Right. The absence of minor characters like Ioreth and Bergil and Beregond, while cutting down the twee factor by 96%, also rendered Minas Tirith a giant wasteland of strangers, plus pitiless Creon Denethor.

That sort of texture problem I expect to be remedied in the EE, but it's a sign they just couldn't get all the story into 3+ hours.

Now see, as a non-reader, I did not feel there was a Happy Hollywood Ending. I felt it was that Good triumphed over Evil. But I also feel that in order to triumph, there must be struggles. And there were. That Fellowship met up with evil and forces that they didn't even knew existed (at least, the hobbits) and forces and evil that in the Shire, they had never given a thought to. But when they did come up against it firsthand, they fought for their Shire and the life they knew and loved. I feel so sad for Frodo, that after all of that, know ing what he knew of the "world", that he couldn't stay there. It honestly makes me want to weep for him. And I love that when they came back (MM told me all of this), and saw that a couple of people were being dicks in THEIR home land and weren't, by Gods, gonna take it and strapped them over a barrell. Rock on little ones!!

Letterman's top ten list last night was "Top Ten Dumb Guy Complaints about Lord of the Rings."

10. "I expected something, you know, more Hobbity"

9. "'Middle Earth' scenes clearly shot on regular Earth"

8. "It was real long and not a cartoon"

7. "I accidentally put butter on my Twizzlers"

6. "My name is Stu -- how come there aren't any Hobbits named Stu?"

5. "Where the hell is Chewbacca?"

4. "If they're going to have magic, why not bring back the rapping kangaroo?"

3. "Couldn't focus on movie -- kept thinking about how I blew all my money on the Giants"

2. "I kept trying to talk to Frodo, but he ignored me like he's 'all that'"

1. "I haven't seen it yet -- I'm too busy governing California"

his uncorrruptibility serves a real purpose in the books, by telling us there's some reason to help Gondor.

Hm, that's a good point. In the movies, the good guys (other than the Fellowship) are represented by a country run by a madman and a country run by a guy with a death wish and no tactical skills. Not much to root for, when you think about it.

Middle Earth' scenes clearly shot on regular Earth

Hee!

t rereads post

Hmmm...I made no sense in that last one, did I?

You did, Aimee. A lot of sense.

Okay, good. Becasue between my love for the movies, which keeps growing, too much chocolate and my new nails, which I'm not used to, I'm not sure about anything I type.

Given that I was upset because movie!Faramir does not have black hair like book!Faramir, let alone the fact that he's a completely different person, I think I've come a long way in accepting that there's this character who is Boromir's brother and has some family issues. Kate and Sean and others who like movie!Faramir make some good points, but I'm not sure what he added to the movies, other than extending Frodo and Sam's trek. And of course nookie for Eowyn, subtly suggested.

I would also argue that Gandalf and Galadriel are seriously tempted by the ring. They both say they've been tempted, but it's so tempered with wisdom as to not represent a threat. Neither tries to take it. Aragorn is not tempted one whit, and neither are any of the rest of the Fellowship. So why is Faramir not good enough? It's insulting that Denethor believes Faramir is weak and useless; how much more insulting that the screenwriters clearly believe it also?

Raquel, I agree with you; I'm one of those who find book!Faramir more appealing than movie!Faramir, though I did like him lots more in ROTK. But I seriously almost screamed in the theater when he decided to take the Ring to Gondor. And you're right about him not being the only one not tempted by the Ring. Gandalf and Galadriel are both tempted in part because they are so powerful (and they are both wise enough to know that they could not use the Ring for anything but an evil purpose), but I think one reason Faramir is able to resist is because he has no real tangible power, what with Boromir being the favored son.