How the Harry Potter Films Failed Their Female Characters

We examine ten of the women from the Potterverse, and how the films’ adaptations of them prove to be dismissive, lauding, and ultimately sexist in their inaccuracy.

In order for a book to be successfully adapted to the screen (whether big or small), sacrifices must be made (again, whether big or small): Subplots are abandoned, scenes left on the cutting room floor, and characters scrapped for the sake of an overall comprehensive movie-watching experience.

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That’s my mantra, and it’s the only thing that’s kept me from going full-on rage spiral since Harry Potter hit the big screen in 2001. As each film passed, my heart grew more discontent while the fake smile on my face grew wider as I insisted to myself that what I’d just watched was everything I’d hoped it would be. I can nitpick with the best of them but, surprisingly and thanks entirely to that aforementioned mantra, I have made my concessions and my peace with many of the changes made in the HP team’s efforts to squeeze hundreds of pages of material into two-hour slots.

But there are things I can’t forgive and forget—things that I will take to the early grave to which my bitterness will undoubtedly lead me. And at this juncture in “Adventures In Sexism” (aka the lives of women everywhere), all I can say is that perhaps I’ll be glad for the rest. I can’t even enjoy ABC Family’s endless cycle of Harry Potter weekends without being inundated with such inaccurate portrayals of my favorite female characters that, through the mystical powers of misogyny, the TV morphs into a man who demands I make him a sandwich.

That dash of hyperbole aside, the changes the movies made to a few select women of the Potterverse are not only unnecessary, but unfounded when compared to the books. While you can’t rely too heavily on the source material when adapting from one form of media to another, sticking to the basics tends to be for the best, otherwise what are you doing all this for? I can’t say, but it’s worth examining—so put on your deep dive goggles, chickadees, and let’s crack open this treasure chest of internalized misogyny.

Next: 10. Merope Gaunt

10. Merope Gaunt

Voldemort might be the big baddie of the series, but his origin story is apparently deemed too irrelevant for the big screen, despite the fact that it was so important in the books that Dumbledore insisted he and Harry take several trips down memory lane. Although she is inextricably tied to Voldemort’s eventual rise to power, his mother, Merope Gaunt, is stricken from the film script and left behind in the murky haze of Voldemort’s past.

Although she died in childbirth, Merope shaped the person her son became. Voldemort can’t be given all the credit for his classist, genocidal ways—no, because had his mother lived to raise him, he would have known love from the start, and likely would have become a better person for it.

Crushed beneath the weight of her abusive family and the knowledge that the man she loved wouldn’t freely love her back, Merope’s life and very character are tragic, and she could be explored in a franchise all her own. Her decision to concoct a love potion to get Tom Riddle to fall for and run away with her is a truly heinous one, regardless of her best intentions and despite her own tragic past. We can pity Merope for her home life and for the grief that later consumes her and drives her to forsake her magical blood, but there is no excuse for her decision to force Tom Riddle to love, marry, and conceive a child with her. Riddle’s consequent abandonment of her is both understandable to the audience, and a key factor in Voldemort’s hatred of Muggles.

The films chose to abandon her just as her husband did (rightfully in Riddle’s case, as she had drugged and kidnapped him), but there was no narrative need to negate Merope’s importance to the overall story. Whatever your opinion of her—and my own is generally negative—Merope has an essential place in the Harry Potter series. Time constraints may have prevented her inclusion in Half-Blood Prince, but personally I would have preferred to see her story unfold in place of one of the romantic comedy tropes this particular film employed.

Next: 9. Pansy Parkinson

9. Pansy Parkinson

Catty and shrill, Pansy’s the girl we all love to hate: Leader of the Slytherin Mean Girls squad, president of the Draco Malfoy fan club, and all-around drama queen who seldom has a kind word for anybody. Somebody get this girl a crown, because she sort of rules. That’s not to say I like her, but I sure like having her around, even if it is just to hate her guts.

What with Pansy’s constant jabs at Hermione’s appearance, she’s the closest thing to quintessential “girl hate” we get in the Harry Potter series. Now, the concept and practice of girl hate is sexist itself, as feminism isn’t about tearing women down because of their womanhood, but it’s also not about worshiping women or praising everything every individual woman does—it’s about regarding women as people, and as such subject to human follies as much as anyone else. If we accept and utilize strong women, fierce women, women who break down walls and challenge norms, then we also have to acknowledge villainous women, petty women, and whatever other negative aspects that wouldn’t be questioned if applied to a male character.

