Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
International poster
Directed by	Chris Columbus
Produced by	David Heyman
Written by	Screenplay: Steve Kloves Novel: J. K. Rowling
Starring	Daniel Radcliffe Rupert Grint Emma Watson Richard Harris Kenneth Branagh Jason Isaacs Christian Coulson Robbie Coltrane
Music by	John Williams
Cinematography	Roger Pratt
Editing by	Peter Honess
Studio	Heyday Films 1492 Pictures
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	15 November 2002
Running time	161 minutes
Country	United Kingdom United States
Language	English
Budget	GB£50 million (US$100 million)
Gross revenue	GB£439,321,741 [citation needed] (US$878,643,482[1])
Preceded by	Philosopher's Stone
Followed by	Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a 2002 fantasy adventure film, and the second film in the popular Harry Potter series, based on the novel by J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The film was released on 15 November 2002 in the UK and North America and 28 November in AUS (exactly three weeks after the death of Richard Harris, who portrayed Albus Dumbledore in the first film). Returning to work on the film were director Chris Columbus, screenwriter Steven Kloves, and producer David Heyman.

Most of the major cast and crew from Philosopher's Stone (also known as Sorcerer's Stone) returned for Chamber of Secrets, including child stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. However, it was the last appearance by the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore (and also Harris's last film) and the last Harry Potter film directed by Columbus. New key actors included Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart and Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy.

The film was very well received at the box office making $879 million USD worldwide.^[1] The film was nominated for three BAFTA Film Awards in 2003.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3.1 Marketing 4 Differences from the book 5 Reception 5.1 Critical reception 5.2 Box office 5.3 Awards 6 Home media releases 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Plot

The Dursleys are preparing for a visit from Uncle Vernon Dursley's client. When Harry is locked in his room during the visit, he encounters Dobby the house elf. Dobby warns him not to go back to Hogwarts because dangerous things are being plotted. In a blackmail attempt, Dobby hovers a cake over the head of Uncle Vernon's client's wife and drops it. Thinking that Harry did it, Vernon puts bars on Harry's windows so Harry cannot escape to Hogwarts. Ron, Fred and George Weasley arrive in their flying car to rescue Harry.

The four arrive at The Burrow, the family home of the Weasleys. Harry meets Ginny, the youngest Weasley child and the only girl, and Ron's father, Arthur Weasley. Booklists in hand, Harry and the Weasleys soon leave for Diagon Alley. Harry has never used Floo Powder — the Weasleys' chosen method of transportation — and in his nervousness he mispronounces "Diagon Alley" as "diagonally", landing himself in Knockturn Alley. Fortunately, Hagrid happens upon Harry, leading him to Diagon Alley and reuniting him with the Weasleys and Hermione Granger.

Harry meets Gilderoy Lockhart, a famous wizard and author, who is signing copies of his new book. While purchasing their school books and preparing to leave, Harry runs into Draco Malfoy who accuses him of being a glory hog. Ginny defends him and Draco accuses them of being a couple. Draco's father Lucius appears and introduces himself to Harry. The meeting turns cold when Lucius praises Voldemort and mocks Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys.

At King's Cross Station the Weasley family, excluding Ron, cross through the magical barrier to Platform 9 3/4 with ease. Harry and Ron find they cannot go through (Dobby sealed it to keep Harry away from the dangers at Hogwarts); as a result, they miss the Hogwarts Express. Harry and Ron steal the flying car and follow the train to Hogwarts. They land in the Whomping Willow, where the car is wrecked and Ron's wand is broken. They are ejected from the car with their luggage and the magical car takes off, leaving them behind. Harry and Ron are caught by the Hogwarts caretaker, Argus Filch, and brought before Professor Severus Snape to be punished. Before Snape can expel the pair, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall arrive. As head of Gryffindor House, only McGonagall has the authority to punish the boys. She gives them detention and writes letters to their families. Later Ron receives a howler from his mother, screaming at him for taking the car, but congratulating Ginny for being sorted into Gryffindor.

