Yes, they are a bit older than the book specifies. It's the mechanics of film-making, though -- it's hard to find believably young kids who are also good actors, at least in the quantities needed for movies like that. (In that regard the Potter movies hit the jackpot...)
-- Bob
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Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.