It was a job perk. A recent gift from our head administrator was a free, private, advanced showing of the hottest movie of the decade: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2. Last Saturday, we waited for hours to get a chance to be one of the first Americans to see the conclusion of this beloved series. Fifteen minutes before the showing began, an armed guard arrived carrying two silver octagonal shaped cases, tagged and sealed with ribbon. It really was a pretty exciting experience!
Our oldest son was 11 years old when "Pottermania" began and our children will be among the only generation who actually grew up with Harry. It became a family tradition to plan a party with special treats and costumes, as we awaited the midnight release of each new book. Every year or so, a new volume arrived and the story became more complex, just as that of the lives of of our growing children.
The movie was great. It was well thought out and well executed. We were pleased and satisfied when it was done. Since then, I have spent a great deal of time thinking about the power of Harry and his friends. It is a good story, but I think we love it because it is more, it is a story not of individuals fighting against evil, but instead, a family's fight.
I think family is the unnamed superstar of the movie. We love Harry, but he wouldn't be the same without the deep love and acceptance of the Weasleys. Whether they started out at the center or not, at various times throughout the stories, this family is the eye in the storm for Harry, Hermione, Lupin and so many others. The battle between evil and good, is often over who controls the patterns of family life. As the movie progressed, the audience cheered wildly as the family, in its various configurations, stood strong. I felt deeply impressed at the power of family expressed by the faculty and students of Hogwarts. There were a lot of sniffs among the audience when this family stood firm to protect their children.
An article entitled "Strengthening the Family: The Family is Central to the creator's Plan, (Ensign, Dec 2004, 50-51) helps us see that what we think of as fiction and fantasy on the screen of a movie theater is actually based on the reality of our own individual family's daily life:
"The family, the most fundamental institution of society is under attack from all sides. Adultery, divorce, cohabitation, child and spouse abuse, homosexuality, abortion, teen pregnancies, pornography, disobedient children, economic struggles, and increasing unwillingness among married couples to bear and rear children--all these and more are proof that the adversary understands very well the central role the family plays in the destiny of God's children. . . .
"Even in such circumstances, we need not fear. God is with us. In the end good will conquer evil. In the here and now, however, we must take our place on the front line in this war that began in the premortal world and do all we can to preserve and protect the sanctity of the family.
"The family is the primary support structure in God's plan to help us resist evil, overcome weakness and work out our salvation. For this reason we should do all we can to strengthen the family in these days of confusion and opposition."
Spoiler alert: The family ultimately wins the battle, and when it's all over, we are glad to have been part of it, from the beginning to it's glorious end! Thanks to you all.
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