One of the best examples of Mrs. Weasley’s love for her kids is in the Deathly Hallows book. For Ron and Harry’s 17th birthdays, she gifts them both a watch. Ron’s is brand new, while Harry’s is old and dented because it used to belong to Molly’s brother Fabian. As a younger child in a large family, Ron was always getting hand-me-downs, so getting something brand new just for him is something he’ll appreciate more. Harry has to buy most of what he has brand new because he doesn’t have family heirlooms, so being gifted something tied to the only real family he has is something he’ll appreciate more than buying one brand new.
Tried to read the books around the time the first movie was released (wanted to check what was all the fuzz about), but I could not pass the first half of the first book. I was aware it was a book meant for kids, but it was too childish I could not enjoy it (maybe cause I was like 23 YO back then), BUT stories like you mentioned in this comment are something I would have been really grateful to find in my early tries; and actually makes me wanna try them again.
One of my favorite things about Molly's arc is that she IS JUST A MOM. She has tons of kids and plenty to do without having some grand endeavor that she's working on on the side. We see her hobbies, she knits and cooks. It makes the moment when she pulls out her wand and starts kicking ass AND WINNING that much more impactful. She CHOSE to be "just" a mother, it doesn't make her less than she is
Thank you for saying this, stay at home mothers shouldn't be underestimated, and it's quite clear the bias shown in the video against them. Which was pretty sad.
Yes! And also, let's not forget while it is told by a narrator, that narrator is informed by Harry. We have no idea what she does all year when her kids are at school because Harry doesn't know.
I'm an adoptee of an abusive woman, seeing Molly adopt Harry and provide so much love hit me to the core, she's one of my favorite characters in the series.
@300blackcats @ryetoast I'm an abuse survivor, too. There are many adoptees in my support group who deal with the presumption that adoptive parents are nicer/less abusive than biological.
that must really suck... why adopt if she's not ready to commit to it/ how did she get through the vetting process for adoption?! anyhow, hope you had a support network outside and that you're coping well. personally mrs. weasley (as a maternal figure) is too “motherly to the point of smothering” for my liking, but i still think she's a bamf (ง'̀-'́)ง
Arthur Weasley was the kindest person in the books. He was happy to include two people into his family (Harry, Hermione), he parented his kids and them, he looked out for Harry's safety, he made sure all his children had a half-strict and half-easygoing upbringing. He taught them his values by example, his humility and acceptance of his position, his kindness towards non-Magical creatures, his sense of humour. He's the OG dad and that's why JK Rowling almost killed him off but couldn't get herself to do it completely.
@arkia ツ but Arthur isn’t really the one who has to take on the family responsibilities right? He works at the ministry and gets to play the “fun dad” when he comes home while Molly is consistently the one who has to discipline her kids and take care of all the house stuff. She has 7 kids (8 if you count Harry) so it’s not an indicator of her character as a parent when she places more emphasis on the child of hers who is literally abused for 3 months out of the year.
@Brianna D I think Molly was a little insensitive and she would often forget about Ron's existence. If you pay attention, she cares more about Harry than Fred, George and Ron. OFC I don't hate her, but Arthur is a better person in my opinion.
Un-fun fact about Fred’s death: the actor that played George actually burst into tears in this scene because it suddenly became to real for him and they paused everything and cleared the room for a bit to give “the twins” some space. They said so in an interview. It’s heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time and knowing this, the scene became even richer for me. So, if you didn’t already know that fact - here you go :)
@Andrés López I listen to it on Google Podcasts or Soundcloud but they post some of them on youtube as well. The podcast is called "Normal Not Normal" but used to be called "Double Trouble" for the first two seasons (or maybe one, I'm not 100% sure on that).
I quit reading the book when Fred died (bought it the week it came out) and didn't pick it up until a decade later when I was reading the series aloud to my kiddo.
As a Brit I feel the need to say that Julie Walters is a national treasure. The cast of Harry Potter had so many iconic casting choices and sometimes it's like she gets overlooked. Julie Walters embodied that role so well she was the glue that held that family dynamic together and made it feel so real.
Half the British acting elite is right. Just today, while watching Love, Actually, (RIP Alan Rickman, such a good movie villain he’s even the villain in a holiday romcom) I looked up about Emma Thompson’s scene where she learns her husband’s cheated, because I thought she said she had channeled real life experience, and came to realize it was Kenneth Brennaugh with Helana Bonham Carter, and ALL 3 of them had roles in HP (although idk how much they had to directly work with each other). I feel like if you take any British show or movie with a large ensemble cast, inevitably you wind up with multiple overlaps with another large Brit ensemble cast. Who’s the British equivalent of Kevin Bacon because I feel like instead of 6 degrees you could play with 2 degrees lol.
@Danielle Musella WIth McGonagall being Scottish, I think Maggie Smith was the clear choice when casting that part, but she might have been offered a different role; it seems half the British acting elite are in those movies! :D
@Anna Reed True. I 100% agree. Jo Rowling even said that Maggie was who she had in mind, as she was crafting the character in "The Philosopher's Stone". I was only expressing my curiosity over who else might've auditioned for certain key roles. I've heard a few rather interesting stories. (12/14/2022)
I love that Arthur can be having a full on conversation and has so many kids running around that it takes him a good couple of minutes to even notice Harry is there. It gets me every time. Also, I have always admired how Molly and most all the Weasleys just treat him like another kid. They never treat him like "different" or "special" because at the end of the day, Harry never asked to be famous and have everyone know him, it just happened. I think that Molly sees that and just treats him like a regular person and lets him be a kid as much as she can in a world that is paying a lot of attention him.
I like that Molly is “just a mum”. There are so many aspiring women in the wizarding world, so many possibilities but she focuses on her children and her home. We see Molly through the eyes of the children and we don’t know what she is doing when they are in school. She probably does her stuff but when those kids walk in the door (whom she doesn’t see most of the year) her attention is all on them. She reminds me so much of my mother in law.
Arthur's reaction to meeting Harry is so wholesome. That quick transition to "Ron has told me all about you off coarse" and then asking about the rubberduck, I think he is actually aware that that is a weird question for someone who's grown up in a muggle family and asks it partly to further take pressure of Harry and make him laugh and it works so well.
That's my favorite part about Arthur. Any time there is tension, he picks up on it easily and tries to distract them from it. Like when he's escorting Harry to his trial, he asks him to keep track of their destination so they don't miss a stop, and he has Harry help him with the Muggle Money. He also treated Harry like an adult and told him about Sirius
Just want to say, your editor is fantastic, and really puts in all the right references and jokes in all the right places. It elevates the experience so much!
I actually had a different take on the Molly/Bellatrix battle (side note, can we just appreciate how absolutely perfect the casting of both these characters was?). I always found that passage in the book really scary, because Molly was so unhinged and determined to kill Bellatrix. To me, it was a perfect illustration of how devastating war is, when it makes a murderer of even the kindest and most loving people
I share the same feelings. Although the reason that Molly killed Bellatrix was to protect Ginny, it still terrified me that even someone as kind as Molly can commit murder, and everyone else just thinks that’s okay because she was trying to defend her daughter. I’m not saying that I wouldn’t do the same thing under this situation, it just reminds me that war is so cruel that can change almost every person.
One of the things that immediately endeared me to Molly in the second novel was that as soon as she learns that the Dursleys were starving Harry, there is an instant shift from anger to concern. She still reprimands her boys, still makes sure they know they were being reckless, but she also jumps straight to preparing breakfast and making sure Harry eats his fill. What an amazing, nurturing woman.
Someone somewhere pointed out that her response is textbook caring for a trauma victim. Constant reassurance, keeping warm, easy food. They didn’t show it very well in the movie but Harry had been starved for weeks by the time the boys rescued him.
I think something else is that in the first movie/book Molly had only met Harry briefly at the train platform. She takes the time to make him a jumper for Christmas, probably from Ron writing home about his new friend who isn’t expecting to get any presents. I think It shows how she’s taking her sons letters/feelings seriously.
Thank you guys so much for the support for trans rights - in an ideal world this small act of kindness would be a guarantee rather than a rare thing to celebrate, but either way, I’m more than happy to thank you for it ❤
One thing in the last movie that was really subtle with Molly is that she was washing the dishes while everyone was bringing Harry to the Burrow. Like actually standing at the sink washing them by hand because she just desperately needed SOMETHING to occupy her mind and keep her from totally giving into worry
it's also important to note that emotional turmoil makes ones magic difficult to wield with precision. (which is why snape is always preaching discipline) which i always thought was the reason why molly avoided using magic on fragile kitchenware.
Jon sharing about his Indian family taking him under their wing, just like Harry had with the Weasleys, is just beautiful. So glad that someone else who lost their parents was able to experience family love in the absence of their biological ones.
Molly isn’t just a stay at home mom and wife. I think she is the glue that holds everything together. She is also a valuable member of the order of the phoenix and has just as much standing as anyone there. We really don’t know what else she does in either the books or the movies. So Molly is a credible and miraculous person.
@Christian Seibold I don't know what the bulk of your comment has to do with what I said but thanks for your perspective. Ps: if you read my comments, you would know that I didn't consider Molly one dimensional either 🤷🏿♀️
@Day Maybe you would get a better response if you weren't so condescending to everyone. Also, literally nobody created a "strawman of your initial reply", that's just ridiculous. Regarding your comment about one-dimensional characters - a character can be dimensional with hobbies and interests and jobs, and even if the hobbies relate to the job. However, there are other components of dimensional characters, like *personality* , opinions, beliefs, worldview, background, the way the character speaks (their dialect and idiolect), the way the character dresses, the way they relate to others, their emotions, etc. I personally didn't find Molly's character to be one-dimensional in either the books or movies, but the movies could have removed some of these things of Molly's character - I wouldn't know though without rewatching all of the movies.
@Nick Rolfe you didn't. You created a strawman of my initial reply and then went on a tangent and got annoyed that I refused to bite. Thanks for the well wishes! I'm having a great one so far and hope you do too
Molly didn't have 7 children. She had 8. The moment she met Harry, even before he got with Ginny, he was her son. No questions asked. She became the motherly figure in his life. The Weasley's were his true family from day one. They all loved him. That was the one thing Harry needed more than anything. Kind, loving people who just want him in their space.
@Alder Blanco I believe the only difficulty between Molly and Hermione was in GOF when Molly believed Rita Skeeter’s stories about Harry and Hermione being a couple and Hermione supposedly doing wrong by Harry. Molly should have known that something was amiss when Rita referred to Hermione as first “stunningly pretty” and then “plain but ambitious.”
Seriously, the whole Wizarding World has the Weasleys to thank. Imagine Harry's life and the way he'll turn out if he hadn't met the Weasleys and form a strong bond with them. Sure, he has quite a lot of support from others too, but Ron and his family are crucial in Harry's development as a person. Without them, he wouldn't have experienced familial love to such an extent. Sirius was the godfather, and Remus was a good mentor, but they're different; they're essentially James's friends. The Weasleys love Harry for Harry, and they play a huge part in Harry's growth into a fine man.
This! She became his second mom from day one. Molly helped him get to the platform without even knowing who he was and Harry even got a family jumper even though they barely know each other outside of what Ron told her. That’s motherly love! 🥰
YES to microaffections! Life inevitably makes withdrawals from our contentment "bank account," but simply being kind and caring with each other (and ourselves) makes such a difference! So appreciate this heartwarming content! ❤
I can't believe Alan made me cry when he cried. I love the display of emotions. Molly Weasley is hands down my favourite character in the HP universe. Sure, the Weasley family has plenty of flaws like any family, but when Mrs Weasley showed up for Harry before the final challenge in the tournament in book 4, I cried. She took in Harry and treated him like a son, already being strained having seven children and little money. Amazing
1, the death of Fred always got to me. My twin and I are close like they are. I don't want to imagine losing her. 2, my twin and I look almost exactly alike. So much so that I can't identify myself in most pictures before 1st grade. Having said that, I always claim that whichever is the cuter one is me. 3, one thing that always got me about Molly's treatment of Harry is that from Xmas in year 1, she has always given Harry a gift similar to what she gives all her sons. That implies that she has considered him one of her sons since year 1. Possibly because she recognized his loneliness at the train station, possibly because Ron wrote him about him lots including what Harry has told him about the Dursleys, possibly something else. I don't recall her treating any of her children's other friends similarly. Did she send similar gifts to Hermione? Lee Jordan? Any other friend of a Weasley mentioned? I don't think so.
As a twin, YES. When Fred died my twin and I sat together and just couldn't believe that George lived through it and then apparently thrived. Like, what an absolute fighter.
Molly is actually very gifted at charms. The clock, the dishes being washed handsfree, that's supposedly her work and not at all easy. She has her own thing, she's crafty.
Thank you! I was rather annoyed when they suggested she was lacking and needed something like being a star athlete. I usually really agree with the stuff they talk about. Molly has her hobbies and is amazingly talented. I was astounded with her knitting prowess. Her charm work is excellent, and she beat bellatrix in a duel! She rules her home and she is living the life she created! We don’t need to turn her in to a professional athlete as well. She is already amazing.
She also devised a spell that made the clean laundry fold itself; the socks required a clever turn of the wrist while holding the wand. I remembered this many times when I had to fold my laundry, specifically the socks!😀
@Korgan Rocks I think there’s also something to be said about mothers when their children are in danger, and they perform these feats that they have never done before. Bellatrix had just nearly killed Ginny with one of her killing curses that she was just throwing around, and she’d already lost Fred. She wasn’t about to let another one of her kids die.
I'd be interested to see a character study of Harry Potter and the isolation he feels as an orphan neglected by his family. Even in the books he feels like such an outsider despite being loved by others in his life, and I do think it has loads to do with how he grew up so wholly neglected.
I think especially Molly was a great example of a strong female character that isn't used that much anymore. She is protective, cares about her children and looks after them. There are alot of examples where she shows how much she cares. All the enchantments of the home also are impressive in my opinion. Her reaction to someone threatening her children also shows alot, she might not be the best wizard in this universe, but as soon as someone threatens a child of her? Damn she can be scary, showing she has it all. Strengh when needed, compassion when needed, and also some tough love in other situations. Such a great character. Sidenote: Jonathans Mother died 3 days before christmas? First of all: what a timing, second: That's my birthday. Talk about coincidences... damn
One thing that always struck me about Rowling's character descriptions is comparing the character to an animal in both appearance and personality. IIRC, Molly was described as a lioness. Quite fitting, I think.
