Hobbit Nostalgia Post

Yesterday I finished watching The Hobbit Trilogy in theater. And as much I'd love to tell you how much it sucks, I'm too caught up on nostalgia of the past 14+ years of my life.

 So, that's what I'm going to talk about first.

 If you don't want to a review my adolescent/Tolkien #feels please skip this post. I'll upload the content/thematic review shortly (either tomorrow or, you know, whenever I feel like it)

Annyyway....

When I was about 13-14, my sister Red got a dramatized edition of The Hobbit on five white cassette tapes with grainy, 1968-era audio sound (That, judging from the reviews on the product, pretty much everyone except me hates)

The story/script was compelling. Right from the beginning, there are these vivid descriptions that lead into the story without weighing the story down.

The cast was fantastic; The Narrator, the bumbling/stuttering Bilbo Baggins ("B-A-double-G-I-N-S"), Thorin, Gandalf and Gollum. Later, when I started Fellowship of the Ring and decided I should read the book version of The Hobbit, those voices were the ones I imagined.

Movie-goers fell in love with Richard Armitage's voice as he sang the adventure-anthem "Far Over The Misty Mountains" for the movie. (and for good reason, it's an excellent rendition). In the same way, fell in love the version of that song in the radio drama. It's longer, the tone is different but to me it's every even more enchanting because its the song that first ushered me into the adventure.

(I loved this song so much, I wrote more verses to it....mostly about what the people in Dale were doing when the dragon attacked and about what the dwarves were planning on doing. They weren't very good, but you know...fanfiction.)

I don't recall if I was babysitting or at school, but for some reason Red was able to listen to the story ahead of where we had left off. She left me in Gollum's Cave, she was at the Battle of Five Armies. When I  opened the door to the room, she was listening to the last cassette tape...

"NO!! You can't come in!!" 

...and she slammed her body against the door to keep me out.

"You have to listen to it all the way though!" 

I typically don't mind being spoiled when it comes to plot points, but I am so glad my sister did this for me.

 I went in to listening to the story no knowing what was going to happen. She wasn't being mean or anything, we both were enjoying the story and I knew if she didn't want me to skip chapters, it was because what was coming next was really, really good. And that just skipping to the end would make me enjoy it less.

She was totally right. The last 1/3 of the story blew me away.

One of the reasons I think the story resonated with me is because of what was happening in my life at the time.

If I recall correctly we started the story just prior to, or concurrently with, me beginning community college courses and volunteering at the hospital (and, in general, preparing for the future that I wanted to have: as a nurse, as a young adult, and ultimately as a wife/parent).

Bilbo's beginning could have easily been written as a midlife crisis (If it was, he would be looking back at his life with regret and book!Bilbo doesn't do this.) but Tolkien didn't do that. Even though Bilbo is an older man when the story begins, this story is his coming of age. It's the part of his life in which he's deciding who he wants to be.

A Few of Bilbo's "Teen" Struggles:

•  He worries about what other people think about him

• He's wants to be dependable and worthy of trust

• He lacks practical experience. 

• He struggles with fitting in.

• He gets depressed and overwhelmed (and kinda gothy)

• He gets obnoxious and cocky

• He (sometimes) gets lonely, even when he's surrounded by a bunch of people.

• He's competent

• He's the anti hero

I think I can pretty much echo Movie!Gandalf when he says:

Sometimes when I was in school or at work I would quote Bilbo to myself. Not the really memorable/meaningful quotes, just the little snippets of Bilbo being Bilbo: When I was overwhelmed (Why oh why did I ever leave my hobbit hole), or pleased with myself (Now I am a burglar indeed.) or disappointed ([So this is victory...] It seems a very gloomy business).

It sound really pathetic, but it gave me a lot of encouragement because I idolized him (still do ;))

Even if no one had ever thought to turn Tolkien's books into movies, this story would still have had a affect on my life (but it's probably would have been something that I'd have kept in my heart...Not posted twenty blog posts about, or dressed up as Thorin Oakenshield when I go to the theater.)


Here are some of my favorite (meaningful) Quotes from The Hobbit:


“He fought the real battle in the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait.” 

A sudden understanding, a pity mixed with horror, welled up in Bilbo's heart: a glimpse of endless unmarked days without light or hope of betterment, hard stone, cold fish, sneaking and whispering. All these thoughts passed in a flash of a second. he trembled. And then quite suddenly in another flash, as if lifted by a new strength and resolve, he leaped.

“Well, are you alive or are you dead?” asked Bilbo quite crossly. Perhaps he had forgotten that he had had at least one good meal more than the dwarves, and also the use of his arms and legs, not to speak of a greater allowance of air. “Are you still in prison, or are you free? If you want food, and if you want to go on with this silly adventure–it’s yours after all and not mine–you had better slap your arms and rub your legs and try and help me get the others out while there is a chance!”

“Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick.

“Go back?" he thought. "No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!" So up he got, and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all of a patter and a pitter.”

“Surely you don’t disbelieve the prophecies, because you had a hand in bringing them about yourself? You don’t really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit? You are a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I am very fond of you; but you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!” 

“You! You!” cried Thorin, turning upon him and grasping him with both hands. “You miserable hobbit! You undersized—burglar!” he shouted at a loss for words, and he shook poor Bilbo like a rabbit.

“Thief, thief, thief! Baggins! We hates it, we hates it, we hates it forever!” 


“You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.” 

“Gandalf, dwarves and Mr. Baggins! We are met together in the house of our friend and fellow conspirator, this most excellent and audacious hobbit—may the hair on his toes never fall out!” 