And so it is with Pansy Parkinson, who makes nary an impression during her time on-screen. She is allowed her finest moment, in which she is willing to give up Harry’s life for the sake of her own in Deathly Hallows, but she’s barely there otherwise. On the whole, Pansy isn’t integral to the plot, but she offers a nasty little thrill and a nice dash of personality diversity, and it’s a shame that we don’t get to properly experience her in live action.

Next: 8. Cho Chang

8. Cho Chang

Cho gets a fair amount of hate in the fandom for spending so much of her time in Order of the Phoenix crying, but let us not forget that: One, her boyfriend just died; two, she’s worried about her mother’s position at the Ministry; three, despite that, Cho willingly throws her wand in the ring when she joins Dumbledore’s Army; and four, even though the fans may have a bone to pick with Marietta Edgecombe, she’s still Cho’s friend and Cho treats her accordingly, fiercely loyal to her even when the chip on Marietta’s shoulder is so large that it nearly detaches her arm.

Not that we see any of that in the movies. Cho plays largely in the background, and even though we learn later in OOTP that she only outed Dumbledore’s Army under the influence of Veritaserum (taking the place of nonexistent Marietta), there is no moment in which she and the others are shown to reconcile. It’s an uncomfortably unresolved end to that plotline, and as such Cho is never fully redeemed; of course, she and Harry have their own falling-out in the book, but so it goes with romantic relationships.

Despite fandom interpretations of her and no matter how often the films shove her to the sidelines in favor of doing whatever it is they do instead, Cho’s feelings and reactions to those feelings are not only valid, but completely understandable. At the very least, the films should have allowed her her grief over Cedric’s death more than her misty-eyed kiss with Harry, and Hermione’s brief explanation of how Cho must be feeling. It’s unsettling that this conversation, in the film, ends with the trio having a good laugh, whereas in the books Hermione’s declaration that Ron has “the emotional range of a teaspoon” is said in a justifiably angry huff.

Cho deserves more than to be the setup of one of the movies’ apparently required “Daniel, Emma, and Rupert laugh forcefully and/or awkwardly” scenes, and yet that’s basically the extent of what she gets.

Next: 7. The Patil Twins

7. Parvati and Padma Patil

We don’t get a good look at Padma, Parvati’s Ravenclaw sister, in the books, but neither of them get much of a chance in the movies aside from the Yule Ball and a few background shots. While understandable that Padma would take a backseat since she’s neither in Harry’s house nor included in his extended group of friends, Parvati’s presence on the page is much more electrifying than the movies allow her. The first time she has dialogue tags in Sorcerer’s Stone, it’s to say, “Shut up, Malfoy,” a sentiment which we could all at some point relate to.

Even without that delightful expression of I-won’t-stand-here-and-listen-to-your-trash-mouth-Malfoy, Parvati certainly could have shown up on-screen as more than Harry’s obligatory Yule Ball partner. When I asked my internet friend Ayesha her thoughts on the matter, she as usual nailed it in a way that I couldn’t:

"“The thing with a lot of minor characters in the films is that their stories were sacrificed for the sake of timing, but I think it’s very telling just how careless they were with their women of colour in particular. Padma and Parvati are treated as distinct people in the books in spite of being identical, being in different houses when most families are shown to be in the same houses. But in the films they’re both in Gryffindor, and Lavender and Parvati barely interact even when Lavender becomes a more prominent (and white) character. Even in the final battle, when so much is happening, they chose to make time to show Slytherins in the dungeon rather than the few seconds it would take to show Parvati Body-Binding the person who would kill Remus Lupin.”"

Initiate slow-clap now.

Next: 6. Lavender Brown

6. Lavender Brown

Originally played by Jennifer Smith in Prisoner of Azkaban, the role of Lavender Brown was later handed off to Jessie Cave in Half-Blood Prince, when the character plays a romantic interest to Rupert Grint’s Ron Weasley. While Smith’s part was a brief, non-speaking one and she has no other film credits listed on her IMDb page, the question is, why cast a white actress when the part becomes meatier? If Smith didn’t intend to or wasn’t contracted to continue the role, why not put out a casting call for another woman of color? It would have offered both representation as well as continuity, and simply put there was no reason not to do it. True, Cave knocked her performance out of the park, but that’s not the issue.

And then we come to the nature of Lavender’s character itself. She is by and large a prop to wedge between Ron and Hermione to further postpone their romance, as is customary in love triangle plots (a personal pet peeve, and one trope I would forbid if ever I were to hold whatever power would enable me to do so). While Lavender plays this same part in HBP the book, those that came before and after at least give her more substance than the perhaps overly intense girlfriend we see on-screen. She is presented as obsessive, paranoid, and annoying—the “crazy ex” that every boy seems to have and is eager to diss.

