ASSIST News Service (ANS) -- PO Box 2126, Garden Grove, CA 92842-2126 USA
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November 21, 2001

EXCESSIVE PAGANISM EXALTED -- HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE

By Dr. Ted Baehr, founder and publisher of MOVIEGUIDE®
Special to ASSIST News Service

HOLLYWOOD, CA (ANS) -- HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE has a lot of hype surrounding it, but the hype is somewhat deserved, because the book and its sequels have sold millions of copies. Even so, however, parents and children need to know the dangers that this cultural phenomenon poses.

The story of HARRY POTTER begins with little Harry Potter's parents being killed by the evil wizard Voldemort. Voldemort tries to put a powerful curse on the baby Harry but fails because the baby apparently has some powerful natural magic of its own. Voldemort disappears, and Professor Dumbledore (played by Richard Harris), the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, drops the baby at the house of Harry's non-magical aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Dursley.

Ten years later, after being teased and abused by the Dursley's and their little obnoxious boy Dudley, Harry receives a special invitation to attend Hogwarts. The nasty Mr. Dursley tries to stop Harry from going, but the big, hairy groundskeeper from Hogwarts, Hagrid (played marvelously by Robbie Coltrane), stops him and takes Harry away. Hagrid introduces Harry to the  goblin bank where his parents kept their money. Harry gets some money and some school supplies, then he's off to the train at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, which will take him to Hogwarts. Before Harry goes, however, Hagrid takes a mysterious small package out of one of the goblin vaults.

At Hogwarts, Harry becomes friends with two other first-year children, Ron and Hermoine. They are all assigned to the same house, Gryffindor, one of four dormitories that will compete for the House Cup based on points. The three children undergo a series of adventures, not the least of which is an encounter with a 12-foot-troll. They disobey orders and find themselves exploring various parts of the labyrinthine Hogwarts. Meanwhile, Harry finds he has an aptitude for quidditch, which is sort of a rugby-style game played on flying broomsticks. During Harry's first match, it looks as if one of the teachers at the school, the dark, mysterious Professor Snape, tries to knock Harry off his broomstick, a plot that Hermoine foils.

Eventually, Harry, Hermoine and Ron discover where Hagrid and Professor Dumbledore have hidden the mysterious package from the goblin bank. It turns out to be the infamous sorcerer's stone, whose spell brings immortality and converts items into gold. This turns out to be just what the evil Voldemort needs to bring himself back to life in another body. Harry and his two friends suspect that Professor Snape is trying to steal the stone. When Dumbledore is suspiciously called away to London, Harry and his two friends try to get the stone before Snape does.

The production values in HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE are excellent and state-of-the-art. The movie almost perfectly depicts the fantasy elements from the book. The set designs in this movie are visual treats. The special effects are also terrific, especially a 12-foot-troll that invades the school and the exciting quidditch game.

The three young actors portraying Harry, Ron and Hermoine do a wonderful job. Daniel Radcliffe fits the role of Harry like a glove. Director Chris Columbus  creatively uses the boy's subtle ability to express emotions, which keeps viewers interested. Emma Watson as Hermoine and Rupert Grint as Ron are also delightful. Among the adult actors, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, John Hurt, and especially Alan Rickman as Dumbledore, Professor McGonagal, Mr. Ollivander, and Professor Snape are particularly noteworthy.

The production problems with the movie are virtually the same problems with the book. Despite the care in which the fantasy elements and the characters are handled, the book and the movie have little sense of plotting. There are several digressions in the middle of the story, which take away from the plot involving Harry, the villain Voldemort and the sorcerer's stone. The story finally gets back on track toward the end, but by then, it's almost worn out its welcome. HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE also suffers from the fact that we never really see much of the main villain, Voldemort, though there is a lot of talk regarding him.

Of course, theologically and morally, the occult, pagan worldview of HARRY
POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE is abhorrent. When the occult magic fails, what does a witch or wizard do? To whom can they turn? Who's ultimately in charge? Parents should ask their children these and other questions, because occult magic represents an unhealthy, selfish desire to replace God and to reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ in favor of a lifestyle that ultimately will lead to unhappiness and pain.

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE also offers viewers a works theology, a form of elitism where those who are most successful at doing magic are the best. Witchcraft is a selfish, elitist form of Gnosticism, an evil theology of secret, esoteric knowledge. Mitigating this works theology are the movie's theme about love and sacrifice, its rejection of false immortality, and its warning about not getting lost in false dreams and desires. Regrettably,  however, the movie's occult, pagan worldview also rewards the children for disobeying the school rules at Hogwarts and lying about it. Furthermore, the story gives a wink and a nod at the fact that no one can keep a secret among the witches and wizards because of all the gossip. Are these messages something you want to teach your children? We think not.

The bottom line, however, is that God abhors witchcraft no matter how sweet and subtle it is:

"There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer."

Note: THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY: A Parent's Guide to HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE

MOVIEGUIDE®: A Family Guide to Movies and Entertainment has developed a parent's guide to this phenomenon. Instead of simply bashing the movie, we will provide parents with a positive approach to the topic that will provide their children with the tools they need to become media-wise, literate moviegoers, readers and television viewers.

Please call MOVIEGUIDE® at 1-800-599-6684 or (805) 383-2000 for a copy of THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY: A Parent's Guide to HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE.  It can also be ordered at movieguide@compuserve.com.
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Note to Press: Dr. Ted Baehr, is available for interviews on this issue. An experienced scholar and television/radio personality with more than 20 years of knowledge and experience in the field of media literacy and theology, he can give readers, viewers and listeners an intelligent, provocative perspective from a Christian point of view. Call (770) 825-0084 to set up an interview or for more details.

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