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Good Morning WFTR...

OK - You think the characters are too changed, I saw the characters as very nearly perfect, and every one of them very true to the spririt of the book.

I don't want to argue the point with you, it is still a bit depressing this morning as I read through all this! I even agree with many of your points, but only to the point that I notice the difference and wonder why it was played differently. I don't see any of the changes ruining the meaning for me.

I don't even see the doubt you say is expressed about whether Aragorn would be or should be king. I honestly just don't see it. I just don't know what you are talking about.

I don't mind Arwen. Jackson didn't make her up, he just didn't hide the love story in the Appendix. He brought her out in the beginning so that we can know them and appreciate their love story when they finally marry two years from now. She has at most 10 minutes of film time in a nearly three hour movie full of men. I don't see it as a subversive feminist plot.

I love the Council of Elrond. My favorite part of the book is now my absolute favorite part of the film. Not because it is the same, but because it is great! Jackson gave the fan a lot of background in looks and gestures and did not waste one second of film there.

Its funny. The parts of the film I don't like you have mostly not mentioned at all. Galadriel was the one character that didn't work for me, and I almost always get up and go for a drink during her change at the mirror. I won't mention the other things that I don't like, because you don't need any more reasons not to like it!

Anyway, enough said by me on the subject for now. I am not right or wrong and neither are you. This is an artistic effort that hits the heart or misses, not an objective object that can be reduced to cold facts. I am sorry you didn't like it, and I am hoping for your sake that eventually you do try it again, because this movie is something grand you are missing, IMHO. You must know that many others who are every bit as good a fan as you find their story very lovingly handled. There are so many subtle looks and gestures where PJ and the actors tell the fan, yes, I know there is more to the story here, I hope you understand that we must move on.

Since we can at least agree on Galadriel not quite working, I'll agree with you on that point. I didn't care for her transformation in the mirror either.

Again, I'm not trying to doubt the dedication or any other quality of JRRT fans who liked the movie. I'm just saying that I was extremely disappointed and that the issues over which I felt disappointment are not things that will change with a second viewing.