Directed by Peter Jackson
Novel by J.R.R. Tolkien (The Fellowship of the Ring)
Screenplay by Frances Walsh, Philippa Boyens, & Peter Jackson

Elijah Wood.... Frodo Baggins
Ian McKellen.... Gandalf
Viggo Mortensen.... Aragorn aka Strider
Sean Astin.... Samwise 'Sam' Gamgee
Liv Tyler.... Arwen Undómiel
Cate Blanchett.... Galadriel
John Rhys-Davies.... Gimli
Billy Boyd.... Peregrin 'Pippin' Took
Dominic Monaghan.... Meriadoc 'Merry' Brandybuck
Orlando Bloom.... Legolas Greenleaf
Hugo Weaving.... Elrond
Sean Bean.... Boromir
Ian Holm.... Bilbo Baggins
Andy Serkis.... Sméagol/Gollum (voice)
Alexandra Astin.... Elanor Gamgee
Sala Baker.... Sauron
Timothy Bartlett.... A hobbit
Marton Csokas.... Celeborn
Brad Dourif.... Gríma Wormtongue
Mark Ferguson.... Gil-Galad
Taea Hartwell.... Child Hobbit
Bernard Hill.... King Théoden
Bruce Hopkins.... Gamling
Jay Laga'aia.... Lurtz
Christopher Lee.... Saruman
Nathaniel Lees.... Uglúk
John Leigh.... Háma
Peter Mackenzie.... Elendil
Lawrence Makoare.... Lurtz
Robyn Malcolm.... Morwen
Sarah McLeod.... Rosie Cotton
John Noble.... Denethor
Miranda Otto.... Éowyn
Craig Parker.... Haldir
Martyn Sanderson.... Harry Goatleaf
Brian Sergent.... Ted Sandyman
Harry Sinclair.... Isildur
Bruce Spence.... Mouth of Sauron
Karl Urban.... Éomer
Stephen Ure.... Gorbag
David Wenham.... Faramir

Produced by Peter Jackson (producer), Mark Ordesky (executive producer), Barrie M. Osborne (producer), Rick Porras (co-producer), Tim Sanders (producer), Jamie Selkirk (co-producer), Robert Shaye (executive producer), Ellen Somers (associate producer), Frances Walsh (co-producer), Bob Weinstein (executive producer), Harvey Weinstein (executive producer), Saul Zaentz (executive producer)
Original music by Enya Howard Shore
Cinematography by Andrew Lesnie
Film Editing by John Gilbert, D. Michael Horton and Jamie Selkirk

MPAA: Rated PG-13
for epic battle sequences and some scary images.
Runtime: 178

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The Lord of The Rings:
The Fellowship of The Ring
- Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Howard Shore, Enya
1. The Prophecy 2. Concerning Hobbits 3. The Shadow Of The Past 4. The Treason Of Isengard 5. The Black Rider 6. At The Sign Of The Prancing Pony 7. A Knife In The Dark 8. Flight To The Ford 9. Many Meetings 10. The Council Of Elrond [featuring the song "Aniron (Theme For Aragorn And Arwen)" composed & performed by Enya] 11. The Ring Goes South 12. A Journey In The Dark 13. The Bridge Of Khazad Dum 14. LothLórien 15. The Great River 16. Amon Hen 17. The Breaking Of The Fellowship 18. May It Be [composed & performed by Enya]

STUDIO SYNOPSIS:
The Lord of the Rings, the book of the 20th Century is about to become the motion picture event of the 21st Century ? A groundbreaking epic of good versus evil, extraordinary heroes, wondrous creatures and dark armies of terror. Generations of more than 50 million people around the globe, in 25 different languages have grown up with this epic history. The legend has inspired an entire genre of movies, fiction, and has influenced some of the greatest artists of our time. It has made dreamers out of children and adults, and has recently been named the number one most popular book of the century. But it has never been told in its entirety on the screen.

Using the power of contemporary cinema technology, New Line Cinema is proud to transform J.R.R. Tolkien?s The Lord of the Rings into a history-making motion picture event. Beginning in the year 2001, New Line will present a grand trilogy of live-action feature films—The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King—that will take audiences inside Tolkien?s living, breathing mythology, the world that is Middle-earth. The Lord of the Rings will collectively re-tell the story of Frodo Baggins, who battles against the Dark Lord, Sauron to save Middle-earth from the grip of evil. In the films, Frodo and The Fellowship embarks on a desperate journey to rid the earth of the source of Sauron?s greatest strength, the One Ring, a ring of such power that it cannot be destroyed. His extraordinary adventures across the treacherous landscape of Middle-earth reveal how the power of friendship and courage can hold the forces of darkness at bay.

By shooting all three films consecutively during one massive production and post-production schedule, New Line Cinema is making history. Never before has such a monumental undertaking been contemplated or executed. The commitment of time, resources and manpower are unheard of as all three films and more than 1,000 effects shots are being produced concurrently with the same director and core cast. Helmer Peter Jackson, whose visionary style of filmmaking and emotional acuity won accolades for his Heavenly Creatures and The Frighteners, brings his deep love for the source material to the project.

