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Its hard to make an old person look young.

Bilbo wasn't young in "The Hobbit"! He was in his late 60's or so, wasn't he? At the time of "Fellowship", Gandalf noted in the movie that he hadn't aged a day since he returned to Hobbiton from the Lonely Mountains all those years before, even though it was now his Eleventy-First birthday! Of course this was the influence of having the One Ring in his possession. Ian Holm could play him perfectly well!

The way I concieve of Bilbo's maturity at age 50 is that he was probably in the prime of life...no longer carrying "baby-fat" but still looking young and healthy and full of vim and vigor. Age 50 would probably place him in his late 30s/early 40s for human years, which is pretty much the apex of life. Its why I really didnt have much of a problem with Frodo looking like Elijah Wood, because at the time he inherited the ring, at the age of 33 "the coming of age" he would probably be the equivalent of a new college grad. Pippin would probably be the equivalent of a 17 yr/18 yr old.

But then I am going by modern standards. Maybe I am not charitable, but something I have noticed about British/Europeans is that they often look much older than they are, as if their childhoods weren't as healthy as they should be and the alcohol has taken its toll. But that could just be me.

sorry for the delay in answer...got called away by three telephone calls and a package delivery and the insect-spray man. *whew!* never rains but pours around here....