In short, Lavender Brown was made a mess and a mockery of, and the whole thing very well might be responsible for my stress headaches.

Next: 5. Hermione Granger

5. Hermione Granger

I fully examine Hermione’s character shift from real human being to airbrushed magazine cover here, but now I have to be honest and confess that, truly, I find the film version of Hermione insufferable. Emma Watson is talented and captivating, a true gem, but the character she plays is almost unrecognizable in her perfection, and as such everything that is endearing and relatable about Hermione is rendered obsolete in its nonexistence.

It’s often stated or joked that Harry and Ron wouldn’t have made it half as far as they do without Hermione, and the filmmakers fed off that like it was their only form of sustenance. They don’t, however, consider the alternative but just as true fact that Hermione needs Harry and Ron just as much as they need her—the trio is a trio, not a duo or one single entity, because they all bring necessary qualities to their journeys and their relationships with each other. In a nutshell, Hermione offers her insights and overall intelligence; Ron, the emotional comfort and stress relief; and Harry, his acute sense of right and wrong and what to do about it. They would all risk themselves for the others in their “All for one, and one for all!” mentality, and therein lies the nature of their friendship.

They’re all indispensable to each other, and to pile every good quality of the trio onto Hermione alone is to discredit Harry and Ron, as well as who Hermione is as a human being. She isn’t perfect, but that doesn’t make her any less worthy or any less of a person, and—aside from the occasional annoyance that is inescapable when you spend enough time with a person—Harry and Ron take her as she is and love her for it. Hermione very much exemplifies the “Be yourself” movement, and that’s the last thing the filmmakers allowed her to be.

Next: 4. Lily Evans

4. Lily Evans

Just when you thought I couldn’t sing the praises of our lord and savior Lily Evans any more, I’m back at it again (just like I was here… and here… and here).

When it comes down to it, the exclusion of Lily’s adolescent self from OOTP’s “Snape’s Worst Memory” and DH’s “The Prince’s Tale” scenes might be the biggest disservice the movies could have done to her character. These scenes show us exactly who Lily Evans was before she sacrificed herself to save her son, because she wasn’t just another faceless martyr in a war.
She was a fiery spark of a girl who knew and accepted who she was and wouldn’t apologize for it, a girl who stood up for her friends but also for herself, who wouldn’t let what others thought of her shape who she really was. The films rob her of this incredible, inspiring agency, and water her down until all she is is Snape’s great lost love, as if his feelings for her were more important than her own personhood.

Ladies, gents, everyone, gather ‘round and listen to old Auntie Maj’s words of wisdom: No one’s feelings for you—be they positive or negative, love or hate, infatuation or disdain—matter more than your feelings for yourself. You are your own biggest fan, your own better half, your one true love. Someone else may come along to share those titles, but they should always belong first and foremost to yourself. Lily Evans taught me that at a really difficult point in my life, and while it will always mean the world to me regardless of Warner Bros., I can’t forgive the films for stomping out that spark.

I can’t say it enough. I might even have to get it tattooed on my back and show it off to anyone who requests I tell them more about myself—which would, at least, make job interviews a little more interesting.

(Note: While I acknowledge that Lily was a person who had her faults, we simply don’t see enough of her to be familiar with whatever those faults are. But as much as I worship her, and as much as it might not seem like it, I do try to keep her off a pedestal in efforts to respect her.)

Next: 3. Nymphadora Tonks

3. Nymphadora Tonks

First of all, if the movies were hardly even going to use Natalia Tena, I don’t know why they insisted on teasing me with her. Now, to business:

At once a clumsy chatterbox and talented enough to be accepted into and pass Auror training, Nymphadora Tonks could rock her own spin-off, and yet somehow the films manage to strip her down so we get nothing more than a basic, vague feel for the character. In OOTP, Tonks says of her lack of Prefect credentials, “My Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities…. Like the ability to behave myself,” and that one line of dialogue encompasses Tonks’ character better than four movies did.

Those movies go on to strip Tonks of her declaration of love for Remus Lupin—a raw display of emotion that shows off Tonks’ willingness to take chances when it matters most, and her desire for the people she loves to see the good in themselves the way she does. In a world where women are forever mocked and discredited because we’re “too emotional,” it’s an absolute dream to see a woman, fictional or otherwise, who takes charge of that, who’s unashamed because how you feel is nothing to be ashamed of.