@The Flute and the CrowThat’s sad. As a young woman, I pursued a professional career, but my stay-at-home Mom had a powerful influence on my doing that. She encouraged in any choice I am without judgment. I’m not sure I would’ve been able to do it without her bringing me up the way she did.
I felt so let down in Deathly Hallows part 2, because they didn't truly show how fierce Molly protected her children. Sure, they made her verbally fierce, but they really should have taken the time to show the full book description of that particular fight.
There isn’t enough respect for stay at home moms these days. I love modern depictions of great moms that choose to selflessly sacrifice for their children. Heroic
When she wasn’t in Goblet of Fire, a lot of the kids wrote letters to her saying how much they missed her during filming. She was a mother to all of them on and off screen. Such a perfect casting. There’s so much commentary just on mothers throughout Harry Potter. With Lily Potter, Narcisa Malfoy, even Tonks. Honestly, could make a whole video just on that
Narcissa Malfoys story arc is one of my favorite details in the books. From GOF her love lays the groundwork for Dracos redemption, because we're shown that despite everything, the Malfoys lived each other. And that's tied so perfectly to Harry's story when Narcissa goes to check if he's dead in the forest. It's said repeatedly that the one thing Voldemort doesn't understand is love, so it never crossed his mind that the Malfoys would betray him because of their love for each other, and that's why Narcissa gets away with lying to Voldemort
I’m wondering if the exploration of mothers was she-who-shall-not-be-named’s way of dealing with the grief of losing her mother to MS. Because there is an interesting commentary in the books on the role of mothers, whether that’s in the form of protecting their children at all costs, or nurturing them and giving them everything you can.
1. I recently went to the HP universal studios in London. It is amazing how much thought went into everything. There was naturally also a section of the burrow. And the goal of it was exactly what you said “it should looked lived in and cozy”. The devorator said she wanted to get every detail right, so the actor could just interact with their surroundings without worrying about it looking off. She admited that there was one mistake where she had one simple white pillow somewhere (which is off brand for the borrow) and Mr. Weasly actually used it for a scene. 2. Not sure if they said it in the movies. Syrius’ family kind of “banned” him and he found a loving family in the Potters. So in a way the Weasleys do for Harry what Harry’s parents did for Sirius.
I think that viewers can figure out that Molly does have outside interests, or at least she did before she had kids, because we find out about her magical prowess in the last two movies. It is alluded to before then as well. Having said that, just automating her house with magical spells to accomplish daily chores is pretty impressive magic.
"Word to your dead mother" made me laugh and cry pretty hard. I love... it as much as one can love a persevering beauty born out of pain. Peace be with you, Jon, may you remember from your family kindness and love and leave a legacy worthy of that which you have been given. Alan, may you keep crying tears of healing for all the strangers who need them as much as if not more than you do.
The Weasleys are a perfect example of an often chaotic, but overall happy family. Molly is the ultimate mama bear, strict and fierce but also loving and warm. She practically takes Harry in as an adopted son without him even asking her to. Arthur is more of a goofball and doesn’t care about his family’s blood status, but he is still loving and supportive of his family’s choices. There is the issue with Percy, but I do admire how they address how politics can affect families. The Weasleys face prejudice because of their poverty and love for Muggles but they’re still amazing because in the end they come together as a family
@Korgan Rocks she is not generally influenced in everything, but she is in the topic of fleur and her idealisation of her brother Bill has a lot to do in that. Molly believes fleur to not be good enough for Bill and so does Ginny, because that idolisation of Bill is one thing she and Molly have in common.
@nessy ness Is Ginny "very influenced" by her mother's opinion? The impression I have is that Ginny idolises Bill(and perhaps Charlie too), is as annoyed by Percy as most people, finds the twins funny, gets along well with her dad and butts heads with Ron and her mom.
@Korgan Rocks pride and prejudice has little to do here, those two were the main characters with a lot more of character development. Fleur is an extremelly secondary character that we only see from the pov of other characters and never her own. We can't say she has a character arch, because we are never shown her perspective in order to claim she was not exactly the same way she was in the last book since the first time, everything we see is others people perspective and assumptions about her. And those assumptions get proved wrong eventually.
@Korgan Rocks ginny might have a point in that, but she is also very influenced by her mother's opinion. We don't actually see Fleur being so supposedly condescending to ginny, we do see ginny being generally bothered by everything fleur does, including being all cutesy sweet with Bill. Which, yeah, they might be quite cheesy and giving michi and yoshirin vibes, but is not a reason to hate her.
Jonathan, I was actually shocked to hear about the day your mom's passing because my dad ended up passing away on the same exact day on the 22nd and it was his birthday. Its a hard time of year now but my family and I try to make the best of the holidays but its sometimes hard to tear up whenever my dad's birthday comes around. I'm sorry for your loss and I hope everything's been going alright for you this past Christmas! Much love to everyone in the crew and Happy New years from me to you guys!
I’m just still bitter they cut Teddy Lupin from the last film in the ending! I honestly adore the Weasleys and Fred’s death honestly still gets me every time. I balled my eyes out at that scene AGAIN for the millionth time 😭 I have always wished that scene with Molly and Bellatrix was longer! She was so god same badass!!!!
I just wanna take a moment and thank you for your hilarious editing on top of everything else you do that helps us across some sad scenes, you guys are the best internet dads and I love how your sense of humor always shines through ♥
I Love the Weasleys and your commentary, but I think it’s important to acknowledge that this family was the source of Ron’s insecurities. He felt he had a lot to live up to with his older brothers (e.g. he saw himself surpassing them in the mirror of erised) and there was also some neglect - his mother forgot the food or colors he liked, he got the worst hand-me-downs (George and Fred got normal dress robes from the oldest brothers but Ron got something ugly from a dead aunt). For parents with many children, I think they can get complacent thinking “oh, I know how to raise kids, I can take these shortcuts” but they forget that each kid is experiencing being a kid for the first time and they do notice when they’re treated differently or their parents put in less effort. Hell, my mom only had 2 kids, but my little brother was hurt that my mom can remember what time I was born but not him.
Hmm that’s a great point. Even in loving families there are still things lacking. Also the teasing from Fred and George really did make rom feel less confident
@Lahly Bird forgive me, there's no way I'm reading all that in a KZclip comments section. I'm sure your first comment adequately captured our points of disagreement and mine did too. We have reached an impasse. Have a happy new year.
@Day correctly it's that you I think though that sometimes some problems genuinely aren't that bad and that both context matters and also anything is bad in one way or another it's bad to ignore people with actual problems but it's also bad to overblow minor problems and make them out to be big problems because that's part of what contributes to people with legitimate problems not actually being taken seriously like calling someone abusive because they don't remember your favorite color is a bit of a stretch Tears of joy I would like to work knowledge that Molly does display some abusive behaviors but not towards Ron I'm pretty well known for saying that if we're going to criticize something we need to criticize it for the right reasons you know Molly not remembering how Ron eats his sandwiches when she has seven children at least five of whom still live with her isn't a crime it's not abusive and honestly it's understandable my parents can still partly tell which one of us likes what and there's only four of us not seven plus people food preparative can change and all that Tears of joy in list but while the sweater he gets for Christmas might be a color he doesn't like it's still a sweater his mother hand knitted for him If we're going to call Molly abusive it's not for anything she did to Ron a lot of people seem to take what the fake Tom Riddle said to run as actual fact when I don't know if any of that's proven Like the locket specifically called Ron out as being the least loved by Molly and that's definitely not true hell Ron was the first corpse she saw when she was facing her own evil demon shapeshifter thing that I don't know how to spell I love Molly Weasley and I wish I could have belonged in the Weasley family a family with siblings when they tease each other it's out of good intent and any criticism is just good natured teasing and not someone actually devaluing your entire existence But like I said before in that last comment and in others on this thread I do acknowledge where Molly has done abusive things not to run but to Fred and George Tears of joy I said that Ron's insecurities work a little unfounded and that Molly and Arthur wouldn't love him less if he didn't do the best in school as shown countless times but there is a grain of Truth in the fact that Molly can be controlling over her kids career path after all she was willing to legitimately sabotage the twins destroy their work and possibly even threaten them in order to make sure they followed a path she wanted them to follow And that's the real abusive thing that happens here but people focus on run not getting a new wand or new robes rather than that and I think that if just a little disingenuous tears of joy to the bigger picture There is some of these happening in this household but nobody seems to see it not the real thing that's happening they're too focused on the small things that are complete mundane everyday normal things And that's really where I think your perspective comes in here because that's what we should be saying not that it's okay to dismiss people with actual problems but that we need to actually figure out what the what's an actual problem and what isn't Tears of joy enlist because not knowing your son specifically doesn't like a particular shade of red isn't a crime but going out of your way to sabotage your child's future is one Tears of joy in list she even once said that everyone in the family had become a prefect when Ron got his badge while standing right next to the twins who were perfectly aware of this and call her out on it Tears of joy enlist abusive right there Tears of joy even then I can't hate Molly Weasley Tears of joy like many children she was one of my surrogate mothers the story book I could never live And just like everybody says we need to forgive perfect because he eventually came back even the worst things Molly did she made up for she apologized for the fight she had with the twins after the mistake at the world cup and when she saw that they actually were successful she was proud of them even if what she did to them maybe shouldn't be forgiven very good natured enough to accept it and if they forgive her then none of us have any right to not forgive her And pretty much the only thing Molly Weasley and my mother has in common is that she'll fight to the death to protect her children from anything And even though her actions are terrible they're just misguided after all she was worried about them worried they wouldn't go very far kind of like all those parents with kids with art majors or philosophy majors who could naturally tried to tell them that they're going to get themselves into bad situations but do it by telling them that their degree is actually worthless and they're wasting their lives well casually destroying their dreams in the process telling them to get a real job and stop spending time with your head in the clouds But I don't believe Molly loved any of her children more than any others She was right there anytime any of her kids gotten danger at the school and she still wrote perfia card and needed him a sweater for Christmas Even after he basically disowned the entire family But let's be real we can call Molly abusive when you look at the dursleys But yeah when you start destroying your children's things that is when you have crossed a line into bad territory and I'm not sure if she ever specifically apologized for that particular incident she apologized for the fight apologize for yelling at them about their grades but never apologize for destroying their work and if that's something that will bother people if they even realize it behind all the accidentally served roast beef sandwiches and maroon sweaters then that's understandable if that's a line you to think shouldn't be crossed then it is and if you can't forgive Molly for that I can't blame you Tears of joy let's please just know what we're doing when we say things Tears of joy let's figure out where our lines cross mine would not be crossed at a sandwich with the crust not cut off Let's be real Ron's only going to be upset about that sandwich for a day or two it's not going to be life shattering unlike some of the other stuff some other parents in this book series do the twins might have been financially screwed but they weren't because Harry came back and bailed them out and with that saved they were all able to forgive each other in the end even if I kind of think that Molly should have at least apologized or at the very least been called out by someone But there's so many things in this book series who can pay attention to every single plot line even super fans forget things and miss things and detail flip past people who's going to make sure every single fight ever had a revolution about every single part of it no one's going to do that we can just assume that the apology covered the destruction not just the yelling about the grades we don't have to have that spelled out for us even if some people will use the fact that it wasn't to say it was not there and that is just as someone assuming it is there as both interpretations are possible since it's not stated Tears of joy and of course let's not forget that these are books and that none of these characters are real and I don't think anyone actually reading the books as a little kid is actually going to pick up on the few red flags Molly have they like pretty much everyone I know probably just saw the mother who makes way too much food and knit sweaters every Christmas and trades her children's friends like they're part of the family and manages to pull through even when poverty is about to pull her down And some people were probably scared of her just because of her cheer ferocity and not because they actually thought she was violent like me I never saw why we tears of joy needed Molly to be a big part of the final fight I mean the author said she need to show Molly as intimidating and not just a housewife but I was always intimidated by her and kind of the same way Harry was intimidated by madam pomfrey or professor McGonagall in fact they also both scared me as a child Lol
@Lahly Bird I think you missed the point of my post entirely, and in fact only further proved it. Sorry for your abuse and hope you're doing better now
I’d say Molly’s biggest contribution to the book and the film is that she is a protector. Watching her take down Belatrix was the moment I think everyone possibly cheered more for than when Voldemort was vanquished lol. Molly and Arthur I think are the parents any kid would want, their lifestyle reminds me of my grandparents cause they ended up with 8 kids to raise. So some of the penny stretching was relatable to see.
There is a scene in The Goblet of Fire in the end of the book. Harry is in the Hospital wing and Molly gives him a warm hug and it is described as the first time Harry gets a from a parent figure. It brings me to tears EVERY TIME (yes, I re-read them a-lot). Molly does really love and care for Harry as if he was her own son. And the fact that she opens her heart, her home and bring him into the family, is just so beautiful. I love the Weasly’s ❤️
I love the Weasleys. I love the set design of the Burrow. They made it look so homey and welcoming. The Burrow in the movie looked and felt true to the books.
My husband lost his dad at 14 and his mom at 21. He definitely has made jokes about not having a mom or dad. Not in a long time because it makes people uncomfortable (he's 58) but definitely back then, he would play it for laughs. This was something he did more with the loss or his dad than the loss of his mom. I think a lot of it had to do with the general assumption that everyone has a mom or dad, or as a relationship with their mom or dad. It's easy to forget this around the holidays.
My mom is like Molly. Her whole life is dedicated to being a stay at home mom and caretaker. Much of this is because my sister and father are horrifically ill, but it's who she is, and like Molly, she wears it with pride. Does she have hobbies? Sure, so does Molly. Like for example, Molly loves Witch Weekly magazine, and Cistina Warbeck (a singer from the books). But she wanted to have a huge loving family, and she suceeded. My mom only had 4 kids, but she would have had a lot more if her body could have handled it. She's taken in my friends, especially one of them who doesn't have any family worth speaking of, as her own children, and is so passionate and so loving. You do discredit to stay at home moms by wishing Molly was more than she appears. I like your videos, but you're very wrong about Molly, and that's disappointing. One of the things I love most about the Weasleys, and this wasn't well portrayed in the films, is that they don't talk about their poverty as a bad thing. It's a delicate topic they try to avoid bringing up, because the kids know how hard their parents work to make sure they want for nothing. The parents took their kids to Egypt when they won money. I see a lot of people giving grief on reddit for this, saying they should have invested or improved their home life or whatever. But memories are much more important to the Weasleys than material things, and that is something the movies just can't show.