Harry begins to hear voices, find people Petrified and find writing on the walls in blood. Harry, Hermione and Ron try to figure out how the Chamber of Secrets was opened and who opened it. They decide to make a Polyjuice potion to disguise themselves as Crabbe and Goyle and talk to Malfoy to find out if he is Slytherin's heir. It turns out that he isn't. Soon the whole school finds out Harry can talk to snakes, and thinks that he opened the chamber. Harry finds a book in the girls' bathroom with no writing in it. It belonged to Tom Marvolo Riddle, who came to the school fifty years ago. He experiences Tom's memories and learns that Hagrid opened the Chamber fifty years ago.

Hermione is found Petrified and Tom Riddle's diary goes missing. Harry and Ron turn up at Hagrid's hut in the middle of the night and Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, takes Hagrid to Azkaban, a magical prison. Lucius Malfoy arrives to suspend Dumbledore on behalf of the governors of the school. Before Hagrid is taken away, he gives the two twelve-year-olds a clue to follow the spiders into the Dark Forest. They meet Aragog, a giant spider whom they thought killed a student fifty years ago. Aragog reveals that he isn't the monster that's petrifying the students, and that Hagrid didn't open the Chamber of Secrets.

Knowing that Hagrid is innocent, Harry and Ron find out from a piece of paper in Hermione's hand that the monster responsible for the petrification attacks is a basilisk. They also find another message from the heir and the teachers say that Ginny has been taken into the chamber. Gilderoy Lockhart, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, is chosen to find the chamber and save Ginny, but he tries to make an escape until Harry and Ron catch him. It turns out Lockhart's famous past is false. The three find the chamber entrance in the girls' bathroom and enter to find a giant snake skin. Lockhart tries to stop Harry and Ron by using a memory charm, but it backfires because he is using Ron's broken wand, causing Lockhart to lose his memory and a rock fall that separates Harry from the others. Harry finds Ginny's body, and Tom Riddle shows up telling Harry that he is growing stronger. Harry learns that Tom is Slytherin's heir and is Lord Voldemort in his teenage form. Riddle sends the basilisk to kill Harry but Dumbledore's phoenix Fawkes attacks the Basilisk's eyes. Harry finds the Sword of Gryffindor and stabs the snake in the roof of the mouth, killing it. Unfortunately, a fang pierces Harry's arm.

Dying from the fang's poison, Harry defeats Tom Riddle by piercing the diary with the fang retrieved from his arm. Ginny regains consciousness and finds Harry hurt, but Fawkes heals Harry's wound with its tears. Dumbledore is returned to the school and Hagrid is released from Azkaban. Harry learns that Dobby serves the Malfoys and tricks Lucius into freeing him from servitude. Everyone who was petrified is re-animated.

[edit] Cast

• Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter. Now entering his second year at Hogwarts, Harry faces the accusation that he is the Heir of Slytherin, and responsible for the attacks on fellow students.
• Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, one of Harry's best friends. He takes his father's flying car to Hogwarts after he and Harry miss the Hogwarts Express.
• Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, one of Harry's best friends. She investigates the cause of the attacks on students, only to be petrified herself.
• Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore, the Hogwarts headmaster and one of the greatest wizards of the age. He is removed from his position as the attacks increase. Harris passed away shortly after the movie was released.
• Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart, the incredibly vain and famous Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. He is secretly completely useless, and faked all of his achievements.
• Christian Coulson as Tom Marvolo Riddle, the main antagonist of the film. Riddle is a memory of a young Voldemort, imprinted into his old diary.
• Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father, and a former Death Eater.
• Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy, Harry's enemy, who the trio believe may be the Heir of Slytherin.
• Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts groundskeeper, who is initially blamed for the attacks and sent to Azkaban. Martin Bayfield plays him in the flashback scene.
• Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall, the Hogwarts deputy headmistress.
• Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, the Hogwarts potions master.
• Miriam Margolyes as Pomona Sprout, the Hogwarts Herbology teacher, who creates a cure for those who are petrified.
• Robert Hardy as Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic.
• Shirley Henderson as Moaning Myrtle, the ghost of a Hogwarts student killed by the Basilisk years ago.
• Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, who becomes possessed by Riddle's diary. She opens the Chamber of Secrets under his control.
• Toby Jones as the voice of Dobby, the Malfoys' house elf, who goes behind the family's back to help Harry.
• Julian Glover as the voice of Aragog, a giant Acromantula that lives the forest and was owned by Hagrid.
• Julie Walters and Mark Williams as Molly and Arthur Weasley, Ron's parents.
• Richard Griffiths and Fiona Shaw as Vernon and Petunia Dursley, Harry's uncaring aunt and uncle.
• Harry Melling as Dudley Dursley, Harry's overweight cousin.
• Hugh Mitchell as Colin Creevey, a Muggle-born student who idolizes Harry.
• John Cleese as Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, the ghost of Gryffindor House.

