[Man-of-the-Wold]

I must concur with Lindil that the real pitfall of the whole Arwen Saga in the Film is how it demeans the Elrond character, even as I look forward to her changing course at the Grey Havens, riding away with the Grey Company, or some such thing, which however much a departure from the Books might be fun to watch. <P>And, again as other's note one of JRRT's apparently biggest regrets with LoTR, although I think he was a habitual second-guesser, was that he didn't do more with Arwen, as may have been indicated in the Red Book, of course.<P>Returning to Mr. Weaving's part (I don't think he should be forever damned by his Matrix role; he's a good actor, even if they need to get him a really close shave someday), he does come off much less "wise" than in the Book with all of his disparaging of Mankind, and the reduction of his relationship with Arwen into a mere personal matter, which while endearing is a little lame.<P>However, as I've argued elsewhere, in the Book he doesn't want Arwen staying unless the King is restored, signifying that Sauron is fully defeated and she won't be captured, and another part of it is the whole "royalty" thing about a proper union. This last one would not have been natural for modern audiences as for JRRT the hopeless romantic.<P>But besides dramatic tension and the film-maker's wish to have audiences accept Film-Elrond's dispagement, they also want Mr. Weaving to have his own big and unsubtle change of heart through the course of the Films. So, as alluded to by his and telepathic Galadriel's decision to send the Haldir Special Forces to Helms Deep, in Film-RotK he'll likely reconcile himself to loving Mankind, Aragorn and appreciating his & Arwen's Love (not unlike his parents, paternal grandparents and mother's paternal great-grandparents) as he does from the get-go in the Books, despite stiff conditions that he feels he must set for their matrimony for both of their sakes.