I absolutely adore the Weasleys. Someone told me something once that I have never forgotten. "If you're ever feeling sad, down about yourself, or if you're just having a bad day, just think how excited Mr. Weasley would be to meet you." So for anyone who hasn't heard that, here you go lol.
I heard a similar phrase "if you ever feel worthless good for nothing, remember Arthur Weasley would think you are cool because you can operate the microwave"
"Not my daughter, you bitch!" has to be the most badass line in the entire series. In the book it's even more intense, Molly pushes Harry out of the way and SPRINTS across the Great Hall, saying that Bellatrix is her kill. You get the feeling that she could broken Bell's wand *and* neck with her bare hands.
Okay, I know nobody gonna read this comment, but I try it anyway. If you guys are searching for movies to make a video about, I can recommend you Puss In Boots - The Last Wish. I found the characters in this one are just unbelievable! There could be a really good family therapy video (Puss, Kitty and that doggo), villain therapy video (the blonde girl with the bears) or therapy of a hero (Puss himself) because every single one of them had fantastic developments in my point of view. But that's just an idea. Thanks if you reading this
That Molly vs Bellatrix is my second favorite moment in all the movies. Such a perfect “mama bear” in the best way moment. My first favorite is McGonegal bringing the castle defenses to life and being very satisfied with herself “I always wanted to use that spell.” It was just so perfectly played.
I remember a part in the book where molly is trying to get rid of a boggart and she was struggling because it kept appearing as her children dead and harry also appeared as dead and it was that moment I realised just how much maternal love molly has for her children including harry
There's a really lovely, if not a little dark, detail that is more obvious in the books than the movies about Mrs Weasley being able to see the signs of neglect on Harry. In the second book especially, they talk about the Dursleys starving him. When he first gets to the burrow Mrs Weasley laments how skinny he his and proceeds to feed him immediately and for the rest of his stay makes sure he has seconds, if not 3rds and 4ths... 🥰
One thing that I really love about the mourning scene with Fred is that even though George is devastated at the loss of his twin, his literal other half, the second he sees Ron, his baby brother, he doesn’t hesitate to hug him and comfort him, and also accept that comfort from Ron.
@Fleet Skipper i think it's an interview with JKR. After working as an Auror for a few years Ron takes over the domestic role of helping Hermione bring up the kids and helps run the joke shop.
@small sashaAren’t readers later told that after graduation from Hogwarts, Ron helped George run the joke shop for awhile? I can’t remember where I learned that
Admittedly Ron was their closest sibling after each other and having Ron share the grief with him would have helped him. Ron breaking down over Fred's body is one of the saddest moments in the movies. Rupert is a phenomenal actor.
Can I just say, in the hands of a mother, that clock is amazing. In the hands of an emotionally abusive/manipulative partner, that clock is terrifying!
Jonathan said that Artur is a sympathizer with a marginalized group, and then I realized that Hermione is also a sympathizer with a marginalized group, and like it all makes sense that Ron didn't look down on Hermione as the other wizards did
Family dinners aren't just valuable for bonding between kids and their parents, but also amazing for bonding between partners. My husband's and my relationship has been on the rocks, due to both of us struggling with different mental health issues, and we made it a rule to share breakfast and dinner, which we usually ate at our PCs and it has been massively helpful. Also, interestingly enough, sleeping in separate rooms was healing to our relationship, since he likes to sleep extremely warm and I like to sleep with the windows wide open, letting the cool night air in.
Not even finished the video yet, Molly is my role model. How warm and extensive her love is to each and every person. I hope like her and others like her, I can warmly invite others like they’re already family.
There is a book series called the ghost mountain shifters series, by Audrey Faye. It is full of , stuffed with micro-affections. it is a werewolf series so if that's not your cup of tea you can duck out. but it is an amazing example of a community/ really large family of people loving each other and helping heal each other from and through the trauma they shared. I adore this series. there's a lot of " I don't think I'm helping by being here, and I don't want to hurt them" and them responding " we want you here, this is how you can be helpful with the things and love you give" it is wonderful and I highly recommend giving it a read. there's also a lot of giving trauma survivors real choices and making sure they know they can actually choose, like we will love you and we won't abandon you if you need to move across the continent.
My favorite scene of Molly’s love is in the books. When she is struggling to rid the Black house of the boggart and the boggart just keeps transforming into different family members dying. Most people’s biggest fear is darkness or bugs or something crazy. This just shows that Molly’s family is always on her mind.
@Bofh Zero Zero I think the general "you" in your comment gave it that meaning. I'm glad you personally found more meaningful fears when you had children, I imagine if you had stated "Before **I** was a parent, my biggest fears were darkness and bugs, but one **I** became a parent, my child..." Instead, you speculated on a generalisation and that's what I responded to. Merry Christmas!
@Day I’m sorry if that’s what you got from my message above, that somehow I imply that people who aren’t parents don’t know/understand deep love. My point was about newly found fears as a parent. Of course I loved my dear ones before I became a parent, but I was not ready for how present my fear for my child was. It’s one of the things that very people talk about when referring to parenthood. It’s a very personal experience for me.
@Bofh Zero Zero as a non-parent, I have to disagree. My biggest fear was never bugs or darkness or anything like that, but losing my loved ones (or them being hurt). I think the idea that people (especially women) who don't have children are somehow bereft of deep love and the fears that come with loving people deeply is a damaging one that almost robs us of our personhood and casts us as shells waiting for children to make our lives and experiences meaningful. There are parents who fear trivial things more than they fear for their children, there are childfree and childless people who fear for their loved ones more than they fear trivial things. It's not exclusive to one group or another.
I think your worst fear might be darkness or bugs or reptiles when you aren’t a parent. When you are a parent, with all the amazing experiences and feelings you get, you also get that new fear that you never want to name,and it’s always half a step behind you. Another fear, which is true it mellows with time, is the fear of something terrible happening to you and your kid being left alone, defenseless (or even worse, seeing it happen). That’s why I choke up every time I think of Lily Potter and wish I had her magic to leave behind for years as a shield. If the worst comes to happen that is.
I had someone like Mrs. Weasley in my life. When I was in high school, a 'not great' family situation happened and I lived with one of my best friends and her family for about five years. Her mom (and the whole family honestly) took me in as their own with unconditional love. They are family to me forever.
I can’t believe I’m saying this because I generally would agree that Molly has a need for Molly as not-the-mama, but frankly, the fight scene with Bellatrix is more powerful because all we know about Molly at that point is she’s the best mom in the wizarding world. And then she has one of the best wizard duels in Potterdom from the same point of love that Lily used to save Harry.
Every time I watch your videos and you talk about relationships and highlight healthy habits I never learned, it encourages me to try again, and gives me hope that today can be better than yesterday. I might make mistakes as a parent, but I can learn from them and do better in the future
I particularly love all the mayhem the Twins caused in fourth and fifth year with their dangerous sweets. But they were really good with their magic, as they invented things that the Ministry of Magic themselves ordered in large quantities for their employees. One was the shield hat that made curses bounce off the wearer. One thing the Weasley Twins found is that there are a number of wizards who can't do a simple shield spell. I believe that one is protego, which does just that: returns the curse to the caster without hurting the one casting the shield spell.
I love how you singled out the Molly/Bellatrix duel as one scene that could’ve been done a little better. And Alan (I presume others in the comments have already pointed this out, but w/e), what you describe as Molly-the-Terminator is literally what happens in the book: Molly sees Bellatrix’s curse miss Ginny by an inch and instantly barrels forth, knocking everyone out of her way, and launches into an absolutely merciless assault on Bellatrix that, if anything, puts _Bellatrix_ on her back heel; they duel hard enough the floor itself becomes hot and cracked; and Bellatrix barely gets a final taunt in before Molly’s curse hits her square in the heart, killing her. No weird little “ah-ha, I am victorious!” grin at the end, either, which I always felt was a bit inappropriate to the mood - Molly wouldn’t be rejoicing or gloating here, she’d just be worried and heartbroken and angry and relieved. The scene in the movie is fine, good even, but I do think it’s one scene that could’ve been improved if they’d just stuck line-for-line to what the book described. Much more raw.
@Ege Kazkayası Disagree. Like Korgan wrote, all her kids are smart and talented, she also uses a lot of charms to run the household, probably enchanted their home to hold that weird structure together, Slughorn had high hopes for her when she was younger, which shows she was among top students and not least of all she went full mama bear mode. She'd already lost a son that night, she wasn't going to loose her only daughter. She was full on, while Bellatrix was just having fun and underestimated her opponent. Her running a household doesn't mean she's not skilled with magic. Maybe she just chose it because she enjoys it.
@Ege Kazkayası The Weasleys are quite a talented family in general, magically speaking: Bill and Percy got top grades at Hogwarts(and Bill went on to raid ancient tombs with lethal magical traps), Charlie was a quidditch star and went on to wrangle dragons, Fred and George literally INVENTED new magical spells and enchanted objects, including an indoor swamp that their teacher didn't want to remove because it was such an impressive bit of magic, Ron survived more danger before graduating school than most Aurors do in their whole career, and the twins use Ginny as an example when they tell Harry that size has nothing to do with magical power. There's also hints in the books that Molly was a talented witch, although the movies don't do anything similar iirc.
I kind of see tons of emotions in Molly's smile after she does away with Bellatrix; triumph that she protected her daughter against a strong bad guy, relief knowing Bellatrix can never hurt anyone else in her family or anywhere, and some malicious glee that she took out the woman who killed Sirius and caused Harry so much pain and who participated in the battle that killed her son Fred, causing grief to the whole family and devastating George for the rest of his life. Molly is a mother who would get those dark emotions out of herself that way so she could go back to taking care of her grieving family without those dark emotions weighing her down.
Item 4 is exceptionally tough when you are an only child. Having recently lost a parent, even though my spouse and inlaws went above and beyond for me, not having a sibling to commiserate with or grieve with or even bring comfort to was more painful than i anticipated.
I find it very beautiful that Harry, during his childhood got to experience feeling accepted and loved unconditionally by the Weasly parents and their children. The way they opened up their home to him without making him feel ashamed of his dire and abusive situation at the Dursley’s is also beautiful. Some say Harry didn’t show any signs of trauma from his abusive upbringing at the Dursley’s, but he did- by being controlling, struggling to ask for help in the beginning of the book series insisting on solving issues on his own, he had fits of aggression too and it came out in other ways too. If one is looking at these different aspects (the abuse, Harry’s reaction to being abused for years on end, the warmth and love he recieved from the Dursley’s), I think J.K. did a stellar job of bringing attention to an issue that sadly is very much a part of society. Her giving space to child abuse, in a children’s book brought many children knowledge about their situation and gave them the courage to ask an adult for help outside of their home (someone at their school or some other trusted adult), and some adults more awareness and feeling more ok with stepping in when they saw children being mistreated (even by a caregiver). It’s a very taboo subject and very much stigmatized, and I understand it even more now after having studied psychology at university. I also appreciated the way she spoke on the subject of racism in the books by adapting it to ”muggle bloods” and ”real wizards and witches”. / Scandinavian Edit: 😌 Spelling mistakes (there might still be some, but I tried to clean up the ones I caught).
Another family you should cover is the Calvins/Millers from The Santa Clause movies! I have ALWAYS loved that they are a happy blended family! I love that they legit support each other and love one another. I really don’t see blended families in movies much and I didn’t grow up in one myself but it honestly brings me joy seeing the way it’s portrayed
I have a question for Jonathan. Does it get easier after your mom passed away? My mom recently passed away in June, and these past 6 months without her have been just so incredibly hard. The only ones left from my mom's side of the family are me and my uncle Mark (my mom's oldest brother), and everyone on my mom's side (granddaddy, grandma, uncle Jim (younger uncle), uncle Mark (older brother), and my mom) made my life the best. I don't know how to explain it. We were poor af, but like the Weasley's, I never felt like I was poor because of my mom's side (my dad's side was never really a part of my life except for every other weekend, and even then, we weren't as close as my mom's side. My dad's side didn't even hug each other until my first stepmom came along around 2003ish when I was 17/18ish.) My mom's side meant everything to me, and I feel so alone without them now. Like, my uncle Mark is great, but he's introverted and a loner and not very affectionate, so I don't really get hugs anymore, and that's what I miss the most. Those long and meaningful hugs. I just, I need to know if the pain gets easier to deal with as time moves forward after the loss of your mom.
I lost my dad in 2017 but honestly the pain still hits sometimes, it doesn't so much get easier but becomes sort of more in the background the first year is definitely the most raw.
Two absolutely brilliant characters, superbly played by Julie Walters and Mark Williams. I firs read the books as a young adult, pre motherhood. I wanted to be Molly Weasley, her ferocious love for her children spoke to my mamma’s soul
I love the look on George's face when Ron comes in and he grabs him in a fierce hug. In spite of Fred's loss, the immense relief and love when he sees that Ron is alive is wonderful. Oliver really nailed that moment.
One of my favourite KZclip channels talking about my all time favourite film series - how can it get any better? ❤ Could you do more HP related videos? There’s so much more to react to like the Malfoys or the friendship between the golden trio etc etc. Thank you!! 🎉
I didn't expect this one to hit me as hard as it did. When Jono starts speaks of his trip back after his mom passed and how his siblings and he had a chance to mourn together, and it feels like it broke me a little. I understand the loss of a parent, as mine have long since passed, but I never had this time with my siblings. I feel like missing that ability to do so is part of why my siblings and I are no longer close. It is very important to be supportive and receive support back from your family. When you don't get that relationship and it becomes too late it sticks with you the remainder of your life. I appreciate that Jono and Alan often speak of their own personal experiences to provide not just evidence of understanding what they are talking on each episode, but also to remind those of us who watch that they get us, even if they dont directly know us.
What I always found impressive from Arthur and Molly as a parenting team, is how there is no good cop/bad cop dynamic even though Molly is clearly more strict and Arthur more mellow. The kids don't fear Molly for being strict and love Arthur because he let's them get away with stuff. If needed Arthur will step in and that is when the kids know they done fucked up. And Molly showers is obvious that she is strict because she cares about THEM. Not about image, not about what anyone will think, not about cost of damaged property. Her first care is always her children and they know it.
