone of that stature had seen their little movie. It was great. I thought the same, that time, and was chuffed, too.

Owen had never been fully appreciated by Filipino audiences. My friends and family, in fact, thought Luke to be the better Wilson, which I disagree. They even thought he was better looking, which I also, and vehemently, disagree with. My friends made fun of Owen’s nose and used it to make a point (about who was better). But I did not even notice his broken nose until someone pointed it out to me! And I only realized how badly broken it was when he was featured in profile at one point in “Tenenbaums”. But that did not make me admire him any less. Surely, good writers and actors do not need perfect noses in which to perform their best? I love Owen, broken nose and all. He is smart (he is, after all, a graduate of UT-Austin), funny (as we all are aware), and creative. And he writes. And garnered success from it. That, to me, was the singular reason that made him better than the other actors of his generation. (Well, maybe he is on the same level as Matt Damon – who, unlike Owen, has won an Oscar. But Matt never followed up his Oscar with another written material. At least Owen has written for the movies three times. And all were good!) I always thought of Owen as the actor that I will always look up to, in spite of whatever faults lands him in the news.

When he dated Kate Hudson, I thought I’d leave him be. It was his life, and Kate seems like a nice person. But they split, and I thought I’d leave him be as well. They were adults; Owen knew what he was doing. And then came this suspected suicide attempt.

I admit I was very concerned about him when I read the news. It was such a waste of talent, to even try to give it up just like that. I would give anything to write like him, and to have the same writing success he has. It made me wish very hard for his recovery. And I am so grateful that for once, the Hollywood community that has been so tabloidal and curious about everything is finally giving him the space he needs to find himself. Reading up on the other people’s comments about Owen’s situation, it was generally mentioned that he was basically well-loved by so many, and that people just feel bad for him right now. There are no tsk-tsks of the sort that greet Lindsay Lohan’s antics, because Owen does not have the same “bad” reputation as some of these celebrities do. While it has been widely known that Lindsay Lohan abuses drugs, “Owen Wilson is a little more difficult to understand. ... If it comes out that he's heartbroken, that's a sympathy thing.” I’m touched that people are more sympathetic because of the fact that we don’t know much about Owen but… I think the simple thing should be that we are sympathetic regardless of what we know about Owen. If it comes out that Owen is a drug user or an alcoholic, then so be it. I would like to believe that he has learned his lesson, he has his family by his side, and he has fans like me who are rallying around him. So long as I know he still has his talent, I will remain a fan. And if we will never know why he had to hospitalized, I won’t agonize over it. If the truth does get out, then I will forgive him for it. It shouldn’t matter to me. I know him as a writer, and that doesn’t change.

That being said, it is nice to know that the sympathy for Owen is genuinely felt across all sectors: producers, co-actors, and fans alike. There is a nice quote from a 20th Century Fox spokesman, when asked whether a film project with Owen will still push through: "It's an inappropriate question to ask. All our thoughts and concerns are with his health and well-being. Owen asked his privacy be respected and we intend to honor that." Lovely. And well-said.

I’m glad his friends and family are visiting him and caring for him. As a fan, I care very deeply about his well-being, and hope that he recovers from all this and that he move on with his life. He is such a talented actor and writer, seems like such a nice and charming person, and deserves so much respect and admiration for how he has built up his career so far. And I sincerely hope he starts writing again. I will be the happiest person on earth when that happens. It’s what made me a fan of his in the first place, and I’ll be patiently waiting for it.

