With her fourth Harry Potter book, J. K. Rowling took a
decidedly darker turn. The evil Voldemort finally shows up in the flesh, with
murder and gothic gore figuring into the process. It’s a scary and exciting
ending, upping the ante of the whole series.
We wondered how appropriate it would be for our children,
both read to them and now on the screen. But there would have been tantrums had
some been allowed to go while others weren’t, so we caved, and off the whole
family went.
Yes, it had scary parts. Lila, 9, said the climactic
Voldemort scene was the scariest. Iris, 6, felt the maze scene was worst, and
that the Dark Lord wasn’t so bad. Oscar, 3, was terrified by an underwater
scene with creepy mer-people and octopi. But it was nothing they couldn’t
handle.
Along the way, it was slam-bang folderol, from an opening
send-up of big-league sports, to a fabulous chase scene with a dragon, and a
gaggle of outstanding Brits hamming it up. Oscar’s favorite scene was a big
fire (you know boys and destruction). Lila and Iris liked Harry and Moaning
Mrytle in a bathtub.
I got off on the big hams. To the already outstanding Alan
Rickman, Maggie Smith, Gary Oldman, and Jason Issacs, this movie adds Miranda
Richardson, Brendan Gleeson (who steals scene after scene), and Ralph Fiennes
as he-who-must not be named. They all rock.
At 700 pages, this is the most bloated of Rowling’s books,
and much of what’s been left out we didn’t miss. There are some strange jumps,
and as usual the development of the relationships between Harry, Hermione, and
Ron get short-changed, but who cares? It’s entertainment crack, just like the
books, leaving you clamoring for more.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (PG-13) is playing at
Brockport Strand, Canandaigua Theatres, Culver Ridge 16, Geneseo Theatres,
Greece Ridge 12, Henrietta 18, IMAX, Pittsford Cinema, and Tinseltown.
— Adam Wilcox
Go ahead and roam
Just because you can’t afford Club Med doesn’t mean you have
to be stuck at home until you’re an empty nester.
Take a fearless inventory of your friends. Especially the
ones from college that cleaned up good. If you’re exchanging holiday cards 10
or more years after graduation, that’s a de facto offer to put you up. I bet
some of them have real nice floors just waiting for a sleeping bag. Or four.
Remember to pack the Advil and you’ll be fine.
Find a place you can drive to in eight hours or less, then
pile in. If the kids act up, tell them next time, you’re going to Vegas and
leaving them with the most reprehensible relative you can think of. Works every
time.
Before you go, find out what you can do for cheap by visiting
Web sites, perusing your library’s travel section, and requesting info from the
local visitors’ bureau. On certain days, some New York City museums are free,
including the Museum of Modern Art. The Smithsonian Museums in Washington, D.C.
are always free. So is entry to Gettysburg National Park.
Once you arrive, avail yourself of the concierge service. We
were saved from lunch at McDonalds by our New York City host who suggested pork
buns for 70 cents each at a Chinese Bakery.
Remember to tip your concierge. Suggestions include white
hots and lilac bushes. Or maybe a nice box of holiday cards from the Memorial
Art Gallery.
— Linda Kostin (www.junkstorecowgirl.com)
This article appears in Nov 23-29, 2005.