As a trans viewer, I have my complicated feelings on Harry Potter. (no, I don't hate it!) The mention of us trans fans meant a lot to me personally. Thank you for the disclaimer and acknowledgement! Also, as a man who grew up in a big family, I related to a lot in this episode. And as usual, you guys always make me tear up. Thank you again! Rock on, dudes. ❤️
I'm trans too and also feel kinda conflicted about Harry Potter. I grew up with the books and movies. HP formed a big part of my childhood I made so many friends and connections because of it. Knowing that this magical world was created by someone who became so aggressively transphobic really hit me.
With Molly, I think that even in the movies, we're seeing a lot skewed through the Harry-cam. For Harry, she is the first maternal figure he's ever really experienced (at least within his conscious memory), so that's what he notices. She is, in fact, in the Order of the Phoenix, dealing with her fears (which are extreme; she lost her brothers in the last war), and may well be doing quite a lot while the kids are off at Hogwarts. But Harry's not going to notice it because for him, her superpower is loving him and momming him.
@Danny I wish they'd been able to leave that in the movie. It was such a strong visual imagery of a fear that you can't laugh away, or make amusing in any form.
@Hostile_Prof he sees evidance of it, but he does not quite think that through to its conclusion to hung up with his own problems and being angry at everyone
I was going to point this out too. Molly is very active in the Order. The Weasleys turn their home into headquarters and keep the group together after Dumbledores death. She shields her children from the realities of the war but I have no doubt she stays busy
@Fighting Faerie yes. It made him realize it wasn't just his one sided wish and that she truly cared for him the exact same way she would her children.
@Hostile_Proffrom what I remember she wasn’t practicing. There was a boggart in a wardrobe or cabinet and either she forgot and didn’t realize. It startled her and took her off guard, she wasn’t prepared for it’s imagery. That’s why she was embarrassed, because boggarts should be fairly easy to dispel especially for a highly skilled member of the OotP, but the fear of losing her entire family is so strong because she loves them so much. Also the fact that an image of a dead Harry alongside the rest of the Weasleys was important to show how much she views Harry as if he was one of her own children. Harry sorta always knew they took him in, but seeing himself as part of Molly’s nightmare made him realize, I remember it being an important moment for him in the books.
One of my favorite things about Molly vs. Bellatrix was the realization that Molly and Arthur have produced SEVEN extraordinary wizards. There isn't a single Weasley kid that doesn't have some sort of hella wizard strength. I feel like we go the whole series thinking about those kids and how neat they all are, and then right at the end we get reminded that their talents weren't just random luck. When I first read this part of the book, it struck me that I'd never thought about who Molly and Arthur were before they were parents. All of a sudden I'm wondering how powerful you have to be to create an entire clan of strong wizards, what life would have looked like for them if they hadn't been so family-oriented. It emphasized the idea that they could have done other things, but they *chose* to center their lives around their family.
Another thing worth pointing out is how quickly and easily the family forgives each other. I forget how the movie handled it but I remember when Percy shows up in DH for the final battle and admits he was wrong, his brothers welcome him back right away.
This is brilliant! Somewhere in reading so much fanfiction and diving deep into the fandom world, I forgot how genuinely delightful all the Weasleys' are. Thank you for reminding me! On a side note: can you guys eventually, at some point, do an episode on 'Big Little Lies' that stars all those big 5 actresses and talk about probably trauma bonding and relationships between women? I'd love to hear about that from a therapist's perspective and the direction is gorgeous!
Something I just noticed seeing the scene with Bellatrix in this video: If you look closely, when Molly's being pushed back just before she begins advancing again to beat Bellatrix, Arthur and her kids raise their wands like they're about to assist Molly before she gets her wind back. Even the little background elements show just how in tune and supportive the family are to each other
I *never* underestimated Molly's proficiency with magic. The competence with which she manages the household and sheer talent that she displays with her homely magic shows profound talent. Crouching mama bear, hidden badass.
OH MY GOD! I don't even know enough words in English to describe how amazing this video is (actually, how all of your videos are). The meaning of words and expressions on the corner of the screen, Dwight's face checking the facts as you say them. What a work, I'm amazed. Cinema Therapy is unquestionably my favourite YT channel.
One thing that really warmed my heart about Molly is that she sees Harry, and knows that he’s being abused and neglected. And the very first thing she says to him is “It’s not your fault. I’m not mad at you. Now, sit down and eat,” probably knowing full well that he hasn’t had a real meal in weeks.
Jono talking about his sister apologizing to him for something she said as a child just reminded me of myself apologizing to my own sister for the (in my eyes) verbally and emotionally abusive things I said and did to her. She says she doesn't even remember all that, but I do feel responsible for her negative self-image for her body and school smarts. Apologizing and being forgiven is absolutely cathartic, but the self-forgiveness is a process I'm still working on.
As a writer by hobby, I find myself in a odd situation when I have to write a character’s family - I feel I might want to have the character be alone for one other reason - but also comes the feeling of writing a lovely happy family - which is a personal soft spot for me, as despite my parents being loving and nurturing, my relationship with my parents almost completely fell apart when I came out to them - so the idea of writing a family that accepts and cherishes regardless of that is… kinda bittersweet.
@Sexy Dictator I get so emotional at that part 😭. There’s been moments in my life where I felt I could really use one of those One time ,my friend and I, who were both going through a lot of things at the time, were walking out the door to go somewhere and I just said, hey remember that part in book 4… and we both just started crying Took us about 10 minutes, pulled ourselves together, and went off to the store or ice cream place or wherever we were going haha
My parents kind of kicked me out (well they moved out, I wasn't invited, said they still would help me financially while finish my studies and that promise lasted 3 months so now I have to quit college because my country doesn't help students with parents who can, anyway). My bf's mother always buy a cheap advent calendar with chocolate in it for her daughter and her (bf don't like chocolate), and this year she got me one as well and hugged me. I almost broke down in tears.
I know a few ”Weasleys” - those kind of persons are just about the best ones in the world! 🥰 Oh, also - I’d really love to hear your thoughts on the family dynamics & working through traumas in ”The Horse Whisperer” (1998’s movie starring Robert Redford & Kristin Scott Thomas). 🙏🏻✨ Loved this one so much as a kid, still do. It has SO much in the ’simple story of a mere film’. Merry Christmas to you guys and a Happy New Year! 🎄✨🎉
My best friend for the last 14 years had a very absentee mother and as a result was always over at my house - while my mom was always seen as the strict, 'scary' one of all the friends' parents, she was always the one my friends and I would call for help. She'd get mad or stressed but she always showed up, she took care of my bff like she was her daughter and to this day my friend and I are both so thankful for my mom for that. She's even said my mom was more a parent to her than her own mother and it both saddened me and made me glad that I got to share my family with her
Just as a mention Molly at the end movies is one of the most amazing moms. She come across Bellatrix and Molly shows she isn't just a wife or a mother but a power not to be messed with when it comes to her family. Molly is amazing.
The moment the HP books changed my life was after the quidditch world cup Molly is distraught that she had yelled at the twins before they left about not Testing well enough and if they got got those would be the last words she said. Even though she said like "have a good time, I love you." As they're walking away, she knew that what she said before would have stuck with them more. I think more before saying things and try not to leave angry because of this. Love her ❤️ Also, screw J.K. Rowling.
The heartbreaking thing about Fred’s death is that not only did George lose his other half, but in the book, Percy made a joke for the first time in a long long time, and it made Fred laugh ( they were together during the battle) and Fred has forgiven him for being a jerk to the family. But right at that moment of forgiveness and happiness between the too, Fred dies. I also think Fred is the first to “welcome” Percy back and hug him if a remember correctly. And the fact that George asks “are you okay Freddie” a couple of scenes before Fred’s death. And it’s beautiful and so sad that Fred died laughing. He was all about laughter and fun. My favorite characters are definitely Fred and George ❤
Mine too. I loved Luna, Hermione, Dumbledore and Harry of course, but the twins always had an extra special place in my heart. They always kept me laughing through the books and didn't take anything seriously. I was so devastated when Fred died.. I still quote some of their lines to this day. "Ask me no questions and I shall tell you no lies" 🥲
I love what you said about putting yourself in social harm's way. My younger brother is autistic and ADHD, and he has an IEP. When he was in ninth grade, his choir teacher tried to fail him for not "participating" in class the way he wanted him to. My brother had choir as his last class of the day, his ADHD medication was wearing off, and he was hyper and wanting to pace and talk to others. The teacher could not legally fail him because of his IEP; failing an IEP student means that the _teacher_ is failing to meet the student's accommodations. This teacher also ignored my parents' emails, wouldn't come to IEP and 504 meetings, and claimed that my brother's accommodations were, in fact, working, when the simple fact that he was failing my brother on _participation points_ proved they were not. I had the same teacher, and things came to the point where it was up to me to confront my teacher during class hours about not answering my parents' emails. I _hounded_ him about it until he finally responded to my parents to get me off his back. It ended with him disliking me so much that I ended up quitting choir my senior year of high school, even though singing has always been the thing I loved most. I sacrificed my relationships with my classmates and the thing I loved for my little brother, and I will never regret any of it. ❤
Molly should've had more as an independent person, but she gets a glimpse of that when she's always helping the Order (of the Phoenix), being the one responsible for the HQ to be functional as a house as well and she was at the battle of Hogwarts. All stuff that shows her courageous gryffindor core
I think one thing with Molly is that family seems to be her priority. She wants all her kids to live up to her expectations -- we can see this from how she mentions Bill, Charlie, and Percy when scolding her other kids, and how she admonishes Fred and George for not getting enough O.W.L.s. Nonetheless, she is still very supportive of her children, and the whole family is very supportive. Maybe that's why the children generally did not go bad even with stress from Molly.
As a trans person, I believe in separating art from its artist and I was ready to just dive into an analysis of the art, but the disclaimer at the beginning made me smile. You guys really feel like dads taking care of their internet kids
Can you please explain to me why it made you smile when these guys implied that anyone who doesn't believe you has problems? Genuinely confused not mad: From my perspective ppl are telling me they are something they physically are not and I have to agree or said ppl will seek revenge. And if you says it's not physical, everyone has gendered Spirits; Nobody is required to believe in anyone else's spiritual beliefs (Exept yours?) I'm not part of the LGBT+ society so I don't feel the need to off myself because you're not validating me (which seems like the actual problem that needs adressing to me, not swept under the rug by getting rid of any opposition you may face to your view of yourself) but I feel gaslight by everyone acting like this its normal to other anyone who disagrees with popular ideology. Again I'm not mad, and I don't want you to hurt yourself in any way, I'm just not pretending to believe you on this and would like to know why I'm being told that's not OK.
I have to say, one of my favorite tropes is characters who care deeply about each other and express that affection primarily through mockery. It's certainly not the only way that loving relationships can look, but when it's done well it can be very touching and it's also just an easy excuse to put a lot of humorous dialog in without breaking character.
‘Where HAve You Been!?’ And ‘Oh really, how’d it go?’ Are my two favourite lines in the entire series. I love Molly and Arthur, the juxtaposition is comedic gold and so realistic 😂
My favorite was in Order of the Phoenix when they visit Arthur in the hospital, and he explains the doctors tried giving him this muggle treatment called "stitches". And Molly says "It sounds like you're saying you tried to sew your skin back together... but even YOU wouldn't be stupid enough..." And we never hear the rest because Harry and Hermione already know where this is going and calmly lead the other kids out of the room. So it's quiet for a bit, then they hear Molly shouting "WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'That's the general idea!?'" It's a shame that wasn't in the movie.
I think one of the main reasons why I used to love and watch and rewatch all Harry Potter movies in my childhood is because of this exact point. Maybe in the deepest of my heart I just wanted to have a family like Weasley's.
One of the best examples of Mrs. Weasley’s love for her kids is in the Deathly Hallows book. For Ron and Harry’s 17th birthdays, she gifts them both a watch. Ron’s is brand new, while Harry’s is old and dented because it used to belong to Molly’s brother Fabian. As a younger child in a large family, Ron was always getting hand-me-downs, so getting something brand new just for him is something he’ll appreciate more. Harry has to buy most of what he has brand new because he doesn’t have family heirlooms, so being gifted something tied to the only real family he has is something he’ll appreciate more than buying one brand new.
You are making me hold back tears in cricket wireless. Very rude. Thank you 🫶🏻✨
Thanks. Now I’m crying. 😭
Tried to read the books around the time the first movie was released (wanted to check what was all the fuzz about), but I could not pass the first half of the first book. I was aware it was a book meant for kids, but it was too childish I could not enjoy it (maybe cause I was like 23 YO back then), BUT stories like you mentioned in this comment are something I would have been really grateful to find in my early tries; and actually makes me wanna try them again.
And she hugged him like Harry imagined only a mother would do
dude, for a moment I forgot about Harry Potter, the literal lead of the series. Because I don't remember that Molly adopted him. 😂
One of my favorite things about Molly's arc is that she IS JUST A MOM. She has tons of kids and plenty to do without having some grand endeavor that she's working on on the side. We see her hobbies, she knits and cooks. It makes the moment when she pulls out her wand and starts kicking ass AND WINNING that much more impactful. She CHOSE to be "just" a mother, it doesn't make her less than she is
She's a veteran of the First Wizarding War.
Thank you for saying this, stay at home mothers shouldn't be underestimated, and it's quite clear the bias shown in the video against them. Which was pretty sad.
@Audrey Gail
😮😮p
Never, ever underestimate the drive of a parent protecting their kid(s).
Yes! And also, let's not forget while it is told by a narrator, that narrator is informed by Harry. We have no idea what she does all year when her kids are at school because Harry doesn't know.
I'm an adoptee of an abusive woman, seeing Molly adopt Harry and provide so much love hit me to the core, she's one of my favorite characters in the series.
Who wouldn't love a mom like Molly?
Yes, she was nice to Harry. But I never liked how she treated George, Ron and Fred.
@300blackcats @ryetoast I'm an abuse survivor, too. There are many adoptees in my support group who deal with the presumption that adoptive parents are nicer/less abusive than biological.
that must really suck... why adopt if she's not ready to commit to it/ how did she get through the vetting process for adoption?! anyhow, hope you had a support network outside and that you're coping well. personally mrs. weasley (as a maternal figure) is too “motherly to the point of smothering” for my liking, but i still think she's a bamf (ง'̀-'́)ง
My kids once told me I reminded them of Mrs. Weasley, and I consider that to be one of the best compliments I have ever received.
@최데지 Iroh is a wonderful character to aspire to be like! He is definitely wise and kind and compassionate.
