[Fingo]

Reading through these posts, I've come across points I agree with and points I don't, but I've got to come right out and say that some of this is being taken just a bit too seriously. <P>Believe me, I am a Tolkien advocator, and was dissapointed by some of the changes made to the movies (Faramir probably being the greatest of these dissapointments) but the fact that we live in a money powered society cannot be escaped.<P>Peter, Fran, and Phillipa did what they thought would make the movie sell and lo and behold, it did, as made evident by the merchandising and all going along with it. Another point to consider is that PJ probably wasn't the one to liscense the rights for all the merchandising, it was New Line itself.<P>Watching the movies, I think about some parts that could have been made better (in my opinion) or emphasized more (in my opinion) or other parts I realized were missing should have been added (in my opinion). Reading these posts I was struck with the thought, that unless we all got the chance to make our own Lord of the Rings movies, we'd never be truely satisfied with someone else's rendering of it.<P>Tolkien wrote the story with a point he wanted to convey to reader, but unless he actually sat down and talked with the reader themselves, its all subjective, just like any other work of literature.<P>I too am one of those who can keep the books and movies seperate, and enjoy both for what they are. I hope we can all learn not to dwell too much what's wrong or what's right as opposed to just what is.