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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallowsis an upcoming 2010/2011 two-part epic fantasy film directed by David Yates, written by Steve Kloves and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. The film is produced by Rowling along with David Heyman and David Barron. The two parts form the seventh and final installment in the Harry Potter film series, with the story following Harry Potter on a quest to find and destroy Lord Voldemort's secret to immortality - the Horcruxes. The films star Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, alongside Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry's best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

Why Should Gays Care About the Latest Harry Potter Film?

by Warren Day

The truth is many gays already care and have already lined up for this next to last film in what has been the most successful franchise in movie history (yes, that means they've outgunned James Bond).  And Warner Bros. is quite aware of the great appeal the “Harry Potter” films have in the GLBT community, even if they hope Pat Robertson doesn't notice.

There are many reasons for this: First, fantasy films have always held great appeal to us ("Wizard of Oz" anyone?).  Secondly, we're avid moviegoers and attend over twice as many each year as straight people do, so we're probably not going to miss what will surely be one of the top three box office hits of the year. And as film and theater fans, these movies contain a who's who among Britain's thespians. 

Yet there are deeper reasons why we resonate with what is the longest, continuous story ever put on the silver screen.  At the heart, these films (and books) are about what it's like to grow up knowing you're not like other people, how you deal with parents or guardians who not only don't understand who you are, but who may even deny it, and the joys and problems of associating only with your own kind. 

And don't forget Dumbledore is gay, and I have my suspicions about Draco. 

So how does "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I" stack up in the series?  Not too good I'm afraid.

Part of the problem is inherent in the decision to divide the last book into two movies, which means this one is almost all foreplay and plot teasing, with the climaxes coming next July when the final film is released. 

Also "Deathly Hallows Part I" is too faithful to the book.  It would be a lot better if it had the discipline of less time, for this is the kind of movie that will show the waitress walking up to the table, the three main characters giving their order, and the waitress walking away. 

And unlike the other films,  much of this one is just Harry, Hermione and Ron interacting with each other, without the benefit of bouncing off some of the world's best actors.  While Daniel Ratcliff (Harry) has the acting chops to hold his own, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint's performances lack the nuance and variety to make watching them very engaging for two hours and forty minutes. Emma mainly acts annoyed and Rupert is mainly befuddled, and that gets pretty tiresome.

If you haven't seen the other Harry Potter films, you may not understand much of what's going on here, but if you want to understand the last film, then you have to see this one.  And that's probably the key point, you can't really judge the effectiveness of this half until you've seen the whole.