MAGIC BEYOND WORDS: THE J.K. ROWLING STORY

US, 2011, 90 minutes, Colour.
Poppy Montgomery, Emily Holmes, Antonio Cupo, Janet Kidder, Andy Maton.
Directed by Paul Kaufman.

It is often difficult to watch a biography of a person who is still living and active. People make comparisons with what they have read, seen on television, the image that they have formed of the particular celebrity. This is definitely the case with J.K. Rowling.

This film is more in the Reader’s Digest vein, something of a movie snapshot of J.K. Rowling and her life. To the extent that it offers some kind of narrative, indicating the influences on her writing, details of some of her own life story, the film is not without interest.

Australian-born Poppy Montgomery is quite persuasive as Joanne Rowling. Emily Holmes is her sister Diane with whom she has a strong relationship. While in Portugal teaching English, Joanne Rowling married Jorge Arantes (Antonio Cupo) who proved to be a womaniser and a very macho man in terms of supporting his wife and the dominance of the Mediterranean character. Janet Kidder is Anne Rowling, Joanne’s devoted mother who had MS. Andy Maton is Christopher Little, the agent who did so much to sell the manuscript of the first Harry Potter story in the United Kingdom as well as in the United States.

The film has touches of fantasy, suggesting possible influences on Joanne Rowling for her books. It also shows the difficulty she had, family, schooling, not being able to go to Oxford University, her jobs, her marriage, finishing the novel, sending it to agents.

The framing of the film is the London premiere of the first Harry Potter film.

Director Paul Kaufman has produced and directed many American television movies.

1. Audience interest in J.K. Rowling, interest from the novels, interest to (**?in?) the author, her life, the influences, career, success?

2. The title, Magic, Beyond Words? Evocations?

3. The Scots background, the village that the Rowlings lived in, the woods, homes, schools? The 1970s and 80s? The change in the 90s? The Portuguese settings, work in London, life in Edinburgh?

4. The musical score – and evoking the Harry Potter films?

5. An unauthorised biography, the appearance of J.K. Rowling herself at the end of the film? An easy biography, the outline of a life and career, crises, talent, opportunities?

6. Joanne as a child, her relationship with her parents, her pragmatic father, idealist and supportive mother? The bond with her sister? Loving stories, The Wind in the Willows? Playing in the woods, dressing up as a witch? The boy called Potter, the spells? Her poor examination at maths, the teacher putting her lowest in the class, the children calling her a dunce? Her sadness at home?

7. Further schooling, her friend whom she thought was weasely? (**?) The teacher, criticising her in class, her clever answers, her boredom in school? Her marks, hoping to go to Oxford, not getting in – and the social class comments about her failure to be accepted?

8. Joanne’s father, wanting her to do practical courses? Her mother, the collapse, MS, the birthday party? The university graduation and the delight of her parents? Going to Exeter and studying literature?

9. Post-university, the jobs, with Amnesty, her trying to write? Not holding down the jobs for long? On the train, her dream and imagination, the Harry Potter stories? The woman on the train – and the quaint gift? Her writing, the box with all her writings in it?

10. At home, teaching? The decision to go to Portugal, her friends, social life? Meeting Jorge, the attraction? His macho style, their clashes, her forgiving him, the marriage, the birth of Jessica? His not having a job, wanting to support the family, his expectations, his relationships with women? Brutality, the police? Her going home, the interview with the welfare agent, the harshness? Trying to get jobs?

11. Diane, her support of her sister, reading the novel, urging Joanne to finish? Sending it to the agent – and the collage of the post and the journey of the manuscript? The rejections? Taking the job at the school? The phone call, Christopher Little and his being persuaded by his assistant to take on the novel?

12. The agency, Little’s assistant, going to Bloomsbury, the thousand pounds? The year passing, the American sale, the advance?

13. The transformation for Joanne’s life, the masculine name, J.K. Rowling and the initial from her mother, going to shop, the reading and the small group there? Assumptions that the author was a man?

14. The framework of the film premiere, the interviews, going home to Jessica, reading her The Wind in the Willows?

15. A variety of influences shown during the film? Ideas, characters, the platforms at the railway station...?

16. J.K. Rowling’s achievement, the books, the films? The importance of her charitable foundations?