November 16, 2001
Warner Bros.
Children's, Fantasy, Comedy
DVD
B
Since this series is known for a cast that is relatively consistent over the course of eight movies, we'd better start with a list of the performers. And because the number of my tags is limited, I'm going to just use one tag of "Harry Potter regulars" for people who appear in at least two of the eight movies, although I'll note with each film who these regulars are for that time. This will not include anyone who has made at least two non-Potter films I own, i.e., Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith, who play Professors Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall. Plus Julie Walters, who plays Mrs. Weasley, would have two later non-Potter appearances. So here in Stone, we have (in mostly alphabetical order)
- Sean Biggerstaff as Oliver Wood
- David Bradley as Argus Filch
- John Cleese as Nearly Headless Nick
- Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid
- Eleanor Columbus (the director's daughter) as Susan Bones
- Emily Dale as Katie Bell
- Warwick Davis as a Goblin Bank Teller and Professor Flitwick
- Alfred Enoch as Dean Thomas
- Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy
- Scott Fern as Terence Higgs (but playing Adrian Pucey in Chamber of Secrets)
- David Holmes as Adrian Pucey (but playing a Slytherin Beater in Chamber, no idea why the switch)
- Richard Griffiths as Uncle Vernon Dursley
- Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley
- Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore
- Josh Herdman as Gregory Goyle
- John Hurt as Mr. Ollivander
- Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom
- Harry Melling as Dudley Dursley
- Devon Murray as Seamus Finnigan
- James Phelps as Fred Weasley
- Oliver Phelps as George Weasley
- Leslie Philips as the voice of the Sorting Hat
- Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter
- Chris Rankin as Percy Weasley
- Adrian Rawlins as James Potter
- Fiona Shaw as Aunt Petunia Dursley
- Geraldine Somerville as Lily Potter
- Danielle Tabor as Angelina Johnson
- Harry Taylor as the Station Guard
- Julie Walters as Molly Weasley
- Emma Watson as Hermione Granger
- Jamie Waylett as Vincent Crabbe
- Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley
- Luke Youngblood as Lee Jordan
Elizabeth Spriggs, who was Mrs. Jennings in Sense and Sensibility, is typecast as the Fat Lady, while Zoe Wanamaker, who was Oscar's friend in Wilde, is Madam Hooch. Neither of them would return to this franchise.
My review of the book is here: http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2013/11/harry-potter-and-philosophers-sorcerers.html. Note that I'm not using the alternate titles now, since I am reviewing just the American version of the movie (with everyone saying "Sorcerer's"). Less than two years later, I'm not sure I would describe myself as a huge fan per se. I see flaws in the books and movies.
To some degree, I agree with those who say that Chris Columbus and Steve Kloves, as director and screenwriter respectively, made this too literal an adaptation of the book. Furthermore, on this viewing, I'm really struck by what a kids' movie this is, in both good and bad ways. Columbus did capture the wonder and, yes, magic of this world. We see things through Harry's eyes and Radcliffe is definitely agog much of the time. We're being introduced to every person, place, or thing that Rowling created.
There's no room for subtlety, and Columbus is not exactly getting nuanced performances out of the children, especially when they scream à la Home Alone. But that's OK. Not every children's movie has to be The Wizard of Oz. That said, Grint and Watson impressed me even at the time, and they bicker like they've been doing that for forty years. (Radcliffe gives a blander everyboy performance, but he'd come into his own later.) It's funny to see the little quirks, like Felton's and Watson's over-enunciation, there from the get-go.
As for the adults, other than Smith and Rickman who are perfect out of the gate and would remain so for a decade, the main stand-out is Coltrane. It's always a surprise to go back to this movie and see how prominent Hagrid is. It's a natural, relaxed performance, full of warmth and humor, but also bite. He becomes Harry's guide and surrogate uncle, far kinder than his relatives, who are also featured much more prominently than they would be later.
It would be easy to go on and on about the movie, but these are the main things I wanted to cover, other than John Williams's score, like so much of the film, is overdone but likable.
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