GREENWICH, Conn. As Greenwich resident Caitlin Murphy put it at the midnight showing in Greenwich of the epic finale of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II," the series is not just a hobby. "It's a lifestyle."
"I was too young to read when the books came out, but my mom used to read to me," said Murphy, who showed up at the premiere in a homemade costume, complete with black spectacles made of pipe cleaners, a cape borrowed from her younger sister and a lightning bolt drawn on her forehead.
"Its been our entire lives," said Murphy's friend Claire Simon, who also bore the lightning bolt on her forehead. "I thought it would be a bigger turnout, but it's more about the film than the people who show up." Although other theaters were bursting at the seams, the Bow-Tie Cinema on Railroad Avenue hadnt advertised the midnight showing until Thursday, and there were more than a few empty seats. The ones that were filled, however, were taken by die-hard fans.
Carrie Clark showed off her tattoo of the titular "deathly hallows" on her ankle. "I dressed up last year as Luna Lovegood," said Clark, a veteran Harry Potter midnight moviegoer. "It's going to be really sad [to see the series end]. I've been reading these books since I was a kid."
As the red curtain was raised over the screen, the audience, mainly teens and 20-somethings, clapped and cheered in anticipation. By the time the credits rolled nearly two-and-a-half hours later, applause broke out once again and Clark lamented aloud, Now what am I going to do with my life?
Did you attend a midnight showing of Harry Potter? Share your photos and stories with ahelhoski@thedailygreenwich.com.
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