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_S-____Mai_
By John Walker
arts@barnstablepatnot.com
I
have to admit that I find
all of the Harry Pot-
ter movies delightful!
The films transport me to a
marvelous place filled with
wonder and excitement. It's a
magicalworld that enchants
you from the very second you
enter.
Harry Potter and his
friends are like my personal
friends. Friends I laugh with,
grow with & cry with, cast
evil spells with. Oh yes, I love
these crazy packs of wizards
and witches!
Who can forget the time
when Harry and his friends
snuck out and got caught
by the Whopping Tree? Or
the time when Harry and his
friends burned holy men the
night of the big Hogwarts
semi-formalin order to repel
the local villagersintending
to ransack their school? Not
me, I'll tell you that.
Who out there can honestly
say that the Harry Potter
books have not created read-
ers out of a generation of
children as well as increased
attendance at Devil Wor-
shipping Clubs and Satanic
picnics and sock hops? The
deviled eggs at these events
are to die for!
Of course I am joking. The
wave of Harry Potter para-
noia that certain religious
leaders feared never came
true. No mobs of 10-year-olds
riding on the backs of winged
serpents laid waste to local
churches, malls and yogurt
stands. There was no mass of
children turning their teach-
ers in gnomes, their parents
into frogs and their bicycles
into fighter jets.
What did result from all
of the Harry Potter mania
was a generation of children
who took a break from video
games, DVDs and cell phones
to read a book. Their parents
were rewarded with the gift of
silence as their children read
for hours on end.
In the end, the Harry Pot-
ter novels are guilty of magic.
They introduced a generation
of children to the magic of
imagination, one of the more
important gifts a child can
receive.
Fortunately, Hollywood has
a deep respect for the same
magic that the Harry Potter
books cast on its fans. I have
deeply enjoyed all three of
the previous Harry Potter
films. They were well made,
entertaining and fun for all
ages. The same can be said
for the latest film Harry Pot-
ter And The Goblet Of Fire.
The Goblet Of Fire follows
the formula of the preced-
ing three films closely, yet it
is definitely darker than the
others. But perhaps that is
because Harry and his friends
have grown since then.
This time out Harry and his
friends are 14 years old and in
their fourth year at Hogwarts
Academy for Witchcraft
and Wizardry. Not only are
they expected to brave the
dangers and menaces of their
lessons, attacks on the Quid-
ditch World Cup campsites,
and dragons, but their big-
gest fear of all, asking a girl to
the school's ball.
The film's beginning sets
the dark tone to follow but
intersperses enough humor
and valuable lessons about
friendship and teamwork to
lighten the mood for all but
the youngest viewers.
Director Mike Newell does
a great job of moving the film
along and capturing the best
parts from J.K. Rowling's
987,765,398,345-page novel.
He focuses on the heart of
the book, which makes for a
breezy, more grown-up version
of Harry Potter. This works well
because Harry is aging along
with his core base of fans.
Hogwarts is hosting this
year's Triwizard Tournament.
This tournament includes
Hogwarts as well as Beaux-
batons Academy and the
Durmstrang Institute. The
candidates for the dangerous
Tournament must willingly
enter their name and be at
least 17 years old. The prize
is the coveted Goblet of Fire.
This year, however, the goblet
spits out four names instead
of three. What is the fourth
name? You guessed it: Harry
Potter's.
The professors agree that
Harry must compete in the
tournament's three chal-
lenges as it appears that the
Goblet wants him to play.
The three challenges are
fighting a dragon, an un-
derwater rescue and a dash
through a haunted maze to
be the first to lay hands on
the Goblet of Fire.
Harry Potter And The Gob-
let Of Fire is perhaps the best
film of the four, whichis say-
ing a lot as greatly enjoyed
each. The only downside of
the film is that the ending
seemed anti-climatic and too
dark. Perhaps this is to get
you pumped up for the next
film/book, but it just didn't
quite satisfy me the way the
others did.
Library Pick: Harry
Potter And The
Sorcerer's Stone
The first film in the series
was directed lovingly by Chris
Columbus. It stays true to the
original novel in both style
and tone. Columbus does an
excellent job in translating
the beloved book onto the
screen.
A young orphan, Harry Pot-
ter, is rescued from a cruel life
livingunder the stairs when
he is invited to attend Hog-
warts School for Witches and
Wizards. Harry discovers that
his parents were famous con-
jurers who fell victim to the
evil Lord Voldemort. Harry
escaped with a famous light-
ing bolt scar on his forehead.
The film is faithful to the
book, which is a plus and at
times a minus. If you have not
yet experienced the world of
Harry Potter, I recommend
highly you start here. The film
is available at the Osterville
Public Library.
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire
Our Town...
CONTINUED FROM PAGE C:1
STILL, LIFE - Their joy untainted by age, George Gibbs (Cooper
Conley-Currier) and EmilyWebb (Leanne McLaughlin) smile asThe
Photographer (JohnWilliams) seemsto peerinto a lesscelebratory
future in the Harwich Junior Theatre production of Our Town.
every theater group, and high school in
America over the last 80years. It isaplay
that needs no set,noprops. Its strength
isWilder'sinnate gift ofwords and clever
storytelling,whicharewhittledsocleanly
here that hisprimaryrequest ofthe audi-
ence is to flex its imagination to color in
allthe corners of this masterpiece.
In his production at Harwich Junior
Theatre, director Dafyyd Rees deftly
realizes the tranquility, the downright
genteel nature of the play that is the
undercurrent of Wilder's winding story
about two families, the Gibbs and the
Webbs.
