Viola Davis (left) and Maggie Gyllenhaal (Getty Images)

Won’t Back Down, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis as a parent and teacher struggling to turn around a failing school, is a movie that clearly wants to say something, even if The Observer had a hard time hearing what they were saying because of chanting protestors.

The film, directed by Daniel Barnz, premiered Sunday night at the Ziegfeld and was attended not only by the cast, but by the New Yorkers for Great Public Schools Coalition, an umbrella group of parents that gathered across the street. The protestors oppose the “parent trigger” laws that inspired the events of the film, through which parents can take over a failing school and possibly turn it into a charter school. Shouting “Move on over corporate takeover,” the group protested the film's financial backers, right-wing billionaires Philip Anschutz (of Walden Media) and Rupert Murdoch (CEO of News Corporation).

Mr. Barnz told The Observer: “The whole movie is about the benefits of protesting. There are many scenes of protesting in the film. I happen to know that what they’re protesting is different from what the movie is actually about. They’re here protesting parent trigger laws and as I explained to you this is not a parent trigger movie.” The film’s fictional law requires both parents and teachers to vote to take over the school.

“You don’t want a movie to feel like it’s an issue thing. You want it to feel like a human drama. I mean Oscar Isaac’s character, his whole narrative is about someone who’s a big union believer and is struggling with that in the course of the movie.”

The film’s stars, wearing grave political faces in addition to red carpet gowns, were ardent about education reform but wary of appearing anti-union. Ms. Gyllenhall said that she came from “the most progressive left. I wouldn’t be allowed to go home for Thanksgiving if I made an anti-union movie.”

When asked by The Observer about the film’s goals, Lance Reddick, who plays Ms. Davis’s husband, said, “I don’t know. I just know that things need to change. The other thing is I’m not really about gutting teachers unions because I’m a member of three unions and I wouldn’t be able to make a living if I wasn’t.”

Mr. Barnz, Ms. Davis, Ms. Gyllenhaal, and Rosie Perez also sat down earlier in the day at the Education Nation Summit to speak with MSNBC’s Alex Wagner. The summit showed a few of the film’s tear-jerking scenes between real-life panels discussing education reform.

Anne Hathaway and co-star Jim Sturgess. Courtesy: Patrick McMullan.

The people gathered at the downstairs floor of McNally Jackson books last week were excited. Or, more specifically, the mostly young, mostly female audience eagerly awaiting the arrival of David Nicholls, the British author of One Day, was excited.

“I just want to thank you for writing One Day,” one voice piped up, as Mr. Nicholls arrived and took his seat.

“Is he gay?” wondered another to her friend, looking saddened when Mr. Nicholls mentioned his “partner.” (For clarification: “David lives in North London with his partner Hannah and two children”, according to his website).

One Day, the bestselling novel that has now been adapted to film, is set in England (and Scotland, briefly) from the late eighties and runs through until 2008, following the friendship of Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew over twenty years.

For all its international appeal, the jokes from Nicholls’ chosen extract – a letter from Dexter in Bombay to Emma in England – were somewhat lost on his young audience.

“There’s no reason in this day and age why you should be using a launderette, there’s nothing cool or political about launderettes it’s just depressing,” a drunken Dexter writes.

A few British expats laughed. The rest looked baffled – despite constituting part of the New York Laundromat massif, they clearly hadn’t looked up the “launderette/Laundromat” entry in the English/American dictionary.

Nicholls soothed their embarrassment: “It’s a very English novel. If Dex and Em were American they would say what they thought about each other straight away.”

We wondered what Danish director Lone Scherfig felt about the film’s Englishness.

“It is an English film; they are English characters. But it helps being a foreigner – I can ensure that the story doesn’t get trapped in its English world.”

Lisa Birnbach, co-author of The Official Preppy Handbook, who was interviewing the author, had no trouble relating to the characters.

