Harry Potter’s Big Order of the Phoenix Fumble Is Still the Series’ Worst Book Change

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Although Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a good film, the way the first chapter of J.K. Rowling’s book was adapted remains a weak point in the series. The fifth Harry Potter book, published in 2003, continues Harry’s story after the return of Voldemort at the end of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The book follows Harry as he deals with troubling connections to Voldemort, while also facing increasing disbelief and rejection from the wizarding community.

Harry is supported by his close friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and together they form Dumbledore’s Army, practicing and expanding their magical skills as the situation becomes more dangerous. The Harry Potter films often had to shorten or cut scenes from J.K. Rowling’s books because of time limits, storytelling choices, and what filmmakers thought was most important for the plot. A prime example is the beginning of Order of the Phoenix, which is quite different in the movie than in the book, and this change still feels awkward even after almost twenty years.

Order of the Phoenix Cut Most of the Book’s Opening Scene

Okay, let’s talk about Order of the Phoenix. This one felt different right from the start – noticeably darker and more depressing than the previous Harry Potter books. Like Harry, we’re thrown back into a situation he didn’t ask for, and he’s just trying to cope. The opening scene, with him hiding amongst the flowers at the Dursleys’ and listening to the radio, really sets the tone. He’s grappling with everything that happened in Goblet of Fire – Voldemort’s return – and it’s frustrating because he’s not getting any answers from the wizarding world. Honestly, what bothered me most was how isolated Harry felt. Even his best friends, Ron and Hermione, weren’t keeping him in the loop, and he’s left feeling completely shut out despite being at the center of everything.

The first chapter of Order of the Phoenix is full of conflict, with Harry getting into several arguments that set the story in motion. When the Dursleys find where Harry’s been staying, they immediately question and provoke him. Harry leaves the Dursleys’ house upset and unexpectedly runs into Dudley and his friends. A fight breaks out, and then Dementors appear – this is how the book begins. However, the movie starts very differently. It skips all this background and instead shows Harry alone on a playground being bullied by Dudley and his friends, with the Dementors arriving soon after. This makes the movie’s opening feel abrupt and less suspenseful than the book’s.

Even after nearly twenty years, the decision to significantly cut the beginning of Order of the Phoenix still hurts the movie, and it remains one of the weakest parts of the film adaptation. Removing Harry’s initial experiences trying to understand what’s happening in the wizarding world isn’t just a loss of important context; it also damages his relationship with Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, and prevents the film from exploring the deeper roots of Harry’s emotional pain. J.K. Rowling’s opening chapter excels at showing Harry’s state of mind, rather than simply telling us, but without that crucial build-up, the movie fails to effectively convey his inner turmoil.

The movie adaptation of Order of the Phoenix unfortunately doesn’t fully capture Harry Potter’s personality, particularly by leaving out some of his most memorable and witty lines. For example, when his aunt and uncle accuse him of watching the news, Harry cleverly retorts, “It changes every day, you see,” which really shows his sarcastic side. Another funny line, cut from the beginning of the film, has Harry teasing his cousin: “How long have you been ‘Big D’ then?… Cool name, but you’ll always be ‘Ickle Diddykins to me.”

Order of the Phoenix Suffers From a Lack of Detail

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a particularly dramatic film in the series. With Voldemort secretly regaining power, very few believe Harry when he warns everyone. Harry himself is a troubled teenager, deeply affected by past trauma, which leads to frequent emotional outbursts, often directed at his friends Ron and Hermione. The story reaches a turning point when Harry witnesses the death of Sirius Black, marking a moment where the Harry Potter series truly grows up and tackles more mature themes.

Looking back, the main issue with the movie adaptation of Order of the Phoenix is that it left out too much of the book. Almost everything that happens after Harry sees Sirius in the novel was cut from the film, including the trip to the Ministry of Magic, the characters getting split up during the battle, and the significant injuries suffered by the Hogwarts students. A whole chapter dedicated to Neville Longbottom’s parents at St. Mungo’s Hospital was also left out. It’s also worth noting that key scenes, like Draco Malfoy getting punched and Harry being banned from Quidditch, didn’t make the final cut.

Beyond simply losing much of the book’s story in the film adaptation, Order of the Phoenix doesn’t measure up to other Harry Potter movies due to weak performances from many of the actors. While Harry is meant to be intensely angsty in the fifth book, Daniel Radcliffe’s portrayal feels rigid and lacks emotional nuance. The personalities of Ron and Hermione are also less impactful, and supporting characters like Cho Chang, Arthur Weasley, and even Dumbledore aren’t as fully realized as they are in the book.

While the movie Order of the Phoenix doesn’t include all the details from the book, it still has some truly memorable scenes that rank among the best in the Harry Potter series. The battle at the Ministry of Magic is particularly impressive, with exciting displays of magic performed without wands. We also see Harry mature as a leader when he forms Dumbledore’s Army, and Fred and George Weasley have a fantastic, memorable exit from Hogwarts. Overall, Order of the Phoenix has some brilliant moments, but its flaws are also very noticeable.

Order of the Phoenix Should’ve Been Split Into Two Movies

The Harry Potter movies unexpectedly kicked off a big trend in the early 2010s when they divided the final book into two films. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) ends with Voldemort gaining power and mainly shows Harry, Ron, and Hermione searching for Horcruxes. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part II (2011) continues the story right away, covering the rest of the book and focusing on the exciting Battle of Hogwarts. The final Harry Potter book was so long and important to the series that it needed two movies to tell its story properly.

While the film Deathly Hallows omits some details from the book, it doesn’t cut entire sections like Order of the Phoenix did. Instead, certain storylines are significantly condensed, and some characters don’t appear as much as they do in the novel. For example, Dean Thomas, a frequently mentioned friend of Harry’s, has very little to do in the film. Similarly, Percy Weasley’s role in the Battle of Hogwarts is only briefly shown, rather than being fully developed as it is in the book.

Of all the Harry Potter books, Order of the Phoenix would have benefited most from being split into two movies. It’s the longest book in the series, clocking in around 800 pages depending on the edition. This is because Order of the Phoenix introduces a lot of new elements – several organizations, locations like the inside of the Ministry of Magic and St. Mungos, characters like Luna Lovegood, Nymphadora Tonks, and Dolores Umbridge, and more complex magical skills like Occlumency and Legilimency. Essentially, this Harry Potter novel takes world-building to a whole new level, not just within the series, but in fiction generally.

Splitting Order of the Phoenix into two films likely would have addressed many of the issues with the final Harry Potter movie. It would have allowed for more of J.K. Rowling’s intricate plot to be included, given supporting characters more development, and better showcased Harry’s internal struggles, as depicted in the book. While Order of the Phoenix was successful and added significantly to the franchise – Imelda Staunton’s performance as Dolores Umbridge being a prime example – the extensive cuts made from the original novel continue to be its biggest weakness, evident even from the very beginning of the film.

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2025-11-19 17:13