If you love the book, you'll love the film

Rating: 9/10 (27 November 2001)

Not since Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" was adapted for the screen have I seen such a loving rendition of a book into a movie--"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" has (book author) Rowling's motherly fingerprints all over it, thank goodness, and has mercifully avoided the Hollywood "hipper than thou" standard. Chris Columbus is to be congratulated for making a movie with real heart. Although some concessions necessarily had to be made in the script, the spirit as well as the letter of the book is wonderfully captured.
Some highlights--first of all, the children are wonderfully cast. Harry has that elusive blend of geekiness and charm, and Hermione, Ron, and even Neville and Malfoy are believable but not precious. Commenting as a grown-up fan, I can say that Alan Rickman brought a dimension to Professor Snape that was both surprising and intriguing--rather than playing a cookie-cutter villain, he brought ambiguity to the role with a physicality and sheer animal magnetism that left me a bit breathless (and scrambling to find his other movies). And yes, Hagrid practically steals the show.
Kudos to John Williams for a score that enchants but doesn't overpower, and to the special effects wizards for making everything look truly magical. However, the most satisfying thing about this movie is that the writing is intelligent and the actors are allowed to develop their characters--something that is increasingly rare. I believe that the success of Harry Potter on screen and in print is because people really and truly still want good stories. IF YOU WRITE IT, THEY WILL COME!