So on a whim (i.e., without proper prior consultation with the other parental unit), Katherine and I sat down to watch Fellowship of the Ring Saturday morning. Margie and I had talked about pre-screening first, to see where our memories judged properly the intensity of the whole PG-13-vs-7.5-year-old thing. But I thought I'd give it a first brush to see if there was interest -- which there was.

After Margie came down, we restarted again (we'd not gotten very far), and we watched it through pretty much to where Frodo wakes up in Rivendell. Katherine did pretty well -- except for struggling with some accents. She got a bit scared at the Black Riders Chasing Down the Hobbits in the Forest scene, and again some on Weathertop, but we took frequent pauses in the DVD (for Daddy to explain what was going on and fill in backstory and the like). She was disturbed by Gandalf & Saruman duking it out, too.

Later in the afternoon, after Christmas was put away, we watched another chunk, through the Council at Rivendell, the early jaunts of the Fellowship, turning back on Caradhras, and finally up to the Mines of Moria.

After dinner out, we came back and started to watch a bit more -- but (a) she was getting tired, (b) it was dark outside, and (c) the movie started getting scary (Moria! Dead dwarves! Watcher in the Water! Dark Caverns!). The final straw was when they spotted Gollum following them, at which point she opined she didn't want to watch any more until it was daylight.

So that's where we left it, probably (maybe) to pick up next weekend. I'm a bit worried about her reaction to Gandalf falling (though we can tell her right then and there he'll be back, if need be). I'm more worried about Boromir -- not so much his betrayal (since she's figured out how the Ring is affecting folks) but his final pincushion status. Margie's concerned over how she'll feel over the end of the movie -- the Fellowship split, Merry and Pippin kidnapped, Sam and Frodo off on their own -- but that's all to make her want to see the next film.

I think Gollum's going to continue to weird her out, more than some of the other upcoming bits. He's both a creepy character (even to an adult), and the interaction between him and Sam and Frodo is very personal.

It was amazing, though, all she picked up. She's figured out the whole plot mechanisms around the One Ring (it's affect on others, why Gandalf can't carry it, how it attracts the Black Riders), and she's picking up other bits of Middle-earth lore, too. 

In retrospect, I should have held off until Margie and I previewed it -- and I suspect we would have held off another year or two. But I'm content, at this point, to let Katherine be the judge (in this film) of how she feels about it, if she wants to see more, etc.

But I'm glad she's enjoyed the bits that she has. :-)

Filed under :: Media - Movies :: Parenting
Link · Print · Edit · TR/G

Yeah, right off the top of my head I would have done the same as you without thinking back on the scarier bits of the movie, as it seems you found out.

As to Gollum, I always fest sad and pity for him, and at the end I could almost feel his pure and utter joy, even it it was very short lived.

Have you tried reading the books to her, or books on Disk so that she would have more of an idea as to what is going on in the books without the visually scary movie images? Or heck, in a year or two, give her a copy of the Hobbit of her very own to read. :)

I've been actually reading The Hobbit to her, and we watched the (much-sanitized) Rankin-Bass "Hobbit" TV movie a week or so back.

I'm curious: has she seen any of the Star Wars movies yet?

I hardly remember seeing the first one, but I remember being terrified of Vader. I think I must have been about five. MAaaaaaybe six. Certainly the balrogs a bit scarier.

The sections of the second movie with Merry and Pippin held by the orcs might be a bit... rough, albeit short-lived.

On the other hand, I expect Treebeard to be immensely popular.

To answer your other question -- no, no Star Wars yet. Last time I suggested it, she wasn't interested. Main interest in LotR now is from our playing LotRO, not surprisingly. She keeps waiting for the dwarf with the hammer to show up -- "Baruk khazad!"