Uncle Buck was the main character in an eponymous film starring John Candy, which I have never seen.

Oh, that sounds gross.

Though I've now recast HP with Candy as Hagrid. It's interesting.

Who's Uncle Buck?

(1989)

"You've got a lot of hair in your nose."

"Thanks for noticing."

"That's my job, I'm a kid."

Worthless loser uncle connects with disaffected niece in dysfunctional family. Candy was great and elevated the movie out of mediocre for me.

He was in that rich run of form that lasted until his untimely death. Planes, trains and automobiles (1987) is probably my favourite Candy movie.

make grilled cheese sandwiches using a clothes iron

This actually works, as long as you wrap the sandwich in aluminum foil first. I have done it my own self and can attest to its efficacy AND yumminess.

This actually works, as long as you wrap the sandwich in aluminum foil first.

When I was temping at MSO, this method was being used by one of the Christmas party caterers to make chocolate sandwiches. So it's good enough for Martha Stewart, anyway.

Sam was Frodo's gardener because Gaffer Gamgee was Bilbo's gardener--Gamgees pretty much come with the property.

Sam's a house-elf!

I see Hagrid as a Jane Goodall, focused on a microcosm, that while not panoramic, is still an important part of the whole, and possibly even a key to perceiving the whole.

I never would have thought of this, but it's an interesting take on Hagrid. I don't know that much about Goodall, but is she as inept when away from chimps? It seems like she must have more people skills to be such an effective advocate and fundraiser. Having said this, I like Hagrid. He has a good soul, and he's nice, if sometimes clueless. I agree that he too often needs to be saved by children, and I don't like that aspect of HP, but I do like his character, both in the books and movies.

Sam's a house-elf!

With clothes. Please be clear about the clothes thing.

I finished reading Paths Of The Dead on holiday -- I can't believe I let it slide so long. Was this supposed to be the one rife with in-jokes or something? I really liked it, much more than the previous Paarfi-penned stories. A large contributor to that, disproportionately perhaps, was the fact that the gods don't talk with that looping locution. It just made the device more palatable for me, somehow, seeing it applied and eschewed.

My dad took my copy, because he needed something to read on his 6 hour bus trip. I wonder how far he got before his eyes strangled him.

Goodall is not inept, and that's where the analogy breaks down. But it is, or was, an effortful shift for her to adjust to human society's pace, and I don't know if Hagrid could adjust. If, you know, he wanted to, or thought it worthwhile.

I just think his priorities are different, and as long as there are people to handle the overall stuff, I see no reason why he shouldn't be left to handle what he's good at. Which is the animals, and connecting with the kids on a level that the other grownups don't do.

I don't see that it makes him a laughable character, or a trite one. Again, my issues at work, but I think Dumbledore uses Hagrid's skills where they can be of good use. Whether Hagrid isn't aware of, doesn't have, or chooses not to care about having the social skills the other Hogwarts adults have and use, he does connect with animals, and with the kids.

If I were sending my own young children to Hogwarts, I would expect someone else in authority to assist in Hagrid's classes. But then all the other instructors and professors endanger wizardlings in their classes, as well. So the comparison to child safety IRL schools may be irrelevant.

I don't see that it makes him a laughable character, or a trite one

Did anyone say he was? I think he's annoying as all hell, but not remotely laughable. As for trite -- I haven't found any deep characters yet.

My main point was that he's not alien to US characterisations, and he's not like Samwise either.