Magic Beyond Words: The JK Rowling Story (2011)

Magic Beyond Words: The JK Rowling Story (2011)

TOMATOMETER

33%

——

AUDIENCE SCORE

59%

Critic Consensus: No consensus yet.

Magic Beyond Words: The JK Rowling Story Photos

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Movie Info

Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story dramatizes the British author s (Poppy Montgomery, Without a Trace) struggle to bring the beloved wizard fantasy of Harry Potter to life as a single mother on welfare and become one of the world s wealthiest women, with more than 400 million copies of her visionary books sold across the globe resulting in a billion-dollar film franchise. The film is an inspiring look at a woman s rise to become one of the most influential writers ever from her humble beginnings as an imaginative young girl and awkward teenager to the devastating loss of her mother and the genesis of the Harry Potter phenomenon in her early twenties. The rags-to-riches tale also follows Rowling s tumultuous first marriage, becoming a mother, her divorce, and the dark days of living on government assistance while publisher after publisher passed on her first novel...before it became an international best-seller and solidified Rowling s rightful place in literary and cultural history.
Rating:
NR
Genre:
Documentary , Television
Directed By:
Paul A. Kaufman
Written By:
Jeffrey Berman , Tony Caballero
On DVD:
Runtime:
Studio:
Commotion Pictures

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Cast

Poppy Montgomery
as J. K. Rowling
Christine Chatelain
as Bryony
Paul McGillion
as Pete Rowling
Emily Holmes
as Diane Rowling
Antonio Cupo
as Jorge
Janet Kidder
as Anne Rowling
Andy Maton
as Christopher Little
Marie West
as Aine
Patti Allan
as Mrs. Morgan
Madison Desjarlais
as Joanne Rowling (age 17)
Aislyn Watson
as Joanne Rowling (age 8)
Lisa Norton
as Jill
Wesley MacInnes
as Sean
Sarah Desjardins
as Diane Rowling (ages 13-15)
Greigh Laschuk
as Dr. Neil Murray
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Critic Reviews for Magic Beyond Words: The JK Rowling Story

All Critics (6) | Top Critics (2)

The drama of Rowling's life, while powerful to her, seems fairly mild by TV biopic standards.

Full Review… | August 13, 2012
New York Daily News
Top Critic

If you've ever been a single mom and couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel, this is the perfect movie for you.

Full Review… | August 13, 2012
New York Post
Top Critic

Superficial, unauthorized drama about writer's rise to fame.

Full Review… | March 11, 2015
Common Sense Media

Lifetime translated a potentially heartwarming and positive tale into something rife with clichés.

Full Review… | August 13, 2012
IGN Movies

Dull beyond the power of even a mammoth opening weekend for the final Harry Potter film to render interesting.

Full Review… | August 13, 2012
Philadelphia Daily News

This journey is a string of moments, all leading to Harry Potter.

Full Review… | August 13, 2012
PopMatters
View All Critic Reviews (6)

Audience Reviews for Magic Beyond Words: The JK Rowling Story

Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story is an interesting dramatization on the life of author J.K. Rowling that's worth a watch to witness the efforts and conflicts she faced, all leading up to the creation of the Harry Potter saga

Miguel Romero
Miguel Romero

A good depiction of her story, and where she had gotten the ideas for Harry Potter from. A good nod to the writer. Not a regular rise to fame story

Kat Keys
Kat Keys

I don't know enough about JK Rowling to know how much of this movie is true, but considering it's not trying to hide the fact that it's unauthorized, I really didn't care about that. I enjoyed the performances and found it to be a much better film than the reviews it's gotten. You shouldn't always expect the worst of something just because it comes from Lifetime.

Amanda Hendsbee
Amanda Hendsbee
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