Awesome #10

10: The Lord of the Rings

I feel like I don't need to say anything more about this, but I do. I can barely articulate how much this movie has effected my life. I would say "changed" but really, a fantasy story about adorable short guys, elves and hot warrior men off to destroy jewelry isn't really something I can model myself after. But this story has effected a lot of things in my life.

The first time I ever read The Hobbit, I was in 6th grade. And I didn't like it. What? I'm crazy, right?! I thought it was boring (at the time I was reading teen novels that were far too advanced for my virgin eyes, and a whole buttload of Dean Koontz), and so I never bothered with Lord of the Rings. When they started filming, I saw a couple news stories that nerdy friends of mine would send me, and the only thing I found exciting was the Elijah Wood was playing Frodo Baggins. The Fellowship of the Ring was released on December 19th, 2001. I had plans to see it with said nerdy friends because I like movies and the trailers made it look interesting, but they all bailed and on Boxing Day in 2001 my friend Erica and I saw The Fellowship of the Ring for the first time.

And everything changed.

I don't remember a whole lot of how I felt the first time I saw that movie. I remember referring to Legolas as "Pretty Elf Boy" the whole time (and for YEARS after wards), and I remember getting absolutely lost in the story. And I remember leaving the theatre with my jaw open in absolute joy and shock and disbelief. I saw it the next day, and 2 days after that. I saw Fellowship of the Ring 17 times in theatres, and COUNTLESS times on my computer afterwards.

It only got worse after that. I remember buying tickets for The Two Towers and Return of the King as soon as the tickets were available to be purchased. I remember being jealous of the people who somehow managed to see the 1 screening before the one I went to. I remember getting a high-school teacher to POSTPONE A TEST because we'd already bought our tickets to the movie.

There are so many things about these movies and this story that I am in love with. The little guy (literally) being the hero. The infallible sidekick, who is always my favourite character (see: Ron Weasley). The joy of friendship and the hardships of doing what's right. The fantasy, the love, the elaborate languages and visuals that J.R.R. Tolkien wrote into these stories are just amazing. And the movies, just wow. You can really BELIEVE everything in those movies really happened. The costumes and the sets and the CGI is all so genuine and incredible. The dedication that the people working on this movie, on-screen and off, is just amazing. It took years to get this movie filming, not to mention over 18 months to film. For many people, this movie was a lifestyle while they worked on it. And while I waited for them to be released, it was a lifestyle to me.

One of my favourite parts of the movies is the behind the scenes. Did you know two men don't have fingerprints on their index fingers and thumbs from linking together so much chainmail? Or that Theoden's leather armour was decorated on the outside AND the inside, just so it would feel more authentic to him? Or that John Rhys-Davies was allergic to the glue they used to attach the prosthetics to his face, but kept at it for over a year anyways?

I could go on, but the feelings I feel watching these movies are so personal to me I can barely even articulate it. All I know is that the day I sat down to watch The Fellowship of the Ring, I had no idea how different my life would be from that moment on. That when I was sick in the future, I would watch behind the scenes footage as a "comfort movie", or that I would bond with friends on snowy days watching all 3 extended films in a row almost every Christmas holiday we could. That my first tattoo would be a symbol of hope from the movies and no one would know what it was, as I still get "is that the tree of life?" every time someone new sees it.

In case you didn't know, I've been watching The Return of the King the last few days. I had a hard weekend and Brad suggested we watch it. Instant cure for the blues. I wish I still had a tissue box decorated solely for the purpose of seeing this movie again.

*le sigh* seriously, I can't even SAY how much this story means to me. I'm just going to sit back and enjoy how awesome it is.