[Jessica Jade]

I agree that Gandalf's "death" scene was brilliant. It could not have been done better. The music suited it perfectly-and the slow motion, the mournful yet soaring melody, and tears that the Fellowship cried, the echoing silence while the music played...it gave me a lump in my throat and i cried, of course. I also cried when Frodo is standing on the shore having a flashback of Gandalf, knowing he has to face his fear and go to Mordor alone. Also, Sam's loyalty in the face of adversity really got to me, because it was definitely one of the most touching moments in the story. Especially when he remembers Gandalf's words: "Don't you leave him Sam Gamgee..and I don't mean to." I didn't cry all that much at Boromir's death, because he kind of scared me when he attacked Frodo. <P>What moves people to tears when they watch the movie is the ability to feel connected with the characters...I mean, i knew Gandalf comes back, but i was crying because of all the pain and devastation that the Fellowship must have felt when they thought he was gone forever. The same goes for all the other sad parts of the movie..espeically Frodo, because of the sacrifice he is making...it's sooo incredibly sad!! One of the most beautiful things about LOTR is that you really come to know, care, and love the characters, and you don't want them to feel any pain...it's tragic when they do. <P>I cried while reading the books too. Espeically The Grey Havens. Just wait til the Return of the King movie. I'm positive that i will be bawling my eyes out and weeping like my heart's broken. I don't know why, but i think the ending of LOTR incredibly sad somehow. It fills me with heart-wrenching, bittersweet sadness to think of what happened...to Frodo espeically....in spite of his sacrifice, the Shire was still violated, and he will never ever be the same again, because he was "wounded, and it will never really heal." And how he had to leave Middle Earth because he just couldn't stay anymore...It's just how everything changed irrevocably, all because of the evil of the Ring. The story could not have had a better ending, yet it still moves me to tears everytime i read the last two pages. Ah, i know i went off on a tangent there...sorry. Anyway, the beauty of Tolkien's writing is that he can really move you with his words and his story. I can't wait to see how they do the next to movies. ahhh...9 more months til Two Towers! But...i AM going to go see the movie again next friday for the 3rd time (only, i know ) and i get to see the 4 minute trailer of TT! yay...i can't wait...