The film features a strong international cast that includes (in alphabetical order) Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Brad Dourif, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, John Rhys-Davis, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, and Elijah Wood. But the real star of the film is the story itself - a classic hero?s quest in which the smallest of beings changes the course of the future with the vastness of his courage.

The Lord of the Rings collectively tells the story of Frodo Baggins, a Hobbit who battles against the Dark Lord Sauron to save his world, Middle-earth, from the grip of evil. In the trilogy of films, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, Frodo and his Fellowship of friends and allies embark on a desperate journey to rid the earth of the source of Sauron's greatest strength, the One Ring—a ring that has the power to enslave the inhabitants of Middle-earth. The trilogy chronicles extraordinary adventures across the treacherous landscape of Middle-earth and reveals how the power of friendship, love and courage can hold the forces of darkness at bay.

Director Peter Jackson, whose visionary style of filmmaking and emotional acuity won accolades for his Heavenly Creatures and The Frighteners, brings his deep love for the source material to the project. Produced by Barrie M. Osborne, the films feature a strong international cast that includes (in alphabetical order) Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Brad Dourif, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, and Elijah Wood.

The Fellowship of the Ring is in theaters December 19th, 2001. The Two Towers is in theaters December 18th, 2002. The Return of the King is in theaters December 2003.
© 2001 New Line Cinema

Peter Jackson's Vision of Middle-earth

The director of The Fellowship of the Ring has walked a very fine line between faithfulness to J.R.R. Tolkien's vision and placing upon that vision his own unique stamp; and he has managed to do it, for the most part, consummately.  Alternately rushed and elegaic, perfunctory and moving, Jackson's film version of the novel manages to portray the key elements that make Middle-earth a fantasy reader's preferred destination.  At the same time, Jackson has lifted some of the lesser themes from the novel into the foreground, presenting some new spiritual ideas to his audience for consideration.

First and foremost, the story remains one of the tension between Free Will and Providence.  The best of Gandalf's words from the book remain intact, if condensed mostly into one speech to Frodo at the crossroads in Moria, reminding Frodo (and the audience) that, first, there are other hands than our own guiding our fate; and second, that it remains up to us to decide what to do with the time that we have (see the treatment of these themes on Hollywood Jesus' reviews of Book I and Book II of The Fellowship of the Ring).

But the first of the elements that makes this uniquely Jackson's picture, and one that works very well, is the emphasis on the temptation of The Ring.  Gandalf, Bilbo, Boromir, Galadriel, Aragorn and even Elrond (partly through the Prologue) are all given extended, lingering chances to ponder the significance of the chance at unrestrained power.  While most of these encounters occur in the book as well, the opportunies that are added (Boromir at the Red Horn Pass and Aragorn at Amon Hen) and the time devoted by Jackson to the other encounters makes it clear that personal response to temptation is one issue with which he hopes to confront his audience.

The second element dominates the closing moments of the film, though it is foreshadowed in the extended treatment of Gandalf's visit with Saruman.  For Jackson, it doesn't seem enough that Tolkien's heroes go on motivated by the conviction of things not seen (the definition of faith found in Hebrews 11:1, one with which Tolkien seems utterly content).  Instead, the characters can only go on by knowing precisely where they are headed, and why.  For instance, Pippin and Merry no longer play an unwitting part in protecting Sam and Frodo; instead, knowing that Frodo is leaving the Fellowship, they deliberately draw the fire of the Orcs.  Likewise, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli do not go in pursuit of the two hobbits having to guess at Sam and Frodo's fate; they know.  I doubt that Tolkien would have been enthused at this change.  In his vision, acceptance of not knowing was precisely part of properly understanding the relation of Free Will and Providence. 

The third element comes at the very end of the film, as Sam sinks into the waters of Anduin, reaching out for help.  To this point (the exception being very brief sequences in the Shire), Jackson's film has been exceedingly dark.  Even in Rivendell it is fall, and the colors are muted; and most of the truncated Lórien sequence takes place in twilight.  Why?  Where is the light?  Jackson answers with a vision straight from Michelangelo: the vision of the hand of Man reaching out to God for Salvation, coming in the form—here—of the hand of another Hobbit assisted by a bright Light.  It's an audacious addition to Tolkien's vision, and it works!

The Bottom Line

Though it's clear that this is a darker—and scarier—vision of Middle-earth than comes across on the printed page, we really don't know about the bottom line yet, do we?  Obviously, the film succeeds as terrific entertainment for adolescents and adults, and will no doubt sate the appetite of Tolkien addicts as least for a few months.  Box-office records will fall, and fall mightily.  But what about the entire series?  Will it become flabby and perfunctory, like the Star Wars series?  Or will it actually build momentum, and end with as satisfying a conclusion as the novels?  We shall only be able to wait and see, I am afraid. 

In the mean time, what do you think?  Is the movie an offense to the culture?  A Balrog on your Bridge of Khazad-dûm?  A flower in your Ithilien?  Has Tolkien been slimed?  Let us know your thoughts!

E-mail Greg Wright here

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