[ArathornJax]

As someone who is in their early forties, and waiting to hear if I have cancer or another disorder in my upper G I understand your point. The last week has brought to my face the issue of my own mortality and in a way though scary, it has been a very good thing. It has made me re-evaluate my priorities in life and as I hope and pray for one of the three things I may have outside of cancer (and it probably is not cancer but always the chance as the Doctor told me) I too would agree with you that I would love to go with my son who will be 17 at the time and my wife and my daughter who will be 18. I could almost day as much as I am excited about some things about The Hobbit movie adaptation, I am more excited to wake up each day and feel the wind on my face, raindrops dropping, seeing lightning and hearing thunder, the laughter of my kids and my wife and their affection. In the end what more does one need in life? Loved ones, a few good friends, good food and enjoyment in the simple things of life. Perhaps we are in the end, we all need to be more Hobbit like than human like as we get caught up in this crazy world we call life.

But I digress. I also agree with davem and William that money controls this and so in 2011 and 2012 there will be movies whether we view that as a good or a bad thing. Though I enjoy most of the adaptations (there are a couple . . . ) for me, the books are in the end, the cannon, the very source of all and I enjoy them the most.