"Omnibus" J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and Me (2001)

Director:

Nicky Pattison

TV Series:

"Omnibus" (1967)

Original Air Date:

28 December 2001

Genre:

Documentary | Biography

Plot:

For the first time J.K. Rowling tells in her own words the story of how the bestselling books of Harry Potter came to life. |

Plot Keywords:

Harry Potter | Character Name In Title

Cast

J.K. Rowling	...	Herself
Stephen Fry	...	Narrator - Extracts from The Harry Potter Books (voice)
Kirsty Wark	...	Narrator (voice)

Runtime:

57 min | Finland:58 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Quotes:

(himself): I think what I liked from the first about Harry Potter was that mix of - um - I won't say fantasy, because I think of it as a dirty word, and fantasy doesn't really work unless it's grounded in reality, and it's the reality that appealed to me in a sense. What's woven into them is a true history of the English folkloric tradition of magic. She
[J.K. Rowling]
(himself): hasn't made up a magic world which is simply a great wishlist, a Disney-esque fantasy, 'well if you have a dream it's going to come true,' because Harry Potter doesn't present a world like that. It's connected, and comes out of the whole fabric of English folkloric mythology...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Features Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Carless Whisper

I don't really know why I insisted on watching this short, potterish resume. It's probably the obsession that drove me at a certain point. Was it really worth its minutes? Depends what you're looking for.

I'll put it bluntly: if all you want is to find out interesting info about Harry and his fate in the Hogwarts universe, this probably isn't for you. First of all, because the film appeared before the launch of HP 5 and you've found out most things already. And secondly, because there aren't really that many delightful tidbits to be heard.

On the other hand, if you desire to learn more about JK Rowling, you might just have hit the jackpot with this one. You'll get to know not only her story, but also the person behind it. Before seeing her, I thought Rowling would've been different. I never expected such an introvert. It's not something of a negative nature, definitely not, but I supposed she'd be more of a character than such an earth-bound person...

If you dare change the perspective and try to think of the Harry Potter books as an element in our world, it actually makes sense. Learning about the people who created something that defines us so should be of interest to every Potter fan. Even if it means leaving Harry behind for an hour or so.