7 Harry Potter Moments That Are So Much Better In The Film
Sometimes books aren't best.
If anything is certain in this tumultuous world we live in, it’s that film adaptations will never ever be as good as the books from which they take their inspiration and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise is no exception.
Though faithful and (mostly) successful renditions of the novels they are based upon, books in general just allow for far more depth, in both characterisation and plot, than is achievable in a film with a fixed running time.
Hell, as already qualified in 8 Harry Potter Moments That Are So Much Better In The Book “The books are better! The books are better!” Perhaps it's because the written word encourages us to imagine scenes without the logistical limitations of film-making, but it's difficult to argue strongly against that.
But, beieve it or not, there are some things in this particular wizarding world that when making the jump from page to screen were improved upon. Whether this was a slight narrative alteration to make sense in a condensed script or simply something that was made more effective by a visual medium, there are actually some Harry Potter moments that are so much better in the film.
7. Neville Gives Harry The Gillyweed
In the books, it's Dobby who gives Harry the Gillyweed, and this change acts as an important step in Neville's transformation from zero to hero that we don't get in the books.
In the book, seemingly out of nowhere, the house elf arrives minutes before the task is due to begin and hands the aforementioned plant to Harry. In the film, though, it is herbology expert and fellow Gryffindor Neville Longbottom who comes to the rescue.
In both instances, the disguised Bartemius Crouch Jr. has given Longbottom the knowledge to help Harry overcome this challenge. In the book, however, Rowling plays up the fact that Harry is too stubborn to ask for help and Crouch is forced to lead Dobby into helping the boy wizard. But the film gives Neville this chance to shine.
As Potter fans will know, Neville Longbottom’s transformation is the most drastic in the entire series as he goes from bumbling idiot to true Gryffindor (more on this later). This moment in the film is the perfect mid-point in his metamorphosis as it allows Neville prove his worth to Harry early on and, for that, the film’s version of events is superior.