There was a lot that happened in 1997. Dolly the sheep was cloned, Princess Diana was killed, Britain gave up control of Hong Kong, and the Pathfinder mission landed on Mars.
But, most importantly it was the beginning of Harry Potter.
I was 8 years old when the books came out, just about to start the 4th grade. I actually did not start reading the books when they first came out, rather I waited till about a year later, when I was 9 or 10, but once I did I absolutely loved them. They were checked out of our school library for months, but when I finally got my hands on them and I could not put them down.
I grew up with the books, with the 7th and final novel coming out when I finished my first year of college. Yes, I was 18, almost 19 but I read that book through the night. The movies came out in 2001, when I was 13 years old. These books and movies defined who I was as a child. Every year for the last 12 years was either marked with a premiere of a movie, or a release of a new book. What happens next to Harry, Ron, and Hermonie exhumed my life every time.
Last night marked the premiere of the 6th movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. And it brings me to a deep reflection on what my childhood was. There were phases that came and went, like Beanie Babies, Pokemon, Pogs, and Digipets. But Harry Potter stuck with us. The books grew up with us, beginning with a story about a young boy trying to get used to school, friends and bullies just like us. And it grew into a mature story about sacrifice, love, and life. It was the same with the movies, starting with child movies that were exactly like the books. And grew into deep, thought provoking movies. Finally the directors understood that cinematic genres are different than literary genres.
Harry Potter is a very polarizing issue, with individuals either loving the books or absolutely hating them. But no matter which side they chose, Harry Potter defines them and their adolescence. Its just like how Twilight is defining the next generation. It is what they will remember when their kids asked them what their childhood was like.
I don't know why I had to go on for that long, but I guess I am quite passionate about my childhood. Essentially, what I wanted to say in this post was that the movie was good, and I would highly recommend it. It's a dark but powerful movie. There are a lot of important themes in it, and it sets up the next two movies perfectly. Can't wait till the next two movies come out over the next two years.
Guess I get to be a kid for just a little while longer.
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