"[I] have no use for adventures. Nasty, disturbing, and uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner! I can't think what anybody sees in them."  

“Don't tell us about dreams – dream dinners aren't any good and we can't share them.” 

“I may be a burglar...but I'm an honest one, I hope, more or less.” 

“To the end of his days Bilbo could never remember how he found himself outside, without a hat, a walking stick or any money, or anything he usually took when he went out; leaving his second breakfast half-finished and quite unwashed-up, pushing his keys into Gandalf’s hands, and running as fast as his furry feet could carry him down the lane, past the great Mill, across The Water, and then on for a mile or more.”

Filming "The Hobbit" Starts Valentine's Day!

FINALLY! after years of bickering the filmmakers are finally ready to move forward.
Let's take a look at what they've got for us so far...
The Cast:
Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins



Yup, there's a definite resemblance to the old Bilbo. I haven't seen this guy much, I know he played Dr. Watson a version of Sherlock Holmes (Watson is my fav. character in those stories so I might end up watching it) and he's a comedian who does the UK's "Office" (I don't watch The Office...either version. However, the little snippets I have seen are pretty funny)


The Good: Bilbo will most likely be a funny, witty, out of his element hobbit who eventually discovers his heroic qualities. This is good. The hallmark of "The Hobbits" appeal, for me, is this guy's character arc. Particularly after the dragon is killed and everyone gets gold fever. Bilbo is the only one willing to do the right thing, even if it means betraying his friends.

The Not As Good: Unlike the hobbits of LOTR, Bilbo becomes an action character. With the help of the ring (yes, it's lowercase in this book!) Bilbo is able to take on a group of Shelob's spawn. (think ROTK Sam/Shelob fight scene on steroids) I have a hard time imagining that from this guy. I will refrain from final judgment until I have seen the finished product.
I find it funny that this is the guy from "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" in which the main character is also whisked away from home on a grand adventure.


Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield

(Noble face, Blue eyes and a prominent nose, consistent with other adaptions of Thorin...you know you want to see this guy in the blue hoodie ;))

This one is a bit of a shocker for me. Kinda like when I went to see Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe for the first time and OH MY GOSH. OH. MY. GOSH. MR. TUMNIS IS HOT! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? (Apparently because filmmakers did not want us to see a little girl enter the home of a middle-aged, male, stranger. While I can agree with their logic, it was still a bit of a shocker.) Here, I think, it's for a slightly different reason.


The Good: All we have seen of Peter Jackson's Dwarves is pretty much Gimli. One Dwarf can't, and shouldn't, represent the entire race. Dwarves need their prideful, snobby, good looking heroes as well as their gruffy, loyal sidekicks. Since there are thirteen Dwarvish members of Thorin's Company I think they are going to emphasize how each is different. I think this is good, the group's dynamics are an interesting part of the book (they frequently disagree on a correct course of action it will be fun to play up that side, especially when Bilbo has to take over leadership after Gandalf leaves)

The Not As Good: This incredibly hot guy will most likely be covered in a prosthetic face and beard. :(
He better be a pretty good actor, because what is the freaking use of hiring a good looking actor like this and covering him up?

Alterations from the book:

Ok, so in the book Gandalf spends all of ten seconds filling Bilbo in on where he went after leaving the company. The Necromancer (who turns out to be Sauron) is gaining power. Gandalf and his groupies (Gandalf's "cousin" Radagast, Saurman, two unnamed wizards, Galadriel etc.) get together to expel him from his current home.
This will be a MAJOR part in the movie(s). I don't object to including it, but they are making a whole other movie so they can do it.
They will also be including Frodo and his parents (what. the. heck.)

No I'm not sure if this is the actual actors who will portray them, but certainly looks like it.
Please, this is "The Hobbit" not LOTR part 4.




This may not end up in the movie, but there is a rumored sub-plot in which a female Wood elf named Itaril falls in love. While I applaud their attempt to bring us a wider variety of female actiony elves, I could only see this contributing to the story if she dies in the battle of five armies. If they wrote this character only to have her ogling over some other elvish hottie like Orlando Bloom I will be severely disappointed. If they are going to add a love story to The Hobbit, make it an interesting one (Elves and Dwarves are supposed to not like each other. If they REALLY want to make this interesting, she should develop an interest in on of the prisoners, preferably Thorin)

Other possible changes: Bard the Bowman is likely to be a VERY small part as both Jackson and Del Toro have said he is not cinematic enough. BOO!
The Arkenstone-heart of The Lonely Mountain is a big part of Bilbo's evolution...that has been omitted from a previous cartoon adaption. I haven't heard if they will include it here.

Because "The Hobbit" is a more child friendly read, several inhabitants of middle earth are portrayed differently in each book. Stone Trolls and goblins are sentient, The Eagles can also talk A shape-shifting, nature loving Bear/Man tentatively takes the Dwarves in, And although they are good-looking, Wood Elves (the kind that live in Mirkwood, Legolas' kind) were born in middle earth and are not, NOT the angelic beings of middle earth (as they are portrayed to be in LOTR) All these fantastic elements that make "The Hobbit" fresh and unique will wilt if they stick to the depiction they used in LOTR.

In Tolkien's novels, we see the world through the hobbits eyes. While this is a bit of a hindrance in the LOTR, it also made it easier to adapt to a movie. But his perspective is what defines "The Hobbit".

With all the alterations to beef up LOTR, I hope they don't make "The Hobbit" all about "The Ring"