That's beautiful. I said when I was pregnant I want to be like iroh to my baby because I always wished I had a wise, gentle, and loving parent.
this compliment made me cry. I always wanted to be part of the wasley family..
My sister and me used to tell ouw mom that. I think she reacted like you :)
Arthur Weasley was the kindest person in the books. He was happy to include two people into his family (Harry, Hermione), he parented his kids and them, he looked out for Harry's safety, he made sure all his children had a half-strict and half-easygoing upbringing. He taught them his values by example, his humility and acceptance of his position, his kindness towards non-Magical creatures, his sense of humour. He's the OG dad and that's why JK Rowling almost killed him off but couldn't get herself to do it completely.
@Christian Seibold I guess people interpret things in different ways
@arkia ツ I personally have read the books, and what Brianna D said makes complete sense in the context of the books, imo.
@Brianna D have u read the books?
@arkia ツ but Arthur isn’t really the one who has to take on the family responsibilities right? He works at the ministry and gets to play the “fun dad” when he comes home while Molly is consistently the one who has to discipline her kids and take care of all the house stuff.
She has 7 kids (8 if you count Harry) so it’s not an indicator of her character as a parent when she places more emphasis on the child of hers who is literally abused for 3 months out of the year.
@Brianna D I think Molly was a little insensitive and she would often forget about Ron's existence. If you pay attention, she cares more about Harry than Fred, George and Ron. OFC I don't hate her, but Arthur is a better person in my opinion.
Un-fun fact about Fred’s death: the actor that played George actually burst into tears in this scene because it suddenly became to real for him and they paused everything and cleared the room for a bit to give “the twins” some space.
They said so in an interview. It’s heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time and knowing this, the scene became even richer for me. So, if you didn’t already know that fact - here you go :)
@Andrés López I listen to it on Google Podcasts or Soundcloud but they post some of them on youtube as well. The podcast is called "Normal Not Normal" but used to be called "Double Trouble" for the first two seasons (or maybe one, I'm not 100% sure on that).
@Meg Ilsley reaally? where did it come out?
I quit reading the book when Fred died (bought it the week it came out) and didn't pick it up until a decade later when I was reading the series aloud to my kiddo.
@Robert Trainer that feels like completely on brand for him. The Phelps twins _are_ the Weasley twins
@Robert Trainer Beautiful XD
As a Brit I feel the need to say that Julie Walters is a national treasure. The cast of Harry Potter had so many iconic casting choices and sometimes it's like she gets overlooked. Julie Walters embodied that role so well she was the glue that held that family dynamic together and made it feel so real.
@jeanettecarnell8933 OMG never even realized that was her, my mind is blown
@Katie KnottsSpot on. Alan Lee or Ian McKellen might both be candidates for the “Kevin Bacon” function. 😏
Half the British acting elite is right. Just today, while watching Love, Actually, (RIP Alan Rickman, such a good movie villain he’s even the villain in a holiday romcom) I looked up about Emma Thompson’s scene where she learns her husband’s cheated, because I thought she said she had channeled real life experience, and came to realize it was Kenneth Brennaugh with Helana Bonham Carter, and ALL 3 of them had roles in HP (although idk how much they had to directly work with each other). I feel like if you take any British show or movie with a large ensemble cast, inevitably you wind up with multiple overlaps with another large Brit ensemble cast. Who’s the British equivalent of Kevin Bacon because I feel like instead of 6 degrees you could play with 2 degrees lol.
@Danielle Musella WIth McGonagall being Scottish, I think Maggie Smith was the clear choice when casting that part, but she might have been offered a different role; it seems half the British acting elite are in those movies! :D
@Anna Reed True. I 100% agree. Jo Rowling even said that Maggie was who she had in mind, as she was crafting the character in "The Philosopher's Stone". I was only expressing my curiosity over who else might've auditioned for certain key roles. I've heard a few rather interesting stories. (12/14/2022)
I love that Arthur can be having a full on conversation and has so many kids running around that it takes him a good couple of minutes to even notice Harry is there. It gets me every time.
Also, I have always admired how Molly and most all the Weasleys just treat him like another kid. They never treat him like "different" or "special" because at the end of the day, Harry never asked to be famous and have everyone know him, it just happened. I think that Molly sees that and just treats him like a regular person and lets him be a kid as much as she can in a world that is paying a lot of attention him.
I like that Molly is “just a mum”. There are so many aspiring women in the wizarding world, so many possibilities but she focuses on her children and her home. We see Molly through the eyes of the children and we don’t know what she is doing when they are in school. She probably does her stuff but when those kids walk in the door (whom she doesn’t see most of the year) her attention is all on them. She reminds me so much of my mother in law.
Arthur's reaction to meeting Harry is so wholesome. That quick transition to "Ron has told me all about you off coarse" and then asking about the rubberduck, I think he is actually aware that that is a weird question for someone who's grown up in a muggle family and asks it partly to further take pressure of Harry and make him laugh and it works so well.
Arthur is the main/best character I love that whole family sm
I like that it seems he's happy to meet Ron's friend more than the famous Harry Potter
@Aki Kaien oh my GOD thanks! I've never seen him that way! But that makes so much sense!
69 likes.
That's my favorite part about Arthur. Any time there is tension, he picks up on it easily and tries to distract them from it. Like when he's escorting Harry to his trial, he asks him to keep track of their destination so they don't miss a stop, and he has Harry help him with the Muggle Money. He also treated Harry like an adult and told him about Sirius
Just want to say, your editor is fantastic, and really puts in all the right references and jokes in all the right places. It elevates the experience so much!
Agreed. The "False!" corrections was perfect. ❤️
Agreed! I loved the Dwight FALSE additions 😂😂
I actually had a different take on the Molly/Bellatrix battle (side note, can we just appreciate how absolutely perfect the casting of both these characters was?). I always found that passage in the book really scary, because Molly was so unhinged and determined to kill Bellatrix. To me, it was a perfect illustration of how devastating war is, when it makes a murderer of even the kindest and most loving people
@林嘉 it's not murder if it's in the immediate defense of life. Period. Molly might be a killer but she's not a murderer
Not to mention, Molly was also the first person to let out an actual swear word in the whole franchise
I share the same feelings. Although the reason that Molly killed Bellatrix was to protect Ginny, it still terrified me that even someone as kind as Molly can commit murder, and everyone else just thinks that’s okay because she was trying to defend her daughter. I’m not saying that I wouldn’t do the same thing under this situation, it just reminds me that war is so cruel that can change almost every person.
One of the things that immediately endeared me to Molly in the second novel was that as soon as she learns that the Dursleys were starving Harry, there is an instant shift from anger to concern. She still reprimands her boys, still makes sure they know they were being reckless, but she also jumps straight to preparing breakfast and making sure Harry eats his fill. What an amazing, nurturing woman.
Someone somewhere pointed out that her response is textbook caring for a trauma victim. Constant reassurance, keeping warm, easy food. They didn’t show it very well in the movie but Harry had been starved for weeks by the time the boys rescued him.
So true!!!!!
She also sends him more treats with the kids owls at Hogwarts.
I think something else is that in the first movie/book Molly had only met Harry briefly at the train platform. She takes the time to make him a jumper for Christmas, probably from Ron writing home about his new friend who isn’t expecting to get any presents. I think It shows how she’s taking her sons letters/feelings seriously.
Thank you guys so much for the support for trans rights - in an ideal world this small act of kindness would be a guarantee rather than a rare thing to celebrate, but either way, I’m more than happy to thank you for it ❤
In an ideal world it wouldn't be necessary at all.
One thing in the last movie that was really subtle with Molly is that she was washing the dishes while everyone was bringing Harry to the Burrow. Like actually standing at the sink washing them by hand because she just desperately needed SOMETHING to occupy her mind and keep her from totally giving into worry
it's also important to note that emotional turmoil makes ones magic difficult to wield with precision. (which is why snape is always preaching discipline) which i always thought was the reason why molly avoided using magic on fragile kitchenware.
Jon sharing about his Indian family taking him under their wing, just like Harry had with the Weasleys, is just beautiful. So glad that someone else who lost their parents was able to experience family love in the absence of their biological ones.
Molly isn’t just a stay at home mom and wife. I think she is the glue that holds everything together. She is also a valuable member of the order of the phoenix and has just as much standing as anyone there. We really don’t know what else she does in either the books or the movies. So Molly is a credible and miraculous person.
@Christian Seibold I don't know what the bulk of your comment has to do with what I said but thanks for your perspective. Ps: if you read my comments, you would know that I didn't consider Molly one dimensional either 🤷🏿♀️
@Day Maybe you would get a better response if you weren't so condescending to everyone. Also, literally nobody created a "strawman of your initial reply", that's just ridiculous.
Regarding your comment about one-dimensional characters - a character can be dimensional with hobbies and interests and jobs, and even if the hobbies relate to the job. However, there are other components of dimensional characters, like *personality* , opinions, beliefs, worldview, background, the way the character speaks (their dialect and idiolect), the way the character dresses, the way they relate to others, their emotions, etc.
I personally didn't find Molly's character to be one-dimensional in either the books or movies, but the movies could have removed some of these things of Molly's character - I wouldn't know though without rewatching all of the movies.
@Nick Rolfe you didn't. You created a strawman of my initial reply and then went on a tangent and got annoyed that I refused to bite. Thanks for the well wishes! I'm having a great one so far and hope you do too
@Day I mean I actually read your comment, you just didn't think to do the same so your whole argument is irrelevant. But happy new year, kid.
@Nick Rolfe pot, meet kettle. Happy New year though, kid. You got it.
Molly didn't have 7 children. She had 8. The moment she met Harry, even before he got with Ginny, he was her son. No questions asked. She became the motherly figure in his life. The Weasley's were his true family from day one. They all loved him. That was the one thing Harry needed more than anything. Kind, loving people who just want him in their space.
@Alder Blanco I believe the only difficulty between Molly and Hermione was in GOF when Molly believed Rita Skeeter’s stories about Harry and Hermione being a couple and Hermione supposedly doing wrong by Harry. Molly should have known that something was amiss when Rita referred to Hermione as first “stunningly pretty” and then “plain but ambitious.”
9, you're forgetting hermione
"he's not your son"
"he's as good as!" 😭😭😭
Seriously, the whole Wizarding World has the Weasleys to thank. Imagine Harry's life and the way he'll turn out if he hadn't met the Weasleys and form a strong bond with them. Sure, he has quite a lot of support from others too, but Ron and his family are crucial in Harry's development as a person. Without them, he wouldn't have experienced familial love to such an extent. Sirius was the godfather, and Remus was a good mentor, but they're different; they're essentially James's friends. The Weasleys love Harry for Harry, and they play a huge part in Harry's growth into a fine man.
This! She became his second mom from day one. Molly helped him get to the platform without even knowing who he was and Harry even got a family jumper even though they barely know each other outside of what Ron told her. That’s motherly love! 🥰
Alan is such a good filmmaker. It amazes me some of his ideas for touching up a scene sometimes that just make it come alive just a little bit more.
YES to microaffections! Life inevitably makes withdrawals from our contentment "bank account," but simply being kind and caring with each other (and ourselves) makes such a difference! So appreciate this heartwarming content! ❤
I can't believe Alan made me cry when he cried. I love the display of emotions.
Molly Weasley is hands down my favourite character in the HP universe. Sure, the Weasley family has plenty of flaws like any family, but when Mrs Weasley showed up for Harry before the final challenge in the tournament in book 4, I cried. She took in Harry and treated him like a son, already being strained having seven children and little money. Amazing
1, the death of Fred always got to me. My twin and I are close like they are. I don't want to imagine losing her.
2, my twin and I look almost exactly alike. So much so that I can't identify myself in most pictures before 1st grade. Having said that, I always claim that whichever is the cuter one is me.
3, one thing that always got me about Molly's treatment of Harry is that from Xmas in year 1, she has always given Harry a gift similar to what she gives all her sons. That implies that she has considered him one of her sons since year 1. Possibly because she recognized his loneliness at the train station, possibly because Ron wrote him about him lots including what Harry has told him about the Dursleys, possibly something else. I don't recall her treating any of her children's other friends similarly. Did she send similar gifts to Hermione? Lee Jordan? Any other friend of a Weasley mentioned? I don't think so.
Yes def special treatment, her and Arthur also Knew and were friends with his parents. So there’s that too
As a twin, YES. When Fred died my twin and I sat together and just couldn't believe that George lived through it and then apparently thrived. Like, what an absolute fighter.
Molly is actually very gifted at charms. The clock, the dishes being washed handsfree, that's supposedly her work and not at all easy. She has her own thing, she's crafty.
Thank you! I was rather annoyed when they suggested she was lacking and needed something like being a star athlete. I usually really agree with the stuff they talk about. Molly has her hobbies and is amazingly talented. I was astounded with her knitting prowess. Her charm work is excellent, and she beat bellatrix in a duel! She rules her home and she is living the life she created! We don’t need to turn her in to a professional athlete as well. She is already amazing.
She also devised a spell that made the clean laundry fold itself; the socks required a clever turn of the wrist while holding the wand. I remembered this many times when I had to fold my laundry, specifically the socks!😀
@Mia Moon I agree!
@Korgan Rocks I think there’s also something to be said about mothers when their children are in danger, and they perform these feats that they have never done before. Bellatrix had just nearly killed Ginny with one of her killing curses that she was just throwing around, and she’d already lost Fred. She wasn’t about to let another one of her kids die.
she was written perfectly to me. she had everything she wanted and did exactly what she wanted to do.
I'd be interested to see a character study of Harry Potter and the isolation he feels as an orphan neglected by his family. Even in the books he feels like such an outsider despite being loved by others in his life, and I do think it has loads to do with how he grew up so wholly neglected.
I just LOVE your guys' editor. Their little meme moments really bring the show together.
@Cinema Therapy Please let Sophie know that I let out an unholy snort when Potter Puppet Pals made an appearance.... Absolute classic.
We have a team of editors. Sophie did this one and knocked it out of the park!
I think especially Molly was a great example of a strong female character that isn't used that much anymore.
She is protective, cares about her children and looks after them. There are alot of examples where she shows how much she cares. All the enchantments of the home also are impressive in my opinion.
Her reaction to someone threatening her children also shows alot, she might not be the best wizard in this universe, but as soon as someone threatens a child of her? Damn she can be scary, showing she has it all. Strengh when needed, compassion when needed, and also some tough love in other situations. Such a great character.