I had the most amazing start to my morning today. I was walking to the office at around 7:50 AM, along a busy stretch of road, already filling with the noisy zoom of truck deliveries and early morning commuters in their cars, when I saw the most beautiful dog sniffing the curbside plants. I stopped in my tracks, for he seemed to be alone and without an owner nearby. Since it was in my way, and I needed to get to work, I continued walking, albeit a little slower and more cautious. Who knew if this was some rabid, stray animal? But I was mistaken. For when I drew near, it sensed me, and looked at me with the most cheerful eyes and regarded me for a second. It actually stopped to look at me. And then, I as walked on by, acting nonchalantly, but still gazing at him (thank goodness I was wearing sunglasses at the time, and did not look threatening at all by making direct eye contact with him), he BOUNDED toward me, tongue lolling out and tail wagging! I was so surprised! I bent down and gave him a pat on the head. Thus, I made it clear that I was friendly, and he knew it too. He raced past me, into another garden. I followed him, since he was moving in the direction I needed to go too. I smiled at him, cooing "Where did you come from? Where's your owner?", because I must admit I was a bit concerned for him since he was all alone and oblivious to the busy morning rush hour on the road next to him. What if he ran across the road? He could get seriously hurt! And what if suspicious and unpleasant pedestrians met him along the curb? They might think, as I had initially, that he was dangerous and throw something at him and hurt him still. But he trotted along gaily towards me again, and this time, he leaped up and put his paws on my stomach. I reached down and gave the back of his ears an affectionate tussle. He really is a handsome, gray and white dog – a collie, if I'm not mistaken. A beautiful collie. I had a few seconds of doggie bliss, and then he let go of me and ran off into the direction of another house and… he disappeared into the backyard with nary a glance at me. I did not know what to make of it. I felt like I was given a snub. And yet, clearly, he knew this house as he just turned into it without hesitation. I realized then that he would be okay. He was just out for a little morning stroll, and met a new friend along the way. I continued on walking to the office that day, smiling all the way.

I finally got the time to sit down and write about Deathly Hallows. It took me almost two days to finish reading the whole book, and another two weeks to read it again (more slowly this time) and digest it through. And then I read it again a third time.

So, what did I think of the book? Generally speaking, it was a very entertaining read. VERY entertaining. It made you laugh (so hard!), and cry, and whoop with delight, and get angry, and, most importantly, it made you THINK. I have never thought so long and hard in an initial reading of a Harry Potter book as this one. I breezed through the whimsies of Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, sailed through the macguffins of Prisoner of Azkaban, rode along the challenges in Goblet of Fire, believed in and easily accepted all of the teenage angst in Order of the Phoenix, and was easily sucked into the Horcrux angle and high schoolish melodrama in Half-blood Prince.

But Deathly Hallows was different. While I breezed through the first reading (particularly the action-packed passages – of which there were many), my second reading was more deliberate and cautious. I trudged along slowly, and read passages twice, even THRICE, trying to get my head around previously obscure concepts and characters, trying to rack my brains by remembering old faces and their back stories. Reading the book was a mental exercise unto itself, while giggling at Ron's clueless chivalry and selflessness, being impressed at Hermione's ingenuity, and rooting for Harry's heroism all the way till the very end.

Since this is the final book, I want my thoughts to be just as insightful and respectful of the foundation behind it. I want to write about Harry Potter and his universe in the same loving and detailed manner as JK Rowling did. I want to write with a sense of finality (even though it will never be, personally speaking, final for me). And I want to touch on as much as I could, because I want to remember. So I will, again, write a rambling discourse about the final book (and in essence, tie together as much as I can all the previous six books). As you can see, even Live Journal thinks I've gone too far and has deemed this post too large. So I will cut this in half.

Meanwhile, because I am lovingly biased, I will write an entirely different piece on Ron after this. And because it will take me sometime before I finish this, with breaks to discuss and share my Potter thoughts with family, friends, co-workers, and Internet scribes, I will definitely be including their thoughts and analyses of the book as well. So, let the review ( begin. )

If you're still reading this, thank you. This is part two of my seemingly infinite book "review" of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. ( See here. )

The best part about the seventh book is how it serves as a vehicle for Ron’s full character redemption. It is a blessed journey from being the unsure but willing and tag-along best friend to Harry Potter. He courageously offered himself as sacrificial Wizard Chess knight so Harry (“Not me, not Hermione – you Harry!”) can thwart Voldemort’s attempts to possess the Sorcerer’s Stone. He faced his worst acromantula fears by stepping up to be the protective older brother to a Horcrux-possessed Ginny in COS. He grew cojones as he sparred with Hermione in a misguided but very understandable defense of Scabbers in POA. He wore his gigantic heart on his sleeve in GOF. He braved Death Eaters and academic hurdles in OOTP, and became Harry’s indispensable and loyal soldier. He nearly died, and became romantically challenged in HBP, only to bounce back as Quidditch “King” and get back into his ideal girl’s good graces. And by book’s end, he grows up and be the best friend that he is as he promises to accompany Harry on his final mission. Still the willing and tag-along best friend to Harry Potter, but Ron is now more sure of himself, and is more prepared to help Harry in the fight of his life. His development throughout the books has steeled his resolve for the higher Wizarding cause. He is now more accepting of a destiny that could include his death. And through it all, he is still willing to sacrifice himself – for good this time – for a friend that has proven his worth to him (and his family!) time and time again.