Rees has decided to bring a little
modem multi-media technology to aid
the play. He has changed the narrator
ofthe play from Wilder'sStage Manager
(a tool the playwright uses to give a
behind-the-scenes look at the story) to
the town's photog-
rapher. He's more
of a chronological
historian , captur-
ing the people and
scenes in time.
Rees also tinkers
by adding a musi-
cal soundtrack of
Randy Newman
music, which duly
forces the play to
unfold at a certain
pace and feel. The
"power-point" pro-
jected images and
soundtrack prob-
ably help those in
the audience more
accustomed to
watchingtelevision
than relying on their imaginations. It's
a gamble that Rees has taken and has
won. The effect gives the piece a very
polished, almost cinematic effect.
Wilder's story is based on the goings-
on of two mainfamilies. Dr.Frank Gibbs,
the town's physician, lives with his wife
Julia, and their children George and
Rebecca. Their neighbors are Charles
Webb, publisher of the town's newspa-
per; his wife, Myrtle, and their children,
Emily and Wally.
It's a love story of sorts, as George
and Emily,after growingup next to each
other, eventually marry, at very young
ages. As Wilder's tale takes them from
cradle to grave, his message is clearly
"dust to dust."
The ending finds Emily joining her
familyand the other townsf olk whohave
gonebefore her atthetown'smountaintop
cemetery. Wilder's emphasis is that the
stone-strewnhillsofNewHampshirewere
herewellbefore Grover'sCorners,andwill
remain so for time immemorial.
John Williamsplays the photographer,
delivering his narration very matter-of-
factually His demeanor isvery "what will j
be,willbe."It works nicelyby not getting
involved with the townsfolk, except to
take a picture that freezes them in time.
If there is anything Williams needs to
do better, it's producing slightly more
volume. At times, his words were lost to
the underlying soundtrack.
GaryMitchellplaysDoc Gibbs wonder-
fully, with a truly patriarchal flair. Mary
Arnault plays his wife and together they
work well. Jim Pettibone and Debbie
Barrette play the Webbs, conveyingtheir
characters equally well.
LeanneMcLaughlinand CooperConley-
Currier as George and Emily are superb
on stage.Both individuallyand together,
their characters are always believable.
The entire cast shines, and it's easily
seen that Rees has its members from
top to bottom well rehearsed - not an
easy thing to do with an amateur group
of this size.
Harwich Junior Theatre's Our Town
deserves much larger audiences than at-
tended its first Saturday night show.The
play, no matter how old and how often
done, is a classic. Rees and crew capture
that perfectly in a superb stereoscope
snap.
Our Town is at Harwich Junior on Division Street
in West Harwich through April 2, Fridays and
Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. For
tickets, call 508-432-2002, ext. 4, or go to www.
capetix.com
By Mary Richmond
columnist@barnstablepatrlot.com
The
tides have been so high in
anticipation of the full moon
this week that most area
marshes have been underwater for
at least part of the high tide cycle.
With those tides come the fish and
with the fish are those that eat
the fish.
Along the shore this past week
the eider ducks have been closer
than usual, their large groups,
or rafts, of several hundred an
impressive sight just off area
beaches. If you have been at any
of our south side beaches
you may have seen
many of these /_ *v
beautiful ,&$
*
&**
black and J? \ jjjgtijj
white males *
^300£
off for their ^*«pf
lady friends, :"
^'l! '
whose own ¦''
brown appar-
el is touched
with shades of
sienna often making them look
downright rosy.
The snow buntings at Kalmus
Beach are sporting their breeding
plumage, as are some of the loons
and grebes at Sandy Neck. You
may see large groupings of sporty
little buffleheads at area ponds and
protected beachfronts this week.
In Cotuit and Osterville groups
of several hundred were evident
over the weekend , the brighter
colored males gathered in circles,
performing their courtship antics
for smaller groups of females who
seemed more interested in seeing
what the high tide swept in.
Mergansers are still everywhere
and they, too , are busy performing
their courtship rituals. Mergansers
chase each other about vigorously,
the feathers on their heads spread
wide, signaling their intent often
while vocalizing.
Brant are stillaround on the
south side but they, too, have
courtship on their minds. All these
northern birds will begin to head
north soon even as our breedine
songbirds begin their return in
earnest.
You probably have noticed that
the blackbirds are here. Mixed
flocks of red-wings, grackles and
brown-headed cowbirds are nois-
ily greeting the day in most area
marshes and pond areas. Most
of these birds are male, here to
set up and defend territories in
preparation for the arrival of the
females.
Woodcocks , affectionately called
timberdoodles by many, may
be displaying at dusk in a field
or woodland opening near you.
These small, heavy bodied birds
that usually stay close to the
ground, poking about
in leaves and mud for
l&sjESj^f
their favorite dinner
fjgpjgjp put on an awesome
W
SBF aerial display accom-
^W panied by their
'peent' sound.
0: . ' Bluebirds
are here in
good numbers
and can be seen
throughout town in many
open areas, such as the land
around the West Barnstable Post
Office. Watch these same areas for
early arriving meadowlarks and
bobolinks.
Robins are back in huge num-
bers, with some lawns hosting
flocks in the hundreds. This full
moon is often called the Worm
Moon and not surprisingly earth-
worms have begun to leave their
tell tale and welcome castings be-
hind in the recent warm weather.
It won't be long before the os-
preys return. They are often first
seen in the mid-Cape area by the
middle of March.
Piping plovers will be back
soon, too. Dunlins, miscella-
neous sandpipers, turnstones
and black bellied plovers are
all making their way through to
their northern breeding grounds
and often stop in our area for re-
fueling. No matter how fickle the
weather may be bird migration
has begun which means spring
can't be far behind.
faiioAl
\—_? y
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