*TTT - Sam (Sean Astin)*

[Estella Brandybuck]

Oh boy... this'll take awhile.<P>Well, I watched FotR for the first time before I had ever read the books, and I wasn't very familiar with them. All I knew was that the previews seemed interesting, and my then-boyfriend (named Sam, coincidentally ) had read the books and loved them. So I thought, what the heck?<P>By the end of the movie, I'd fallen in love, thanks to Mr. Astin and his performance of Samwise Gamgee.<P>So I read the books, and fell in love all over again. When I saw TTT, I was a bit miffed at some parts, but whenever Sam came on-screen, I always felt better about the movie. Sean Astin once again did justice to my beloved Sam.<P>And absolutely no offense intended to anyone who feels otherwise, but I really don't see how anyone could dislike Sam. The romantic sap in me sees him as the kind of guy I would want to marry. The other part of me sees him as the friend and companion we should all aspire to be - loyal to the end, valiant when necessary, and with tons of good hobbit sense.<P>Wow, I managed to contain my Sam-gushing to only a few paragraphs... it's a miracle!