Ron Weasley’s fate was determined for him the minute he met Harry at King’s Cross Station. He would befriend the most well-known wizard of his generation, and it would be the start of a most awesome, and dangerous, adventure for both of them. It will be riddled with joy and tragedy – including death, as well as pain from honest truths. And through it all, he grew to be more than what was expected of him. No longer the last in line for hand-me-downs, no longer in the shadows of his accomplished and more popular brothers and sister. He has proven himself capable of being the better man in many ways than one. And it has never been a surprise to me.

I always knew Ron had the most interesting and complex character arc in the books. For all the humor and zingers that he routinely dished out (he was, after all, named after a funnyman uncle), he had the most complicated emotions seething beneath his simple façade, emotions that we knew little of until that point in any book when a dam had to burst (see Chapter Fifteen in Book Seven as the best example). Indeed, we know so little of Ron as we went along the series. Sure, we know his whole family, his fear of spiders, his penchant for jokes and trouble, his clueless chivalry, his tendency to put his foot in his mouth all the time. But what do we really know about the psychological fears and inherent predispositions of Ronald Bilius Weasley? ( More... )

Because I still haven't finished writing that book review yet.

Because I am proud to be a shipper.

And because I have recently rediscovered the joys of going through a thousand lovely fan art images on the Internet. (There are links to the artist's page on TLC when you click on the image; there are a ton of insanely awesome and talented people on there.)

I have finished the final Harry Potter book last night. Yay!

But I will refrain from writing about until my friends back home have finished it. And then we'll email each other like crazy! For the meantime, I will present a rewrite of my OOTP movie review (below). Which is good because I watched the film again (last Saturday, before I hunkered down to read the final book), and I noticed things that I did not before, and had to change some of what I wrote.

So, if you are up to it, you can read my "edited" review before I begin mulling about The Deathly Hallows.

Note to reader: Although I took a look at this again, and edited it, this continues to be a very very VERY long piece. Now that I've included a bunch of stuff I missed before, this has become longer than the previous one - which was seven pages in a Word document, and single spaced. Not sure if you will reach the end without yawning or scrolling over swaths of paragraphs, but if you do, thank you.

So, where do I begin?

With the book, I suppose. “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” is the longest book in the series. It is also said to be the least favorite book of many Potter fans. I am one of the few, then, who do not share the same sentiment (my least favorite book was, and remains to be, “Prisoner of Azkaban”). Much ado has been made over the fifth movie, with plenty of people saying it is the best Potter film yet. I have seen it already and, while it boasts of truly excellent production values, I do not like to hold it in such high regard yet. Definitely, it was a huge improvement from “Goblet of Fire” - which seemed like a lightheaded romp - but it does not share the kind of success that Alfonso Cuaron had with PoA. All three post-Columbus directors were given some reasonable degree of cinematic license with the films, and yet only Cuaron was able to fashion a commendable movie hewing closely to his directorial style, and had both heartfelt emotion and digital bells and whistles that propelled, not just the main plot, but a number of subplots as well. (An obvious example of Cuaron being more successful in remaking the HP franchise was Yates’ continued use of Cuaron elements in OOTP, including the whirling locks on the Great Hall’s massive doors, and the look and position of Hagrid’s hut.)

My foremost complaint with OOTP was that it was short. I realize that the book is the longest, and that there will certainly be huge bits that need to go. And I was steeling myself for it. But I guess the missing parts do not really hit you until you are outside of the theater. Or worse, during a certain scene. Such as when Ron dares the whole Gryffindor common room to speak if they have a problem with Harry. That scene was supposed to establish Ron’s authority as a prefect. Since the whole prefect subplot was taken out, it just served to strengthen Ron’s role as loyal friend. But since we all know already that he is a loyal friend, it simply made it look as though Ron’s character had not expanded at all. (And worse for Rupert Grint, it had the effect of making it look like he was given very little to do in the movie – which is, and should, not be the case.)

However, short though the movie may be, it does seem to have the sort of snappy pace that helps most of the scenes along. The exposition provided by the Daily Prophet and the numerous Educational Decrees were ingenious devices. The rhythm of the Dumbledore’s Army training montage was quite good as well. And David Yates’ small screen training helped some scenes immensely by showing sweet restraint and subtlety. A good example would be Harry and Cho’s kiss. The only other scene from all the HP movies that I could think of that did not give in to audience indulgence and instead pulled off a similar sense of control was the scene in the Sorcerer’s Stone where Harry simply sits in front of the Mirror of Erised enjoying his parents. It was short, sweet, and quite emotional still.

