One of the most iconic and enduring quotes from the Harry Potter franchise was a smart, if small, change from J.K. Rowling’s books. There are many great Harry Potter quotes, from the wise words of Albus Dumbledore to the drawling delivery of Alan Rickman’s Severus Snape, through to remarks from fan-favorites such as Dobby. How endlessly quotable the movies are is one of several reasons behind their continued popularity.
Much of that came from the source material, but plenty of the dialogue was changed for the big screen. This wasn’t always for the better, as perhaps most infamously evidenced by Michael Gambon’s Dumbledore not-so-calmly asking Harry whether he put his name in the Goblet of Fire. Others great lines were cut entirely, such as a deleted scene with Dudley Dursley telling Harry that he doesn’t think he’s a waste of space.
On the flip side, there were changes or additions that did improve things. As I’ve written about previously, I still find it surprising that Harry’s line to Professor Umbridge in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, where he hits her with a “Sorry, Professor, I must not tell lies” as she’s taken by the Centaurs, isn’t actually in the books. But another of the changes was much more minor and pretty easy to miss, and it’s probably the most well-known quote.
A Simple Change Created Harry Potter’s Most Iconic Quote (& Creates A Remake Challenge)
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Image: WB</figure>
There can be a lot of debate about the best Harry Potter movie quote, but undoubtedly the most iconic comes from Rubeus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), when he explains: “Yer a wizard, Harry!” It’s a line everyone knows, and really is the true beginning of the story, but it’s subtly different in the book.
On the page, the line is actually, “Harry, yer a wizard.” And yes, all that’s changed is the placement of a single word, and yet it makes all the difference. It flows and sounds better with his name at the end, emphasizing the point, and that’s helped it become more iconic.
What’s particularly crucial here, though, is Coltrane’s delivery. He imbues the moment with a lot of warmth and joy, as if finally being able to express something he’s long wished to say, and it plays into the wonder and magical discovery of Harry’s journey. In the books, he quite abruptly blurts it out because he’s increasingly exasperated with the Dursleys, so it doesn’t carry the same impact or sense of occasion.
It’s one of the most fascinating examples in the movies of a change making things better, because it is so small, and it is such a testament to Coltrane’s performance. His turn as Hagrid helped to define the character, with so much heart, generosity, and love for Harry, balanced with just enough toughness on the exterior, and that he’s the one to give the defining quote of the movies only feels fitting.
This is, of course, something of a challenge for HBO’s upcoming remake. All of the performances from the new Harry Potter cast will inevitably be compared to the originals, but Nick Frost’s Hagrid has one of the toughest tasks of all in this regard. He has to capture the books while also doing his own thing; Frost is wonderful, and his Hagrid does actually look great, so what matters is making it his own, rather than trying to do a Coltrane impression.
Rearrange the movies into the correct US release order.
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It’s for that reason that the TV show might be better off going back to the book for this specific quote. It’s a line that, one way or another, unquestionably has to be included, because it’s so central to the entire story. But reading it the same way as the movies will only heighten the comparisons, and it’s one scenario where it cannot win, and so going back to “Harry, yer a wizard” would make more sense for the Harry Potter remake, because it’s competing with the most iconic quote of all.
Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students’ time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.
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