Sidenote:
Jonathans Mother died 3 days before christmas? First of all: what a timing, second: That's my birthday. Talk about coincidences... damn
One thing that always struck me about Rowling's character descriptions is comparing the character to an animal in both appearance and personality. IIRC, Molly was described as a lioness. Quite fitting, I think.
@The Flute and the CrowThat’s sad. As a young woman, I pursued a professional career, but my stay-at-home Mom had a powerful influence on my doing that. She encouraged in any choice I am without judgment. I’m not sure I would’ve been able to do it without her bringing me up the way she did.
Wanting to be a mom and a housewife isn't considered a having good ' strong woman ' characteristics anymore :/
I felt so let down in Deathly Hallows part 2, because they didn't truly show how fierce Molly protected her children. Sure, they made her verbally fierce, but they really should have taken the time to show the full book description of that particular fight.
There isn’t enough respect for stay at home moms these days. I love modern depictions of great moms that choose to selflessly sacrifice for their children. Heroic
When she wasn’t in Goblet of Fire, a lot of the kids wrote letters to her saying how much they missed her during filming. She was a mother to all of them on and off screen. Such a perfect casting.
There’s so much commentary just on mothers throughout Harry Potter. With Lily Potter, Narcisa Malfoy, even Tonks. Honestly, could make a whole video just on that
Narcissa Malfoys story arc is one of my favorite details in the books. From GOF her love lays the groundwork for Dracos redemption, because we're shown that despite everything, the Malfoys lived each other. And that's tied so perfectly to Harry's story when Narcissa goes to check if he's dead in the forest. It's said repeatedly that the one thing Voldemort doesn't understand is love, so it never crossed his mind that the Malfoys would betray him because of their love for each other, and that's why Narcissa gets away with lying to Voldemort
I’m wondering if the exploration of mothers was she-who-shall-not-be-named’s way of dealing with the grief of losing her mother to MS. Because there is an interesting commentary in the books on the role of mothers, whether that’s in the form of protecting their children at all costs, or nurturing them and giving them everything you can.
@Kayla Ashworth And it’s the love she has for her son, whose survival Harry verifies, that gives her the strength to lie to Voldemort.
That's so sweet
Mother's Day video idea??? With a Mom guest!
The moment when Molly steps in for Ginny just gets me every time. Movie and books: it’s a beautiful show of love and I’m bawling.
I can’t watch any Molly Weasley scene without crying.
She’s the epitome of motherhood and everything I want to be for my kids.
1. I recently went to the HP universal studios in London. It is amazing how much thought went into everything. There was naturally also a section of the burrow. And the goal of it was exactly what you said “it should looked lived in and cozy”. The devorator said she wanted to get every detail right, so the actor could just interact with their surroundings without worrying about it looking off. She admited that there was one mistake where she had one simple white pillow somewhere (which is off brand for the borrow) and Mr. Weasly actually used it for a scene.
2. Not sure if they said it in the movies. Syrius’ family kind of “banned” him and he found a loving family in the Potters. So in a way the Weasleys do for Harry what Harry’s parents did for Sirius.
I think that viewers can figure out that Molly does have outside interests, or at least she did before she had kids, because we find out about her magical prowess in the last two movies. It is alluded to before then as well.
Having said that, just automating her house with magical spells to accomplish daily chores is pretty impressive magic.
"Word to your dead mother" made me laugh and cry pretty hard. I love... it as much as one can love a persevering beauty born out of pain. Peace be with you, Jon, may you remember from your family kindness and love and leave a legacy worthy of that which you have been given.
Alan, may you keep crying tears of healing for all the strangers who need them as much as if not more than you do.
The Weasleys are a perfect example of an often chaotic, but overall happy family. Molly is the ultimate mama bear, strict and fierce but also loving and warm. She practically takes Harry in as an adopted son without him even asking her to. Arthur is more of a goofball and doesn’t care about his family’s blood status, but he is still loving and supportive of his family’s choices. There is the issue with Percy, but I do admire how they address how politics can affect families. The Weasleys face prejudice because of their poverty and love for Muggles but they’re still amazing because in the end they come together as a family
at least the Weasleys are a loving family compared to The Dursleys.
@Korgan Rocks she is not generally influenced in everything, but she is in the topic of fleur and her idealisation of her brother Bill has a lot to do in that. Molly believes fleur to not be good enough for Bill and so does Ginny, because that idolisation of Bill is one thing she and Molly have in common.
@nessy ness Is Ginny "very influenced" by her mother's opinion? The impression I have is that Ginny idolises Bill(and perhaps Charlie too), is as annoyed by Percy as most people, finds the twins funny, gets along well with her dad and butts heads with Ron and her mom.
@Korgan Rocks pride and prejudice has little to do here, those two were the main characters with a lot more of character development. Fleur is an extremelly secondary character that we only see from the pov of other characters and never her own. We can't say she has a character arch, because we are never shown her perspective in order to claim she was not exactly the same way she was in the last book since the first time, everything we see is others people perspective and assumptions about her. And those assumptions get proved wrong eventually.
@Korgan Rocks ginny might have a point in that, but she is also very influenced by her mother's opinion. We don't actually see Fleur being so supposedly condescending to ginny, we do see ginny being generally bothered by everything fleur does, including being all cutesy sweet with Bill. Which, yeah, they might be quite cheesy and giving michi and yoshirin vibes, but is not a reason to hate her.
Summary
1. Lead with Love
2. Fun and bonding
3. Support eachothers dreams and ambitions
4. Comfort in hard times
5. Stand up for eachother
Jonathan, I was actually shocked to hear about the day your mom's passing because my dad ended up passing away on the same exact day on the 22nd and it was his birthday. Its a hard time of year now but my family and I try to make the best of the holidays but its sometimes hard to tear up whenever my dad's birthday comes around. I'm sorry for your loss and I hope everything's been going alright for you this past Christmas! Much love to everyone in the crew and Happy New years from me to you guys!
I had 3 brothers and the whole “only WE can pick on our sibling” thing was so very very true 😅
I’m just still bitter they cut Teddy Lupin from the last film in the ending! I honestly adore the Weasleys and Fred’s death honestly still gets me every time. I balled my eyes out at that scene AGAIN for the millionth time 😭 I have always wished that scene with Molly and Bellatrix was longer! She was so god same badass!!!!
I just wanna take a moment and thank you for your hilarious editing on top of everything else you do that helps us across some sad scenes, you guys are the best internet dads and I love how your sense of humor always shines through ♥
We so appreciate that! Thanks for watching! :)
I Love the Weasleys and your commentary, but I think it’s important to acknowledge that this family was the source of Ron’s insecurities. He felt he had a lot to live up to with his older brothers (e.g. he saw himself surpassing them in the mirror of erised) and there was also some neglect - his mother forgot the food or colors he liked, he got the worst hand-me-downs (George and Fred got normal dress robes from the oldest brothers but Ron got something ugly from a dead aunt). For parents with many children, I think they can get complacent thinking “oh, I know how to raise kids, I can take these shortcuts” but they forget that each kid is experiencing being a kid for the first time and they do notice when they’re treated differently or their parents put in less effort. Hell, my mom only had 2 kids, but my little brother was hurt that my mom can remember what time I was born but not him.
Hmm that’s a great point. Even in loving families there are still things lacking. Also the teasing from Fred and George really did make rom feel less confident
@Day ...
@Lahly Bird forgive me, there's no way I'm reading all that in a KZclip comments section.
I'm sure your first comment adequately captured our points of disagreement and mine did too. We have reached an impasse. Have a happy new year.
@Day correctly it's that you
I think though that sometimes some problems genuinely aren't that bad and that both context matters and also anything is bad in one way or another it's bad to ignore people with actual problems but it's also bad to overblow minor problems and make them out to be big problems because that's part of what contributes to people with legitimate problems not actually being taken seriously like calling someone abusive because they don't remember your favorite color is a bit of a stretch
Tears of joy I would like to work knowledge that Molly does display some abusive behaviors but not towards Ron
I'm pretty well known for saying that if we're going to criticize something we need to criticize it for the right reasons you know
Molly not remembering how Ron eats his sandwiches when she has seven children at least five of whom still live with her isn't a crime it's not abusive and honestly it's understandable my parents can still partly tell which one of us likes what and there's only four of us not seven plus people food preparative can change and all that
Tears of joy in list but while the sweater he gets for Christmas might be a color he doesn't like it's still a sweater his mother hand knitted for him
If we're going to call Molly abusive it's not for anything she did to Ron a lot of people seem to take what the fake Tom Riddle said to run as actual fact when I don't know if any of that's proven
Like the locket specifically called Ron out as being the least loved by Molly and that's definitely not true hell Ron was the first corpse she saw when she was facing her own evil demon shapeshifter thing that I don't know how to spell
I love Molly Weasley and I wish I could have belonged in the Weasley family a family with siblings when they tease each other it's out of good intent and any criticism is just good natured teasing and not someone actually devaluing your entire existence
But like I said before in that last comment and in others on this thread I do acknowledge where Molly has done abusive things not to run but to Fred and George
Tears of joy I said that Ron's insecurities work a little unfounded and that Molly and Arthur wouldn't love him less if he didn't do the best in school as shown countless times but there is a grain of Truth in the fact that Molly can be controlling over her kids career path after all she was willing to legitimately sabotage the twins destroy their work and possibly even threaten them in order to make sure they followed a path she wanted them to follow
And that's the real abusive thing that happens here but people focus on run not getting a new wand or new robes rather than that and I think that if just a little disingenuous tears of joy to the bigger picture
There is some of these happening in this household but nobody seems to see it not the real thing that's happening they're too focused on the small things that are complete mundane everyday normal things
And that's really where I think your perspective comes in here because that's what we should be saying not that it's okay to dismiss people with actual problems but that we need to actually figure out what the what's an actual problem and what isn't
Tears of joy enlist because not knowing your son specifically doesn't like a particular shade of red isn't a crime but going out of your way to sabotage your child's future is one
Tears of joy in list she even once said that everyone in the family had become a prefect when Ron got his badge while standing right next to the twins who were perfectly aware of this and call her out on it
Tears of joy enlist abusive right there
Tears of joy even then I can't hate Molly Weasley
Tears of joy like many children she was one of my surrogate mothers the story book I could never live
And just like everybody says we need to forgive perfect because he eventually came back even the worst things Molly did she made up for she apologized for the fight she had with the twins after the mistake at the world cup and when she saw that they actually were successful she was proud of them even if what she did to them maybe shouldn't be forgiven very good natured enough to accept it and if they forgive her then none of us have any right to not forgive her
And pretty much the only thing Molly Weasley and my mother has in common is that she'll fight to the death to protect her children from anything
And even though her actions are terrible they're just misguided after all she was worried about them worried they wouldn't go very far kind of like all those parents with kids with art majors or philosophy majors who could naturally tried to tell them that they're going to get themselves into bad situations but do it by telling them that their degree is actually worthless and they're wasting their lives well casually destroying their dreams in the process telling them to get a real job and stop spending time with your head in the clouds
But I don't believe Molly loved any of her children more than any others
She was right there anytime any of her kids gotten danger at the school and she still wrote perfia card and needed him a sweater for Christmas Even after he basically disowned the entire family
But let's be real we can call Molly abusive when you look at the dursleys
But yeah when you start destroying your children's things that is when you have crossed a line into bad territory and I'm not sure if she ever specifically apologized for that particular incident she apologized for the fight apologize for yelling at them about their grades but never apologize for destroying their work and if that's something that will bother people if they even realize it behind all the accidentally served roast beef sandwiches and maroon sweaters then that's understandable if that's a line you to think shouldn't be crossed then it is and if you can't forgive Molly for that I can't blame you
Tears of joy let's please just know what we're doing when we say things
Tears of joy let's figure out where our lines cross mine would not be crossed at a sandwich with the crust not cut off
Let's be real Ron's only going to be upset about that sandwich for a day or two it's not going to be life shattering unlike some of the other stuff some other parents in this book series do the twins might have been financially screwed but they weren't because Harry came back and bailed them out and with that saved they were all able to forgive each other in the end even if I kind of think that Molly should have at least apologized or at the very least been called out by someone
But there's so many things in this book series who can pay attention to every single plot line even super fans forget things and miss things and detail flip past people who's going to make sure every single fight ever had a revolution about every single part of it no one's going to do that we can just assume that the apology covered the destruction not just the yelling about the grades we don't have to have that spelled out for us even if some people will use the fact that it wasn't to say it was not there and that is just as someone assuming it is there as both interpretations are possible since it's not stated
Tears of joy and of course let's not forget that these are books and that none of these characters are real and I don't think anyone actually reading the books as a little kid is actually going to pick up on the few red flags Molly have they like pretty much everyone I know probably just saw the mother who makes way too much food and knit sweaters every Christmas and trades her children's friends like they're part of the family and manages to pull through even when poverty is about to pull her down
And some people were probably scared of her just because of her cheer ferocity and not because they actually thought she was violent like me I never saw why we tears of joy needed Molly to be a big part of the final fight
I mean the author said she need to show Molly as intimidating and not just a housewife but I was always intimidated by her and kind of the same way Harry was intimidated by madam pomfrey or professor McGonagall in fact they also both scared me as a child
Lol
@Lahly Bird I think you missed the point of my post entirely, and in fact only further proved it. Sorry for your abuse and hope you're doing better now
I’d say Molly’s biggest contribution to the book and the film is that she is a protector. Watching her take down Belatrix was the moment I think everyone possibly cheered more for than when Voldemort was vanquished lol. Molly and Arthur I think are the parents any kid would want, their lifestyle reminds me of my grandparents cause they ended up with 8 kids to raise. So some of the penny stretching was relatable to see.
There is a scene in The Goblet of Fire in the end of the book. Harry is in the Hospital wing and Molly gives him a warm hug and it is described as the first time Harry gets a from a parent figure. It brings me to tears EVERY TIME (yes, I re-read them a-lot). Molly does really love and care for Harry as if he was her own son. And the fact that she opens her heart, her home and bring him into the family, is just so beautiful. I love the Weasly’s ❤️
I love the Weasleys. I love the set design of the Burrow. They made it look so homey and welcoming. The Burrow in the movie looked and felt true to the books.
Oh yeah they NAILED the book description
The Burrow is the best!
My husband lost his dad at 14 and his mom at 21. He definitely has made jokes about not having a mom or dad. Not in a long time because it makes people uncomfortable (he's 58) but definitely back then, he would play it for laughs.