With every HP film, there are certain plot devices in the books that I always look forward to seeing on screen; the ones that, when you read it in the book, makes you go “How in the world will they do that in the movie?” In the Sorcerer’s Stone, it was the Invisibility Cloak and Ron’s life-size Wizard Chess. In Chamber of Secrets, it was Harry entering Tom Riddle’s diary (yes, I was that clueless; it was not until the movie showed Harry being sucked into the diary with a flash of light that I got the visual the book was trying to give). In PoA, it was the Marauder’s Map (which was frankly AWESOME). In GoF, it was the Portkey. For OOTP, to me, it was supposed to be the giant brain that engulfed Ron at one point during the battle at the Ministry of Magic. BUT that was cut out (a shame, really, for it would have been intriguing to see how “thoughts could leave deeper scars than anything else” – a good thing to reflect on). So what was left for me to look forward to were three things: how Prof. Umbridge’s cruel quill would play out, the great Black tapestry, and the Veil. While I could understand the quill scene, I was more interested to see how it would look visually and whether it would come off as graphic as it was in the book. I was not disappointed, and it was one of the few times in the movies where I was thankful that the director did not hold back. As for the tapestry, I always visualized it in my head to be some sort of extravagant window dressing. I had no idea they were going to turn it into a sort of wallpaper. It was quite creative, actually, and I liked the idea. (Unfortunately, for those Book 7 theorists and so-called pundits, Regulus Black was not seen. Which means it will be up to the director/s of the sixth and seventh film to introduce Regulus Black – depending on what happens when the seventh book comes out. Narcissa Malfoy, nor Tonks, was not mentioned either.) Incidentally, the Black family manse was quite a nice piece of production design – looking ancient and forbidding – although I did miss Mrs. Black’s screeching (I expected it when Tonks nearly slipped in the hallway). What I also did miss was Phineas Nigellus. ( More... )

Well, well, well... finally, Rupert manages to say something different from all his past interviews. And he is quite the comedian, too.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix hit US theaters at exactly the stroke of midnight today. While I was not among those who diligently lined up at that hour, I am just as excited, nervous, paranoid, and enthusiastic about the upcoming movie. I have a great movie weekend planned, and OOTP is at the forefront of that. But just as excited as I am about the movie, what I am even more enamored about is the prospect of seeing the Harry Potter Trio once again.

I first heard about them in the local newspaper. When I opened the Entertainment section, I saw a most delightful photograph: Daniel, Rupert, and Emma staring back. I had just begun a love affair with the HP books, courtesy of a former friend of mine. I had the odd but whimsical sensation of seeing Daniel, almost exactly as Mary GrandPre imagined him, as Harry Potter. To me, it was an excellent casting choice, as were the red-mopped Rupert and bushy-haired Emma. Perfect. I had begun another love affair, this time, with the movies.

Seven years came and went, and five movies had been made. The Trio had grown up and gone up, their fame eclipsed only by their friendship. True enough, as they grew up in the public eye, so did the depth of their relationships with each other. It was quite telling to see how close all three were to each other, and how fond they were of each other.

I look at Dan Radcliffe more as Harry than anything else. So it was a bit of pleasant surprise when I began to hear of his exploits outside of Harry Potter – his bit in "Extras", his kiss in "December Boys", and his naked stint on Equus. The last part did not come as a shock to me. Surely, someone who could appreciate the maturity and sensitivity of Cuaron's movies could certainly look on the role of Alan Strang with similar honesty and sincerity. He had grown up, after all, and it was within his rights to move outside of his comfort zone however he wished. Besides, Equus was no simple play; from what I've read about it, it is a fairly complex, emotional, and gratifying piece of work. Another thing that surprised me about Dan was that, despite leaving school, he has been constantly learning. David Heyman has revealed that he takes him to art galleries, and that Daniel reads Balzac. He is quite the pupil. Dan has impressed me when he compared Harry and Voldemort’s relationship as a Holmes-Moriarty type (which is awesome because I am such a Holmes nerd myself), and when he gave the analogy of the OOTP as some sort of French Resistance and he was Henry the V. With such smarts, I have never been prouder of what Dan had done with his career so far. He's been making unexpected but brilliant acting choices and I only wish him the best.

