[innerSpaceman]

So, I finally finished my re-read of Order of the Phoenix, and can finally comment authoritatively on why I think the movie was such a brilliant 2 hour and 18 minute adaptation of an 830 page novel. (Oh, and thanks for all the love notes hidden among the pages, Leigh-Ann and SuPeR K!)

It’s funny that Alex felt exposition had been cut, because that’s not where the differences lie. The first two-thirds of the book have been very faithfully transferred to the movie. Oh yeah, Harry does a couple of weeks torture detention in the book, but only one such session is shown in the film. Little short-cuts like that do not remove any exposition or result in choppiness. The result is simply non-repetitiveness.

In a similar vein, the Weasley Twins’ rebellion is reduced to the fireworks prank in the film, down from the combo fireworks prank and swamp hallway in the book. Harry’s two attempts to use Umbridge’s fireplace to communicate with Sirius in the book are reduced to one such attempt in the movie. Get the drift?

Even Harry’s failing relationship with Cho is very shrewdly handled via reduction. The whole botched date on Valentine’s Day is cut ... but the chilliness between them is brought out by having Cho be the one who betrays the D.A. (a change with the added time-saving benefit of eliminating the introduction of an extraneous character, Cho’s friend Marietta, who betrays the group in the novel). A brilliant piece of movie condencifying, imo.

* * * *

There are two minor subplot scenes cut ... and while I agree they are among the most charming in the book ... they did not propel the story, and would have taken up needless running time in the movie. Everybody loves the scene in St. Mungo’s Hospital. It’s a quirky new witch environment, and meeting Neville’s family there packs emotional punch. The lines of dialogue Neville speaks in the movie don’t have quite the same impact, but they also take 10 seconds rather than 8 minutes.

The scene with Firenze the Centaur taking over Divination Class from Sybil Trelawney was also charming in the book. But the entire episode with the Centaurs and Grawp the Giant was re-configured for the movie. In some ways the result is better than the book, in some ways not ... but it’s my favorite bit of change because it moves the pieces around so that they don’t parrot the novel, but achieve a good result for the film.

I think the movie is much clearer and tighter in its motivations for the Centaurs to hate Umbridge and the Ministry. The explanation that their range is being reduced works just fine, and I think having their ire be at Umbridge only (instead of also at Harry and Hermoine) works better for the triumphant moment when they cart Dolores away.

In the book, the Centaurs are simply pissed off at all wizards because Firenze is working for Hogwarts, and the scene has Hermoine, Harry and Umbridge in equal danger. It’s cool when Grawp comes surprisingly to the rescue, and arguable that this moment is more intense in the book.

But Hermoine comes off smarter in the movie, leading Umbridge to a known and powerful ally, the Giant, than in the book where she’s leading them all into equal danger with the Centaurs. And the movie’s introduction of Grawp and his instantaneous love for Hermoine is charming and entertaining. In the book, Grawp’s intro is scary, the Giant is hardly likeable, and he displays no affection for Hermoine, or Harry, or Hagrid for that matter.

I think the movie version is a bit tighter and more entertaining, on the whole. But the point is they made things slightly different and still workable. There was some time saving, some exposition saving, a nice surprise sacrificed, but two very entertaining scenes changed around from the way things were in the book. Brilliant film adaptation, imo.

(continued ...)