Moreover, Tonks’ love for Remus doesn’t render her a simpering, one-dimensional character who would be nothing without a man in her life. True, Tonks deals with a bout of depression in HBP during the initial stages of her relationship with Remus, but if fans can romanticize Snape’s lifelong preoccupation with Lily, I think we can all empathize with Tonks’ temporary uncertainty and rejection.

Regardless, even when Tonks’ normally bubbly personality takes a blow, she never fails to do her job for the Order; she’s able to compartmentalize enough to remember that she’s a fighter, and to act as such. She doesn’t get to act as much of anything in her limited screentime but, hey, at least she’s got her man.

Cue another one of my patented, long-suffering sighs.

Next: 2. Fleur Delacour

2. Fleur Delacour

The Goblet of Fire may have deemed Fleur worthy and capable, but the filmmakers seem to disagree. I can’t be sure, but I’d be willing to bet that we could count her speaking lines on one hand and call it a day. Not only that, but the movies’ representation of her is as shallow as Molly, Ginny, and Hermione first assumed Fleur to be; it’s as if the filmmakers read those opinions and, despite further reading of the source material, their minds were irreversibly made up.

The Fleur of the films graces the screen with all the beauty and elegance we would expect from the character, but not much else. The passionate nature of her character is absolutely sapped, as she hardly ever says a word, doesn’t seem to feel much of anything, and proves to be rather incompetent, despite the fact that she’s a Triwizard champion and, later, a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Perhaps the filmmakers thought that Clémence Poésy’s good looks would be enough to satisfy audiences, a notion that is further supported by the fact that, while in the books Fleur is a wonderful deconstruction of the stereotype that a beautiful girl is a shallow one, the films do nothing to emphasize that.

Just as they did away with Tonks’ declaration of love, they do the same with Fleur’s vehement insistence that she would never leave Bill for something as trivial as a scarred face. That may have been what Mrs. Weasley initially expected her to do, but Fleur isn’t bothered by others’ expectations; she knows her own mind and her own feelings, and her devotion isn’t so easily swayed. That scene is a turning point for Fleur herself as well as for her relationships with the characters that before only saw her as a pretty face, but in the movies a pretty face is all she stayed.

Please note that Cedric Diggory, resident Hogwarts pretty boy, was properly portrayed in the films as the thoughtful, kind, and true Hufflepuff that he was in the books. I guess after that, there just wasn’t time for Fleur—never mind the four films we still had to go, but what’s done is done.

Next: 1. Ginny Weasley

1. Ginny Weasley

And we’ve come to this, the blandest cracker in the box. The films wrung Ginny dry, and we were offered a Ginny who’s not Ginny at all—there is no spark, no vivaciousness, no humor to be found whenever Ginny walks into the camera frame. Considering the lines she did have, Bonnie Wright clearly wasn’t given a fighting chance.

The girl we get in the films is not the same girl who mastered the Bat-Bogey Hex, nor is she the girl who broke into her brothers’ broom cupboard to practice Quidditch. She’s not the girl who defied the Death Eaters during her sixth year at Hogwarts, nor is she the girl who grew up with strength and dignity despite what being possessed by Voldemort had done to her. The Ginny the filmmakers felt fit to give us is a lackluster, near-inconsequential character whose most memorable moment is her subservience as she feeds the hero sweets and ties his shoe. Can we unpack this scene for a second? Because the Ginny we all know and love would sooner tie Harry’s shoelaces together so he couldn’t catch her after she’s smashed that cake in his face.

Fans are wont to slut-shame Ginny, because she had the gall to date two different boys before she stuck with the love of her life, rather than having one trial run like Harry (Cho), Ron (Lavender), and Hermione (Krum) did, and then throwing in the towel. As irksome as such reactions to Ginny’s character are, I won’t give any kudos to the films for erasing Ginny’s sexual confidence; rather, they should have shed it in the positive light it deserves. But instead of Harry and Ginny’s grand, post-Quidditch public kiss, Ginny gives him an absolutely pathetic peck in the private confines of the Room of Requirement, and we’re left to wonder if that was even real and even if it was, do these two even like each other? Because if they do, boy, Harry and Ginny could teach a class in how to play hard to get.

Next: 50 Best Characters from the Harry Potter Novels

Now excuse me while I stare dispassionately up at the sky, shake my head, and sigh, “What a mess.”

Do you think the movies did right by Harry Potter’s female friends? Sound off in the comments.

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