With Emma Watson, meanwhile, I had a bit of a harder time appreciating. Hermione had never been a favorite character of mine, loved though she was by Harry and Ron. And it proved the same with Emma, who seemed to have as much Hermione in her. I think I haven't forgiven her for being brutally honest to Rupert at one point while they were promoting Chamber of Secrets in Japan. (Rupert was, after all, acting like the twelve-year old he was then!) And I don't think I liked seeing how she favored hanging out with Dan more than Rupert. Yes, I have my frequent odd bouts of irrationality, and this was one of them. To be honest, in the case of Emma, I seem to have a harder time distancing her Hermione persona from her real-life self. So whenever I'd see nice pictures of her and Dan dancing together during the Prisoner of Azkaban after-party, I was annoyed. Whenever she and Dan would goof off more behind the scenes, I got annoyed, too. It didn't help that Rupert grew up to be seemingly averse to coziness and affection. I was reading too much into the books that I wanted Emma and Rupert to be together. Unfair really. However, she did grow up to be a fantastically beautiful person. And thankfully like Hermione, she stuck to her academics – an area unfortunately abandoned by both Dan and Rupert. She has my intense admiration for that, because going to University is a wonderful experience and I am glad she remained convinced of her desire to go. I am happy she found a way to bring her schooling and acting together, because I have no desire to see Hermione played by anyone else.

My feelings for Rupert, meanwhile, are different. I feel like hugging him every time I see him. I feel like a very VERY overprotective sister when it comes to him. As I mentioned in an earlier LJ post: “I have always been fond of Rupert. It helped a lot that he played my most loved character in the Harry Potter series – Ron Weasley was my beloved pet and literary figure. Rupert had always been, for me, the standout of the Trio, and I always expected more from him. He is like a baby to me, and I always acted like the big sister when it comes to him, like: why isn’t he getting any screen time? Why is his hair such a bloody mess? Why is he dressed like that? Why did he leave school? Why in bloody hell did he buy an ice cream truck? Why won’t he say anything more? Why is he not in that picture? Why is it always about Dan and effing Emma?!? Anyway, I always wanted him to get the best of things, and I somehow thought he kept getting the short end of the stick.” Indeed, even during the OOTP promo blitz, he got shunted away to do the less-popular shows and movie venues. A shame, really, but it made him very very accommodating and, more importantly, approachable, to his fans.

I knew that my fondness for Ron Weasley was immense, and I used to think that it was this feeling that cemented my incredible support for Rupert. But it wasn’t until I saw a scene in Chamber of Secrets that turned me into a Rupert fan. When the Trio were in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom, brewing the polyjuice potion, Rupert was a gussied up twelve-year old and it made me realize that he was growing up faster than Dan or Emma were (well, literally of course). The fact that he was some sort of deviant (e.g., leaving school, growing his hair, and refusing to dress up) just made him stand out from the Trio. My good friend once said that his look was the best of the three, because it was so “European”. I agree, and if Rupert would just improve his posture a bit, he could be a fashion model (albeit a short one). But of course he would stick to acting, and he did his part in Driving Lessons, and that movie I was so incredibly proud of. Now that I am sure of the talent behind the red mop of hair, I am even more determined to root for Rupert, and wish him even more success in his career.

Meanwhile, as the Trio grow up in the limelight, it is wonderful to see how grounded and levelheaded they all seem to be. David Yates shared my observation in an interview, saying that they were levelheaded, normal teenagers. It was quite an accomplishment, for them to have gone through the acting juggernaut and come out with nary a scandal to their name. It was certainly impressive, and one that American young actors should hope to achieve, given the similarly libelous character of the British press.

A few days ago, I was beside myself with joy when I watched them go through the historic cement imprint ceremony in Hollywood. The weird thing was that I was SO NERVOUS AND OVERWHELMED myself! I could not explain it, for I was sitting in front of my computer, all the way on the opposite coast, and yet, I was so emotional at seeing them immortalized that way. As a film lover myself, I understood their awe because the ceremony itself was a huge honor, and a hugely symbolic one indeed. It was certainly nothing to be sneezed at and it will leave a lasting impression on their acting resumes. I think I must have gone through ten or so different online videos of the same ceremony, and smiled widely at each one. This was one of the times when I felt like the protectivError running style: Style code didn't finish running in a timely fashion. Possible causes:

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