Harry Potter and the Shafting of Wormtail

One thing that bothers me about the Harry Potter movies is how characters aren't given "their moments" like they receive in the books, characters like Peter Pettigrew aka Wormtail (Timothy Spall).

Wormtail is a rat (literally), a murderer, a servant, a traitor, and a person--but he is not given his moment. He obeys Lord Voldemort out of fear, influence and loneliness. He has a dark side, a dastardly, selfish, sneaky (and squeaky) one that will curse people or flee as soon as the opportunity arises.

Dumbledore wisely tells Harry in Chamber of Secrets: "It is not our abilities that show what we truly are; it is our choices." Wormtail makes a choice in Deathly Hallows that epitomizes his character, a flawed man that regrets betraying his friends and does what he can to atone for it.

Certainly, with choice comes consequence. And the movie chooses to not show this significant moment, despite having a run-time of 146 minutes. After being a focal point in Prisoner of Azkaban, you might as well play "Where's Wormtail?" in the later films and spot him lurking in the shadows. Instead, Peter's arc is discarded. He is left hanging, and it's a shame. Perhaps this wasn't always the plan. A key element of his arc was introduced in the fourth film, Goblet of Fire, as Wormtail is gifted a shiny metal hand by his master for being loyal. But Peter, a man stained by deception, fails to recognize the hidden malice buried within, a sign of who his friends truly are, and were, before he betrayed them. Then he will make the choice that defines his sorry life of betrayal, caprice, consequence, contrition and cowardice.