What do you have to explain to your friends and family who only see the movies?

[Coralie]

firstly i have to explain how great the books are!
i was really surprised to find that my sister who has only watched several of the movies thought that hermione and harry would become a couple!how wrong she was! i, and all other harry readers in the room, were gobsmacked.

[Refinnej7]

My ex-boyfriend and I had a trade-off...I watched the "Firefly" series, and he would watch HP (I tried to get him to read the books, but he's dead set on watching all seven movies before reading...crazy...).

He asked why Hermione was allowed to take so many classes that she would NEED a time-turner in PoA.

But when he watched CoS, he asked if the diary-Riddle had anything to do with Voldie not completely disappearing, and I wanted to go into Horcruxes and such, but knew it would be lost...just said it had to do with book 6.

People always ask about Lupin and the map, and why Sirius and he get along at the end, if Sirius broke out of prison...

[branwall]

My family always had a hard time with the movies, more and more so as they progressed. They never seemed to understand things like the map, and I would have to say that movie four had them very confused. I cant remember all of the questions they asked, but they didn't get the point of the triwiz tournament

[lilyseyes]

Well, sometimes the muggles I go with see the inconsistancies in the film, and I do have to try and explain how this happened or that character got there. One thing I have noticed is that once you start telling them what they've missed, the want more and more. I love loaning out my books and seeing new fans emerge right before my eyes.

[Lillbet]

Originally Posted by lilyseyes

Well, sometimes the muggles I go with see the inconsistancies in the film, and I do have to try and explain how this happened or that character got there. One thing I have noticed is that once you start telling them what they've missed, the want more and more. I love loaning out my books and seeing new fans emerge right before my eyes.

Ah, another Harry Potter dealer

[lil_miss_panic]

I finally got tired of trying to explain to hubby to be about the difference so one night I tossed the first book on his side of the bed and said if you read all 6 books then I wont harp any more about the fact I will miss both movie 5 and release of book 7 due to wedding and honeymoon. Well he read them and loved them me on the other hand....well hubby to be knows I love him and he says he loves me to but will not change the wedding date of 7/13/2007....but I digress.
The truth is the movies are great on their own and for the most part you can watch them and understand them without having to read the books. However I do always tell people who have only seen the movies you are missing out on some awsome writing by one of the best authors of my childs time.

[HarrysMagicWand]

I tell them simply

Go read the books. Wayyyy better.

[popcornzyum]

Originally Posted by HarrysMagicWand

I tell them simply

Go read the books. Wayyyy better.

im constantly teling my brother to read the books but he wont listen to me...he says he will just get bored. and im like..but you havent even tried to read them! trust me theyre great. he still wont read them

[sllagnire]

I feel like I constantly have to explain things to my boyfriend when we watch the movies. He doesn't ask me to, I do it voluntarily. I feel like I have to explain what it is that he is missing out on. I guess it is part of my plan to try to get him to read the books. He likes the movies but doesnt like to read, so he refuses to read them. Hmmph.

[IntricateLogic]

Just about everything. If you're ever in the theater with me, you'll hear me whispering things to my mom, dad, and neighbors (who usually come with us) OR you'll hear my sister and I whispering about it.

[gradstudent08]

Lil_Miss_Panic,

You can do what I did when I got married. The X-files movie came out the same weekend we got married. I was a big fan at the time, and we managed to squeeze in a matinee on our honeymoon. We had a ball! I know it's not the same as going opening night, but still good!

I've had to explain a lot of stuff to my dad and step-mom. I keep trying to get her to read (my dad's not a reader), but she hasn't taken me up on it yet. But they love the movies. They are so excitied about OotP, it just makes me more excited about it!

[PaRTyGiRL089]

well, there was this one time when we watched PoA, and my sister was all like, "what happens to the future hermione when blah blah the past hermione blah blah with the time turner?!" i can't understand her. but when i did, it took me about thirty minutes to explain to her how the time turner works, with matching props and re-watching the scene two times! argh! it was really hard. i just wish she doesn't do that again and just read the book! but i doubt it that she'll understand it better.

[mrfutterman]

Originally Posted by PaRTyGiRL089

well, there was this one time when we watched PoA, and my sister was all like, "what happens to the future hermione when blah blah the past hermione blah blah with the time turner?!" ...... i just wish she doesn't do that again and just read the book! but i doubt it that she'll understand it better.

I doubt it, given that the book and the film are identical on this point.

[Twycross]

I only explain why they have to read the books

[betSytrOtwOod]

A lot! I don't really mind it though, I kind of like it because I love to talk about HP and I don't know many others who do. I have seen every HP movie with my aunt and uncle (though I'm not sure about the 5th one) and after every movie they have a lot of questions about who people were or what happened. I know when I saw GoF I was even confused a bit and I'd read the book so it must have been difficult for the non-readers to understand. Seriously, people should read the books. They are awsome and they give you SO much more information. I don't know how well non-readers can follow the series when so much is left out or poorly explained. I know PoA was REALLY poorly explained.

[iwuvgampa1925]

i try to explain to them what happend when they ask me a question but sometimes i just say.."why dont you read the book?" lol.

[ginnyluv]

lots of detail

[sticky]

usually a lot of stuff.....i wouldn't mind if they did it after the film...but when we are in the cinema watching ti for the first time i want to concentrate in it.....my mother and friends saw a poster of the ootp and it had luna in it and they didn't know who she was, or ginny..... its sawful isn't it

[Kashman]

Originally Posted by lilyseyes

Well, sometimes the muggles I go with see the inconsistancies in the film, and I do have to try and explain how this happened or that character got there. One thing I have noticed is that once you start telling them what they've missed, the want more and more. I love loaning out my books and seeing new fans emerge right before my eyes.

That's one of the benefits of the films. More fans are created in that they read the books and then realise how wonderful our world really is and sooo much more than just the films with their skimming of the true story.

[Lillbet]

Originally Posted by sticky

usually a lot of stuff.....i wouldn't mind if they did it after the film...but when we are in the cinema watching ti for the first time i want to concentrate in it.....

Yeah, my father isn't a "wait and see" sort of person- he wants to know what's going on NOW. Since he doesn't usually read the books before we see the film he usually has quite a few questions after the movie, which I try to address, but as of late I've been making excuses more than explaining. Hopefully I won't have to with this next.