This was something he did more with the loss or his dad than the loss of his mom. I think a lot of it had to do with the general assumption that everyone has a mom or dad, or as a relationship with their mom or dad. It's easy to forget this around the holidays.
My mom is like Molly. Her whole life is dedicated to being a stay at home mom and caretaker. Much of this is because my sister and father are horrifically ill, but it's who she is, and like Molly, she wears it with pride. Does she have hobbies? Sure, so does Molly. Like for example, Molly loves Witch Weekly magazine, and Cistina Warbeck (a singer from the books). But she wanted to have a huge loving family, and she suceeded. My mom only had 4 kids, but she would have had a lot more if her body could have handled it. She's taken in my friends, especially one of them who doesn't have any family worth speaking of, as her own children, and is so passionate and so loving. You do discredit to stay at home moms by wishing Molly was more than she appears. I like your videos, but you're very wrong about Molly, and that's disappointing.
One of the things I love most about the Weasleys, and this wasn't well portrayed in the films, is that they don't talk about their poverty as a bad thing. It's a delicate topic they try to avoid bringing up, because the kids know how hard their parents work to make sure they want for nothing. The parents took their kids to Egypt when they won money. I see a lot of people giving grief on reddit for this, saying they should have invested or improved their home life or whatever. But memories are much more important to the Weasleys than material things, and that is something the movies just can't show.
I literally teared up reading this. Thank you!
I absolutely adore the Weasleys. Someone told me something once that I have never forgotten. "If you're ever feeling sad, down about yourself, or if you're just having a bad day, just think how excited Mr. Weasley would be to meet you." So for anyone who hasn't heard that, here you go lol.
I got teary-eyed just thinking about it 🥺. I'll keep it in mind. Thanks ❤️
And rubber ducks
Oh that's brilliant, I think I might recycle that!
I heard a similar phrase "if you ever feel worthless good for nothing, remember Arthur Weasley would think you are cool because you can operate the microwave"
I really needed that ty 🥲
"Not my daughter, you bitch!" has to be the most badass line in the entire series. In the book it's even more intense, Molly pushes Harry out of the way and SPRINTS across the Great Hall, saying that Bellatrix is her kill. You get the feeling that she could broken Bell's wand *and* neck with her bare hands.
Okay, I know nobody gonna read this comment, but I try it anyway. If you guys are searching for movies to make a video about, I can recommend you Puss In Boots - The Last Wish. I found the characters in this one are just unbelievable! There could be a really good family therapy video (Puss, Kitty and that doggo), villain therapy video (the blonde girl with the bears) or therapy of a hero (Puss himself) because every single one of them had fantastic developments in my point of view. But that's just an idea. Thanks if you reading this
That Molly vs Bellatrix is my second favorite moment in all the movies. Such a perfect “mama bear” in the best way moment. My first favorite is McGonegal bringing the castle defenses to life and being very satisfied with herself “I always wanted to use that spell.” It was just so perfectly played.
I remember a part in the book where molly is trying to get rid of a boggart and she was struggling because it kept appearing as her children dead and harry also appeared as dead and it was that moment I realised just how much maternal love molly has for her children including harry
There's a really lovely, if not a little dark, detail that is more obvious in the books than the movies about Mrs Weasley being able to see the signs of neglect on Harry. In the second book especially, they talk about the Dursleys starving him. When he first gets to the burrow Mrs Weasley laments how skinny he his and proceeds to feed him immediately and for the rest of his stay makes sure he has seconds, if not 3rds and 4ths... 🥰
One thing that I really love about the mourning scene with Fred is that even though George is devastated at the loss of his twin, his literal other half, the second he sees Ron, his baby brother, he doesn’t hesitate to hug him and comfort him, and also accept that comfort from Ron.
@Fleet Skipper i think it's an interview with JKR. After working as an Auror for a few years Ron takes over the domestic role of helping Hermione bring up the kids and helps run the joke shop.
@small sashaAren’t readers later told that after graduation from Hogwarts, Ron helped George run the joke shop for awhile? I can’t remember where I learned that
@Ann Wilson Specially since Ron is always right there with Harry, who's the main target of this whole war.
Admittedly Ron was their closest sibling after each other and having Ron share the grief with him would have helped him. Ron breaking down over Fred's body is one of the saddest moments in the movies. Rupert is a phenomenal actor.
I wish the movies had included Percy's estrangement, because Fred's last moments made Percy's reconciliation that much more important.
Can I just say, in the hands of a mother, that clock is amazing. In the hands of an emotionally abusive/manipulative partner, that clock is terrifying!
Jonathan said that Artur is a sympathizer with a marginalized group, and then I realized that Hermione is also a sympathizer with a marginalized group, and like it all makes sense that Ron didn't look down on Hermione as the other wizards did
Family dinners aren't just valuable for bonding between kids and their parents, but also amazing for bonding between partners. My husband's and my relationship has been on the rocks, due to both of us struggling with different mental health issues, and we made it a rule to share breakfast and dinner, which we usually ate at our PCs and it has been massively helpful.
Also, interestingly enough, sleeping in separate rooms was healing to our relationship, since he likes to sleep extremely warm and I like to sleep with the windows wide open, letting the cool night air in.
Not even finished the video yet, Molly is my role model. How warm and extensive her love is to each and every person. I hope like her and others like her, I can warmly invite others like they’re already family.
There is a book series called the ghost mountain shifters series, by Audrey Faye. It is full of , stuffed with micro-affections. it is a werewolf series so if that's not your cup of tea you can duck out. but it is an amazing example of a community/ really large family of people loving each other and helping heal each other from and through the trauma they shared. I adore this series. there's a lot of " I don't think I'm helping by being here, and I don't want to hurt them" and them responding " we want you here, this is how you can be helpful with the things and love you give" it is wonderful and I highly recommend giving it a read. there's also a lot of giving trauma survivors real choices and making sure they know they can actually choose, like we will love you and we won't abandon you if you need to move across the continent.
My favorite scene of Molly’s love is in the books. When she is struggling to rid the Black house of the boggart and the boggart just keeps transforming into different family members dying. Most people’s biggest fear is darkness or bugs or something crazy. This just shows that Molly’s family is always on her mind.
@Bofh Zero Zero I think the general "you" in your comment gave it that meaning. I'm glad you personally found more meaningful fears when you had children, I imagine if you had stated "Before **I** was a parent, my biggest fears were darkness and bugs, but one **I** became a parent, my child..." Instead, you speculated on a generalisation and that's what I responded to. Merry Christmas!
@Day I’m sorry if that’s what you got from my message above, that somehow I imply that people who aren’t parents don’t know/understand deep love. My point was about newly found fears as a parent. Of course I loved my dear ones before I became a parent, but I was not ready for how present my fear for my child was. It’s one of the things that very people talk about when referring to parenthood. It’s a very personal experience for me.
@Bofh Zero Zero as a non-parent, I have to disagree. My biggest fear was never bugs or darkness or anything like that, but losing my loved ones (or them being hurt). I think the idea that people (especially women) who don't have children are somehow bereft of deep love and the fears that come with loving people deeply is a damaging one that almost robs us of our personhood and casts us as shells waiting for children to make our lives and experiences meaningful. There are parents who fear trivial things more than they fear for their children, there are childfree and childless people who fear for their loved ones more than they fear trivial things. It's not exclusive to one group or another.
And that Harry was amongst them
I think your worst fear might be darkness or bugs or reptiles when you aren’t a parent. When you are a parent, with all the amazing experiences and feelings you get, you also get that new fear that you never want to name,and it’s always half a step behind you.
Another fear, which is true it mellows with time, is the fear of something terrible happening to you and your kid being left alone, defenseless (or even worse, seeing it happen). That’s why I choke up every time I think of Lily Potter and wish I had her magic to leave behind for years as a shield. If the worst comes to happen that is.
I had someone like Mrs. Weasley in my life. When I was in high school, a 'not great' family situation happened and I lived with one of my best friends and her family for about five years. Her mom (and the whole family honestly) took me in as their own with unconditional love. They are family to me forever.
I can’t believe I’m saying this because I generally would agree that Molly has a need for Molly as not-the-mama, but frankly, the fight scene with Bellatrix is more powerful because all we know about Molly at that point is she’s the best mom in the wizarding world. And then she has one of the best wizard duels in Potterdom from the same point of love that Lily used to save Harry.
Every time I watch your videos and you talk about relationships and highlight healthy habits I never learned, it encourages me to try again, and gives me hope that today can be better than yesterday. I might make mistakes as a parent, but I can learn from them and do better in the future
I particularly love all the mayhem the Twins caused in fourth and fifth year with their dangerous sweets.
But they were really good with their magic, as they invented things that the Ministry of Magic themselves ordered in large quantities for their employees. One was the shield hat that made curses bounce off the wearer.
One thing the Weasley Twins found is that there are a number of wizards who can't do a simple shield spell. I believe that one is protego, which does just that: returns the curse to the caster without hurting the one casting the shield spell.
I love how you singled out the Molly/Bellatrix duel as one scene that could’ve been done a little better. And Alan (I presume others in the comments have already pointed this out, but w/e), what you describe as Molly-the-Terminator is literally what happens in the book: Molly sees Bellatrix’s curse miss Ginny by an inch and instantly barrels forth, knocking everyone out of her way, and launches into an absolutely merciless assault on Bellatrix that, if anything, puts _Bellatrix_ on her back heel; they duel hard enough the floor itself becomes hot and cracked; and Bellatrix barely gets a final taunt in before Molly’s curse hits her square in the heart, killing her. No weird little “ah-ha, I am victorious!” grin at the end, either, which I always felt was a bit inappropriate to the mood - Molly wouldn’t be rejoicing or gloating here, she’d just be worried and heartbroken and angry and relieved.
The scene in the movie is fine, good even, but I do think it’s one scene that could’ve been improved if they’d just stuck line-for-line to what the book described. Much more raw.
@Ege Kazkayası Disagree. Like Korgan wrote, all her kids are smart and talented, she also uses a lot of charms to run the household, probably enchanted their home to hold that weird structure together, Slughorn had high hopes for her when she was younger, which shows she was among top students and not least of all she went full mama bear mode. She'd already lost a son that night, she wasn't going to loose her only daughter. She was full on, while Bellatrix was just having fun and underestimated her opponent.
Her running a household doesn't mean she's not skilled with magic. Maybe she just chose it because she enjoys it.
@Ege Kazkayası The Weasleys are quite a talented family in general, magically speaking: Bill and Percy got top grades at Hogwarts(and Bill went on to raid ancient tombs with lethal magical traps), Charlie was a quidditch star and went on to wrangle dragons, Fred and George literally INVENTED new magical spells and enchanted objects, including an indoor swamp that their teacher didn't want to remove because it was such an impressive bit of magic, Ron survived more danger before graduating school than most Aurors do in their whole career, and the twins use Ginny as an example when they tell Harry that size has nothing to do with magical power.
There's also hints in the books that Molly was a talented witch, although the movies don't do anything similar iirc.
It was stupid though , there should be no way Molly wins that fight.
I kind of see tons of emotions in Molly's smile after she does away with Bellatrix; triumph that she protected her daughter against a strong bad guy, relief knowing Bellatrix can never hurt anyone else in her family or anywhere, and some malicious glee that she took out the woman who killed Sirius and caused Harry so much pain and who participated in the battle that killed her son Fred, causing grief to the whole family and devastating George for the rest of his life. Molly is a mother who would get those dark emotions out of herself that way so she could go back to taking care of her grieving family without those dark emotions weighing her down.
"HaRrY, dId YoU pUt YoUr NaMe In ThE gObLeT oF fIrE?!"
- Dumbledore said calmly.
Item 4 is exceptionally tough when you are an only child. Having recently lost a parent, even though my spouse and inlaws went above and beyond for me, not having a sibling to commiserate with or grieve with or even bring comfort to was more painful than i anticipated.
I find it very beautiful that Harry, during his childhood got to experience feeling accepted and loved unconditionally by the Weasly parents and their children. The way they opened up their home to him without making him feel ashamed of his dire and abusive situation at the Dursley’s is also beautiful. Some say Harry didn’t show any signs of trauma from his abusive upbringing at the Dursley’s, but he did- by being controlling, struggling to ask for help in the beginning of the book series insisting on solving issues on his own, he had fits of aggression too and it came out in other ways too. If one is looking at these different aspects (the abuse, Harry’s reaction to being abused for years on end, the warmth and love he recieved from the Dursley’s), I think J.K. did a stellar job of bringing attention to an issue that sadly is very much a part of society. Her giving space to child abuse, in a children’s book brought many children knowledge about their situation and gave them the courage to ask an adult for help outside of their home (someone at their school or some other trusted adult), and some adults more awareness and feeling more ok with stepping in when they saw children being mistreated (even by a caregiver). It’s a very taboo subject and very much stigmatized, and I understand it even more now after having studied psychology at university. I also appreciated the way she spoke on the subject of racism in the books by adapting it to ”muggle bloods” and ”real wizards and witches”. / Scandinavian
Edit: 😌 Spelling mistakes (there might still be some, but I tried to clean up the ones I caught).
Another family you should cover is the Calvins/Millers from The Santa Clause movies! I have ALWAYS loved that they are a happy blended family! I love that they legit support each other and love one another. I really don’t see blended families in movies much and I didn’t grow up in one myself but it honestly brings me joy seeing the way it’s portrayed
I have a question for Jonathan. Does it get easier after your mom passed away? My mom recently passed away in June, and these past 6 months without her have been just so incredibly hard. The only ones left from my mom's side of the family are me and my uncle Mark (my mom's oldest brother), and everyone on my mom's side (granddaddy, grandma, uncle Jim (younger uncle), uncle Mark (older brother), and my mom) made my life the best. I don't know how to explain it. We were poor af, but like the Weasley's, I never felt like I was poor because of my mom's side (my dad's side was never really a part of my life except for every other weekend, and even then, we weren't as close as my mom's side. My dad's side didn't even hug each other until my first stepmom came along around 2003ish when I was 17/18ish.) My mom's side meant everything to me, and I feel so alone without them now. Like, my uncle Mark is great, but he's introverted and a loner and not very affectionate, so I don't really get hugs anymore, and that's what I miss the most. Those long and meaningful hugs. I just, I need to know if the pain gets easier to deal with as time moves forward after the loss of your mom.
I lost my dad in 2017 but honestly the pain still hits sometimes, it doesn't so much get easier but becomes sort of more in the background the first year is definitely the most raw.
