Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
November 16, 2001 in theaters
Harry Potter has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle's house his whole life. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he's a powerful wizard—with a place waiting for him at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As he learns to harness his newfound powers with the help of the school's kindly headmaster, Harry uncovers the truth about his parents' deaths—and about the villain who's to blame.
Cast
Director
TRAILER
QUOTE
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."
DID YOU KNOW?
The Sorting Hat's song was entirely improvised by the prop team -- it became a beloved tradition across the series.
THE VERDICT
Synthesized from published reviews
The first film in the franchise does exactly what it needs to do: it makes the world feel real. The production design and casting are almost uniformly right -- Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, Dumbledore, Snape, Hagrid -- and the film earns the affection it generates by refusing to condescend to its audience. It is a faithful adaptation that understood the books' essential quality was their sense of discovery. A film that launched one of the most enduring franchises in cinema history on exactly the right note.
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