[edit] Production

This section requires expansion.

Production for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets began on 19 November 2001, just three days after the widespread release of the first Harry Potter film. Shooting first took place in Surrey, England as Number Four Privet Drive, Little Whinging of the Dursleys' Home. It was shot on location on the Isle of Man, in several places in Great Britain, and at Leavesden Film Studios in London made several scenes for Hogwarts. Mr Weasley's Car was created from a Ford Anglia. Other locations were shot in England, including a Hogwarts Express set in King's Cross railway station Platform 9¾. Filming finished in the summer of 2002.^[2]

Hugh Grant is said to have been the first choice for the role of Gilderoy Lockhart but due to reported scheduling conflicts he was unable to play the character.^[3] On 25 October 2001, Kenneth Branagh was selected as Grant's replacement.^[4]

Frank Oz claims in interviews he was given the chance to direct a Harry Potter movie, however does not remember exactly which one, but strongly feels it was this, the second film. He turned it down due to lack of interest.^[5]

[edit] Marketing

The film's soundtrack was released on 12 November 2002, three days before the film was released. As with the first film, John Williams composed the score, with some new material written by composer William Ross from adaptations of Williams' score, when he was unavailable due to time constraints. The soundtrack was conducted by William Ross. A video game based on the film was also released on 14 November 2002, a day before the film was widely released.

[edit] Differences from the book

Very few plotlines are entirely absent from the film adaptation, although some are condensed because of time considerations. Many of the more truncated themes were originally written in a more comprehensive form, but did not make the final cut. Many of these are included on the DVD edition as deleted scenes, including the Malfoys in Borgin and Burkes, Gilderoy Lockhart giving a pop quiz (all about himself) on the first day of Defence Against the Dark Arts class, and several discussions about Harry being the heir of Slytherin. The Death Day party sequence from the book is omitted in the film, as is the related subplot of Nearly Headless Nick trying to join the Headless Hunt (as a result, the character is reduced to a cameo appearance in the film). A sequence in which Harry gets an embarrassing Valentine from Ginny is also removed.

In the book, whilst flying to Hogwarts, Harry and Ron see the Hogwarts Express from the sky. In the film, Ron drops the car onto the tracks and the train appears behind them.

The only significant deviation from the literary canon is in the effects of the Polyjuice Potion.^[6] In the book, the Potion causes the drinker to assume the exact appearance of the target, including their voice and any disabilities (such as poor eyesight). In the film, while the potion alters Harry and Ron's appearance, their voices are left unchanged to reduce confusion. This alteration is not present (see retroactive continuity) in subsequent Harry Potter films. Also, Harry's eyesight remains unaltered.

A few characters were removed from the script and their lines reassigned to other characters. In particular, the ghost Professor Binns is absent from the film, so his expository speech about the Chamber of Secrets is given by Professor McGonagall. The poltergeist Peeves is also absent from the film. Furthermore, the conversation between a young Tom Riddle and Armando Dippet regarding Hogwarts' possible closure seen in the diary flashback instead occurs between Riddle and Dumbledore in the film.

In the book, Tom Riddle tells Harry that the Basilik can still smell him. In the movie, this is changed to the Basilik still being able to hear him, presumably for the suspense when Harry gets trapped in one of the tunnels, only to save himself at the last second by throwing a rock in the opposite direction.

