Well, I think I'm gonna have to turn in my Junior Scholar badge and get a Wannabe button . . . I am so shocked at myself that, for some mildly perverse reason, I have to share it.
I think this is a matter of confession being good for the soul . . .
I was reading "Stupid Ring Parody" for mid-evening levity. After about 2 1/2 years, I have finally gotten to "Battle of the Pelnnor Fields." When I reached the part where Merry struggles over to Theoden before he dies, it suddenly struck me that, each of the 7 times I've watched RotK I never once recalled that it was
Merry, not Eowyn , who had the last conversation w/Theoden. But wait! There's more! I had to pull out my nearest copy of the book (which, btw, I've read far more than 7 times) to make sure I was not still tripping!
And I prided myself over being able to pick apart all the ways the movie departed from the book. I am going to blame the shock of Gollum's cheesy lembas bread frame-up on addling my brain for all subsequent scenes.
Well, it's just another item to add to my list of "The Book Was Better." The poignancy of Theoden grieving over never seeing Eowyn again while not knowing she lay injured nearby after dispatching the WK would have been better even than Miranda's terrific acting in the movie. [sighs, thinking she had found all the sighs and would not have to discover new sources for sighing]
It's just sad to me that my recollection of both books & movies have become hybridized--I may have to swear off the movies for a year.
Nah.
p.s. I couldn't decide if this was a new thread or not, so I'm offering it as a possibility for others, who, like me, continue to be startled by big plot deviations they've missed during the first 5 or more viewings. (Once or twice doesn't count!
) Am I a victim of dust bunnies in the belfry or hypnotism? [heh]
You know, now that I think about it--I've read umpteen # of movie posts here & one or two other large web sites, and I don't recall anyone else mentioning this, either. Nope, that just couldn't be--I don't think--gee, I'm so cornfused! [shuffles off down darkened hallway scratching head and fades from view]