Two absolutely brilliant characters, superbly played by Julie Walters and Mark Williams. I firs read the books as a young adult, pre motherhood. I wanted to be Molly Weasley, her ferocious love for her children spoke to my mamma’s soul
I love the look on George's face when Ron comes in and he grabs him in a fierce hug. In spite of Fred's loss, the immense relief and love when he sees that Ron is alive is wonderful. Oliver really nailed that moment.
The last Potter movie was perfect right up until Harry's death and return. It was a bit wonky after that.
One of my favourite KZclip channels talking about my all time favourite film series - how can it get any better? ❤ Could you do more HP related videos? There’s so much more to react to like the Malfoys or the friendship between the golden trio etc etc. Thank you!! 🎉
I didn't expect this one to hit me as hard as it did. When Jono starts speaks of his trip back after his mom passed and how his siblings and he had a chance to mourn together, and it feels like it broke me a little. I understand the loss of a parent, as mine have long since passed, but I never had this time with my siblings. I feel like missing that ability to do so is part of why my siblings and I are no longer close. It is very important to be supportive and receive support back from your family. When you don't get that relationship and it becomes too late it sticks with you the remainder of your life. I appreciate that Jono and Alan often speak of their own personal experiences to provide not just evidence of understanding what they are talking on each episode, but also to remind those of us who watch that they get us, even if they dont directly know us.
What I always found impressive from Arthur and Molly as a parenting team, is how there is no good cop/bad cop dynamic even though Molly is clearly more strict and Arthur more mellow. The kids don't fear Molly for being strict and love Arthur because he let's them get away with stuff. If needed Arthur will step in and that is when the kids know they done fucked up. And Molly showers is obvious that she is strict because she cares about THEM. Not about image, not about what anyone will think, not about cost of damaged property. Her first care is always her children and they know it.
As a trans viewer, I have my complicated feelings on Harry Potter. (no, I don't hate it!) The mention of us trans fans meant a lot to me personally. Thank you for the disclaimer and acknowledgement! Also, as a man who grew up in a big family, I related to a lot in this episode. And as usual, you guys always make me tear up. Thank you again! Rock on, dudes. ❤️
@TigerFucker I feel ya.
I'm trans too and also feel kinda conflicted about Harry Potter. I grew up with the books and movies. HP formed a big part of my childhood I made so many friends and connections because of it. Knowing that this magical world was created by someone who became so aggressively transphobic really hit me.
Hiii there fellow trans viewer☺
With Molly, I think that even in the movies, we're seeing a lot skewed through the Harry-cam. For Harry, she is the first maternal figure he's ever really experienced (at least within his conscious memory), so that's what he notices. She is, in fact, in the Order of the Phoenix, dealing with her fears (which are extreme; she lost her brothers in the last war), and may well be doing quite a lot while the kids are off at Hogwarts. But Harry's not going to notice it because for him, her superpower is loving him and momming him.
@Danny I wish they'd been able to leave that in the movie. It was such a strong visual imagery of a fear that you can't laugh away, or make amusing in any form.
@Hostile_Prof he sees evidance of it, but he does not quite think that through to its conclusion to hung up with his own problems and being angry at everyone
I was going to point this out too. Molly is very active in the Order. The Weasleys turn their home into headquarters and keep the group together after Dumbledores death. She shields her children from the realities of the war but I have no doubt she stays busy
@Fighting Faerie yes. It made him realize it wasn't just his one sided wish and that she truly cared for him the exact same way she would her children.
@Hostile_Proffrom what I remember she wasn’t practicing. There was a boggart in a wardrobe or cabinet and either she forgot and didn’t realize. It startled her and took her off guard, she wasn’t prepared for it’s imagery. That’s why she was embarrassed, because boggarts should be fairly easy to dispel especially for a highly skilled member of the OotP, but the fear of losing her entire family is so strong because she loves them so much. Also the fact that an image of a dead Harry alongside the rest of the Weasleys was important to show how much she views Harry as if he was one of her own children. Harry sorta always knew they took him in, but seeing himself as part of Molly’s nightmare made him realize, I remember it being an important moment for him in the books.
One of my favorite things about Molly vs. Bellatrix was the realization that Molly and Arthur have produced SEVEN extraordinary wizards. There isn't a single Weasley kid that doesn't have some sort of hella wizard strength. I feel like we go the whole series thinking about those kids and how neat they all are, and then right at the end we get reminded that their talents weren't just random luck. When I first read this part of the book, it struck me that I'd never thought about who Molly and Arthur were before they were parents. All of a sudden I'm wondering how powerful you have to be to create an entire clan of strong wizards, what life would have looked like for them if they hadn't been so family-oriented. It emphasized the idea that they could have done other things, but they *chose* to center their lives around their family.
Another thing worth pointing out is how quickly and easily the family forgives each other. I forget how the movie handled it but I remember when Percy shows up in DH for the final battle and admits he was wrong, his brothers welcome him back right away.
Good point!
I love how the captions, when they speak together, call them internet dads. It feels so accurate and I love it
This is brilliant! Somewhere in reading so much fanfiction and diving deep into the fandom world, I forgot how genuinely delightful all the Weasleys' are. Thank you for reminding me! On a side note: can you guys eventually, at some point, do an episode on 'Big Little Lies' that stars all those big 5 actresses and talk about probably trauma bonding and relationships between women? I'd love to hear about that from a therapist's perspective and the direction is gorgeous!
Something I just noticed seeing the scene with Bellatrix in this video: If you look closely, when Molly's being pushed back just before she begins advancing again to beat Bellatrix, Arthur and her kids raise their wands like they're about to assist Molly before she gets her wind back. Even the little background elements show just how in tune and supportive the family are to each other
@AW Hartig That last phrase should be on t-shirts. (12/13/2022)
I *never* underestimated Molly's proficiency with magic. The competence with which she manages the household and sheer talent that she displays with her homely magic shows profound talent. Crouching mama bear, hidden badass.
OH MY GOD! I don't even know enough words in English to describe how amazing this video is (actually, how all of your videos are). The meaning of words and expressions on the corner of the screen, Dwight's face checking the facts as you say them. What a work, I'm amazed. Cinema Therapy is unquestionably my favourite YT channel.
One thing that really warmed my heart about Molly is that she sees Harry, and knows that he’s being abused and neglected. And the very first thing she says to him is “It’s not your fault. I’m not mad at you. Now, sit down and eat,” probably knowing full well that he hasn’t had a real meal in weeks.
Jono talking about his sister apologizing to him for something she said as a child just reminded me of myself apologizing to my own sister for the (in my eyes) verbally and emotionally abusive things I said and did to her. She says she doesn't even remember all that, but I do feel responsible for her negative self-image for her body and school smarts. Apologizing and being forgiven is absolutely cathartic, but the self-forgiveness is a process I'm still working on.
I love how I'm getting to know the story better, learning about directing, film making AND acting all in one video ❤
As a writer by hobby, I find myself in a odd situation when I have to write a character’s family - I feel I might want to have the character be alone for one other reason - but also comes the feeling of writing a lovely happy family - which is a personal soft spot for me, as despite my parents being loving and nurturing, my relationship with my parents almost completely fell apart when I came out to them - so the idea of writing a family that accepts and cherishes regardless of that is… kinda bittersweet.
My favorite Molly scene is in Goblet of Fire when Molly held Harry when he finally let himself cry. She held him like she would her children
@Sexy Dictator I get so emotional at that part 😭. There’s been moments in my life where I felt I could really use one of those
One time ,my friend and I, who were both going through a lot of things at the time, were walking out the door to go somewhere and I just said, hey remember that part in book 4… and we both just started crying
Took us about 10 minutes, pulled ourselves together, and went off to the store or ice cream place or wherever we were going haha
@gloomylamp as I am listening to the book I am so dreading and looking forward to it
Yes, this is a scene I always rememeber when I think about the Weasleys! So heartwarming.
"Harry had no memory of ever being hugged like this, as though by a mother."
Yeah, one of the best moments in the books. 😭😭
My parents kind of kicked me out (well they moved out, I wasn't invited, said they still would help me financially while finish my studies and that promise lasted 3 months so now I have to quit college because my country doesn't help students with parents who can, anyway). My bf's mother always buy a cheap advent calendar with chocolate in it for her daughter and her (bf don't like chocolate), and this year she got me one as well and hugged me. I almost broke down in tears.
I know a few ”Weasleys” - those kind of persons are just about the best ones in the world! 🥰
Oh, also - I’d really love to hear your thoughts on the family dynamics & working through traumas in ”The Horse Whisperer” (1998’s movie starring Robert Redford & Kristin Scott Thomas). 🙏🏻✨
Loved this one so much as a kid, still do.
It has SO much in the ’simple story of a mere film’.
Merry Christmas to you guys and a Happy New Year! 🎄✨🎉
Moly was more than just a mother. She was an absolute fighter.
My best friend for the last 14 years had a very absentee mother and as a result was always over at my house - while my mom was always seen as the strict, 'scary' one of all the friends' parents, she was always the one my friends and I would call for help. She'd get mad or stressed but she always showed up, she took care of my bff like she was her daughter and to this day my friend and I are both so thankful for my mom for that. She's even said my mom was more a parent to her than her own mother and it both saddened me and made me glad that I got to share my family with her
Just as a mention Molly at the end movies is one of the most amazing moms. She come across Bellatrix and Molly shows she isn't just a wife or a mother but a power not to be messed with when it comes to her family. Molly is amazing.
The moment the HP books changed my life was after the quidditch world cup Molly is distraught that she had yelled at the twins before they left about not Testing well enough and if they got got those would be the last words she said. Even though she said like "have a good time, I love you." As they're walking away, she knew that what she said before would have stuck with them more. I think more before saying things and try not to leave angry because of this. Love her ❤️
Also, screw J.K. Rowling.
The heartbreaking thing about Fred’s death is that not only did George lose his other half, but in the book, Percy made a joke for the first time in a long long time, and it made Fred laugh ( they were together during the battle) and Fred has forgiven him for being a jerk to the family. But right at that moment of forgiveness and happiness between the too, Fred dies. I also think Fred is the first to “welcome” Percy back and hug him if a remember correctly. And the fact that George asks “are you okay Freddie” a couple of scenes before Fred’s death. And it’s beautiful and so sad that Fred died laughing. He was all about laughter and fun. My favorite characters are definitely Fred and George ❤
@Ks Y 😔💕
Mine too. I loved Luna, Hermione, Dumbledore and Harry of course, but the twins always had an extra special place in my heart. They always kept me laughing through the books and didn't take anything seriously. I was so devastated when Fred died.. I still quote some of their lines to this day. "Ask me no questions and I shall tell you no lies" 🥲
I love what you said about putting yourself in social harm's way. My younger brother is autistic and ADHD, and he has an IEP. When he was in ninth grade, his choir teacher tried to fail him for not "participating" in class the way he wanted him to. My brother had choir as his last class of the day, his ADHD medication was wearing off, and he was hyper and wanting to pace and talk to others. The teacher could not legally fail him because of his IEP; failing an IEP student means that the _teacher_ is failing to meet the student's accommodations. This teacher also ignored my parents' emails, wouldn't come to IEP and 504 meetings, and claimed that my brother's accommodations were, in fact, working, when the simple fact that he was failing my brother on _participation points_ proved they were not. I had the same teacher, and things came to the point where it was up to me to confront my teacher during class hours about not answering my parents' emails. I _hounded_ him about it until he finally responded to my parents to get me off his back. It ended with him disliking me so much that I ended up quitting choir my senior year of high school, even though singing has always been the thing I loved most. I sacrificed my relationships with my classmates and the thing I loved for my little brother, and I will never regret any of it. ❤
Molly should've had more as an independent person, but she gets a glimpse of that when she's always helping the Order (of the Phoenix), being the one responsible for the HQ to be functional as a house as well and she was at the battle of Hogwarts. All stuff that shows her courageous gryffindor core
I think one thing with Molly is that family seems to be her priority. She wants all her kids to live up to her expectations -- we can see this from how she mentions Bill, Charlie, and Percy when scolding her other kids, and how she admonishes Fred and George for not getting enough O.W.L.s. Nonetheless, she is still very supportive of her children, and the whole family is very supportive. Maybe that's why the children generally did not go bad even with stress from Molly.
As a trans person, I believe in separating art from its artist and I was ready to just dive into an analysis of the art, but the disclaimer at the beginning made me smile. You guys really feel like dads taking care of their internet kids
@Sara Hyou're mostly just either making things up for yourself or buying into misinformation hate speech, the things you say just don't happen
Can you please explain to me why it made you smile when these guys implied that anyone who doesn't believe you has problems?
Genuinely confused not mad:
From my perspective ppl are telling me they are something they physically are not and I have to agree or said ppl will seek revenge.
And if you says it's not physical, everyone has gendered Spirits; Nobody is required to believe in anyone else's spiritual beliefs (Exept yours?)
I'm not part of the LGBT+ society so I don't feel the need to off myself because you're not validating me (which seems like the actual problem that needs adressing to me, not swept under the rug by getting rid of any opposition you may face to your view of yourself) but I feel gaslight by everyone acting like this its normal to other anyone who disagrees with popular ideology.
Again I'm not mad, and I don't want you to hurt yourself in any way, I'm just not pretending to believe you on this and would like to know why I'm being told that's not OK.
I have to say, one of my favorite tropes is characters who care deeply about each other and express that affection primarily through mockery. It's certainly not the only way that loving relationships can look, but when it's done well it can be very touching and it's also just an easy excuse to put a lot of humorous dialog in without breaking character.
‘Where HAve You Been!?’ And ‘Oh really, how’d it go?’
Are my two favourite lines in the entire series. I love Molly and Arthur, the juxtaposition is comedic gold and so realistic 😂
@nrrork oh man, I love that scene in the book!
My favorite was in Order of the Phoenix when they visit Arthur in the hospital, and he explains the doctors tried giving him this muggle treatment called "stitches".
And Molly says "It sounds like you're saying you tried to sew your skin back together... but even YOU wouldn't be stupid enough..."
And we never hear the rest because Harry and Hermione already know where this is going and calmly lead the other kids out of the room.
So it's quiet for a bit, then they hear Molly shouting "WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'That's the general idea!?'"
It's a shame that wasn't in the movie.
I think one of the main reasons why I used to love and watch and rewatch all Harry Potter movies in my childhood is because of this exact point. Maybe in the deepest of my heart I just wanted to have a family like Weasley's.