WHEN I went to see "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," I made sure I sat next to the cleric.
I'm not talking about some intimidating, bearded man clutching a book. My cleric was the 10-year-old daughter of a good friend, who has read all four Harry Potter books in English and French.
Nothing untoward would pass her intense scrutiny. I waited for her to note even the slightest departure from The Text with a pained sigh, theatrical eye-rolling or, worst of all, a premature exit.
Here's the big news: The cleric was pleased.
Well, of course she had issues. Clerics always have issues. The actor (Bonnie Wright) who plays a little girl named Ginny Weasley didn't have red hair like the rest of her family. And Alan Rickman, a sinister character named Professor Snape, well, he didn't seem evil enough. But Robbie Coltrane, who plays the momentous role of Hagrid, was a big, shaggy hit.
This was a carefully measured thumbs up.
But first, a "Harry" briefing. Based on the best-selling book by J.K. Rowling, the movie's about young Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), whose parents (of the wizard variety) are slain by the dreaded Voldemort.
To protect Harry while he grows up, wizards Albus Dumbledore (Richard Harris) and Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) leave the infant at the doorstep of his perfectly horrid relatives, the Dursleys, Aunt Petunia (Fiona Shaw) and Uncle Vernon (Richard Griffiths).
The Dursleys, who favor their nasty son, Dudley, treat Harry badly, trying to keep the story of his parents and their wizardry a secret.
But Harry learns about his true identity (and budding magical powers) when the oversize Hagrid reappears in the Muggle (or non-magical) world to collect Harry and dispatch him to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Suddenly, the 11-year-old boy's miserable existence becomes a life of wonder. He's a wizard, destined to acquire amazing magical abilities and to meet others like him. And, down the road, there's bound to be a confrontation with Voldemort, whose bungled attempt to kill the infant Harry has left a lightning-shaped mark on the boy's forehead.
"Potter"-the-movie is about Harry discovering his powers, making friends with classmates Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), and learning about the good and dark forces around him at Hogwarts.