“I’m a total Dexter, in a terrible way,” she announced as she rushed in a half hour late. “But I’m well-dressed, too,” she added.

Mr. Nicholls, who has created an extra-textual mix tape for Emma, gave a half laugh. He admitted to being attached to his characters and explained that he doesn’t send them to their fates on a whim.

“I have cried writing prose before. Terribly pretentious.”

There was a quiet intake of breath and a sincere nodding of heads from the skirt and heel wearing audience.

In the question and answer session, there were mumblings about the novel’s adaptation for the screen, also written by Mr. Nicholls. “How do you feel about the casting of Anne Hathaway [who plays Emma]?” they asked. “Was anything from the novel lost?”

“Anne is a terrific dramatic actress. She really gets Emma’s awkwardness,” Mr. Nicholls responded.

The Observer didn’t have much opportunity to ask Ms. Hathaway for her views on awkwardness when we saw her a few days later, dressed in Alexander McQueen for the movie’s premiere at AMC Loews at Lincoln Square. It was getting late, she was holding up the movie screening and her manager rushed her through the interviews. She did manage to volunteer that the scene which for her epitomizes Emma’s character – “so brave” – involves a dress and a haircut in Paris. Then she was swept into the cinema.

“Time doesn’t wait for princesses, even those with a diary”, we thought, as we overheard the model Coco Rocha mention Ms. Hathaway's performance in The Princess Diaries as she passed us on the red carpet.

Nevertheless, Random House editor Peter Gethers was on hand to impart a promotional quote about the reasons for the novel’s success (which may or may not transfer to the movie): “It’s a real romance based on friendship. David had the nerve to break the mold and write something that isn’t just another cookie cutter.”

Right, because in Britain they're called biscuits.

Fans camped outside Lincoln Center for tonight's Harry Potter red carpet premiere.

Preparing to watch the wizarding world's final battle unfold, hundreds of muggle fans are engaging in a battle of their own. It may not be a fight of good versus evil, but that doesn’t make their struggle any less determined.

"We sleep in shifts," said a fan who has camped for five days outside Lincoln Center to spot the stars at tonight’s red carpet premiere. "We have to be at the front of the line when they get here."

Dressed in head-to-toe Harry Potter regalia, hundreds have slept on the street across from Lincoln Center for up to six days in the hopes of spotting a favorite cast member. Sleeping bags and blankets lined Dante Park, and fans perched atop a statue of Alighieri himself to escape the hoard, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw face paint dripping down their necks in the 91° heat.

"I get sleazy for Ron Weasley," read Maryelle Smith's poster.  Maryelle told The Observer she isn’t exaggerating. "It's 100% true. I wouldn't say that about many guys, but Rupert Grint, mmmm," she said. "I've been in love with him since the first movie."

And Megan Kidwell said she spent over $2,000 traveling from Illinois to meet Matthew Lewis, the actor who plays Neville Longbottom. With "I [heart] Matthew Lewis" painted on her face, she says the opportunity to meet him is "priceless."

When The Observer mentioned that this was the final movie in the Potter franchise, we were met with a chorus of shrieks -- a few even plugged their ears. "I don't want to think about it! Don't even bring it up," said Jennifer Crumb, who arrived at the front of the line six days ago from Florida. "It's the one last time they'll all be together, so it's just too much for me."

Her friend, Bridget Claire, said she quit her waitressing job for a chance to meet the stars. "They weren't going to give me time off to come here, but this is something I love, so it's totally worth it."

The fans have pursued their front-of-the-line spots with an almost religious fervor.  "We need everyone to know that we were here first," said Ms. Crumb.

“It’s more than just movies; it’s our childhood ending,” said Natasha, who has stayed second in line for five days. “"For the first few nights we weren't allowed to sleep here, so we had to wander the streets. At least the past few nights we got to sleep a little on the ground."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione may have camped out in the Forrest of Dean, but even they never braved sleeping on New York City streets.