[edit] Reception

[edit] Critical reception

The film's reviews were generally positive and it currently garners an 82% "Certified Fresh" approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes (the fourth most favorably reviewed Harry Potter film on the site)^[7] and a score of 63 out of 100 at Metacritic representing "generally favourable reviews" (the least favorably reviewed Harry Potter film on the site).^[8] Roger Ebert called The Chamber of Secrets "a phenomenal film" and gave the film 4 out of 4 stars, especially praising the set design.^[9] Entertainment Weekly commended the film for being better and darker than its predecessor: "And among the things this Harry Potter does very well indeed is deepen the darker, more frightening atmosphere for audiences. This is as it should be: Harry's story is supposed to get darker".^[10] Richard Roeper praised the directing and the films faithfulness to the book, saying: "Chris Columbus, the director, does a real wonderful job of being faithful to the story but also taking it into a cinematic era".^[11] Variety called the film "a bit overlong", but praised the film for being darker and more dramatic than The Philosopher's Stone: "it possesses a confidence and intermittent flair that begin to give it a life of its own apart of the literary franchise, something the initial picture never achieved".^[12] Dana Stevens from The New York Times said: "instead of feeling stirred you may feel battered and worn down, but not, in the end, too terribly disappointed".^[13]

Some negative criticism came from Peter Travers from The Rolling Stone condemning the film for being overlong and too faithful to the book: "Once again, director Chris Columbus takes a hat-in-hand approach to Rowling that stifles creativity and allows the film to drag on for nearly three hours".^[14] Kenneth Turan from The Los Angeles Times called the film "a cliché" and noted: "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is deja vu all over again, it's likely that whatever you thought of the first production -- pro or con -- you'll likely think of this one".^[15]

[edit] Box office

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets premiered in the UK on 3 November 2002 and in the United States on 14 November 2002 before its widespread release on 15 November, one year after the Philosopher's Stone. The film broke multiple records upon its opening. In the U.S. the film opened to an $88.4 million opening weekend, the third largest opening at the time, behind Spider-Man and the film's predecessor Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.^[16] In the United Kingdom the film broke all opening records that were previously held by The Philosopher's Stone. It made £18.9 million during its opening including previews and £10.9 million excluding previews.^[17] It went on to make £54.8 million in the UK, the fifth biggest tally of all time at the time.^[18]

The film made a total of $879 million worldwide,^[1] which made it the fifth highest-grossing film ever at the time.^[19] It was the second highest grossing film of 2002 behind The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers worldwide.^[20] However, it was the number one film of the year at the non-American box office making $617 million compared to The Two Towers' $584.5 million.^[21] As of July 2009 it remains one of the highest-grossing films of all time, at number 14.^{[citation needed]} As of July 2009 Chamber of Secrets is the fourth highest-grossing Potter film in the series and the longest film (161 minutes) in the series.^{[citation needed]}

While Chamber of Secrets was a financial success, it sold 20% fewer tickets than its immediate predecessor. In the U.S. and Canada, it is the second lowest-grossing Harry Potter film.^{[citation needed]}

The film made its way into the Guiness Book of World Records in 2003, for Most Theaters Shown in on Opening Night, with over 2,000 theaters showing it at the exact same time across the United States alone, this would be beaten the following year by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Awards

On 14 January 2003, Chamber of Secrets won the award for Best Live Action Family Film in the Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards. It was nominated for seven Saturn Awards including for Best Director, Best Fantasy Film and Best Performance by a Younger Actor for Daniel Radcliffe. The film was nominated for four BAFTA Awards and a Grammy Award for John Williams' score.

[edit] Home media releases

The film was originally released in the UK, US and Canada on 11 April 2003 on both VHS tape and in a two-disc special edition DVD digipack. On 11 December 2007, the Blu-Ray and HD DVD versions of the film were released alongside a bare-bones single-disc DVD release with minimal special features.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets at the Internet Movie Database
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets at Allmovie

Preceded by 8 Mile	Box office number-one films of 2002 (USA) November 17 December 1	Succeeded by Die Another Day
Preceded by Die Another Day
Preceded by 28 Days Later	Box office number-one films of 2002 (UK) November 17

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