Books to Movies: Fellowship, Keeping Characters Characters Plus More About Mary Sues

How much can you change until the character is no longer the character?

Scriptwriters and directors are constantly changing stories until they no longer even vaguely resemble the original plots. 

But what about characters? Most Miss Marples are decent representations of the type even when their movies are completely unlike the books. The movie Christmas with Holly based on the Lisa Kleypas's book Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor changes the brothers' ages and backgrounds but retains their relationship. 

What about The Lord of the Rings?

In the book, Gandalf--rather than Elrond--wants Frodo to be the ring-bearer. In the movie, Gandalf resists that suggestion and is pained by Frodo's decision. 

Frankly, I prefer movie Gandalf here. Book Gandalf seems a little too "I'm a wise wizard--I must prophecy." However, the underlying care for Frodo is consistent between movie and book as is the curmudgeonly wizard who cries, "Fly, you fools."

In both the book and movie, Boromir is belligerent with Aragorn--in the book, because he thinks Aragorn needs to prove himself; in the movie, because "Gondor needs no king." I think the objections, in both cases, come from the same sense of pride and tunnel-vision that characterize Boromir overall (plus his great honor and toughness).

Book and movie Aragorns are quite different in some ways. The Aragorn of the book has already accepted his role and fate. He isn't terribly concerned about the ring's power. He isn't uncertain or guilt-ridden about his role. He is, well, honestly, something of a Mary Sue.

However, Tolkien's Mary Sues aren't annoying in the way that many Mary Sues are--the sense of history throughout the books implies that although we readers may be meeting this character after the character has figured out a course of action, the character has paid for that knowledge and is willing to live with the subsequent decision.

Galadriel, for instance, is a saintly Elvin queen who rejects the ring. Of course, she does! But she also exudes a sense of sorrow or sorrow mixed with happiness. She made tough choices long before we meet her. She gave things up. She is now bearing the weight of her decisions.

Aragorn is the same. And he isn't entirely perfect. He becomes troubled near the end of book Fellowship since he can't decide whether his duty calls him to help Frodo or to go to Gondor. When Merry and Pippin are carried off, Aragorn blames himself and his indecision for what happened that day. And at the end of the trilogy, though he is happily married to Arwen, like Galadriel, he carries about him a sense of sorrow. Out of all the members of the Fellowship, he seems to bemoan its end the most. 

Duty is a positive in Tolkien's world--and duty is not incompatible with having to give things up. 

In general, Jackson and Jackson's scriptwriters do a decent job retaining the core of Tolkien's characters. The inner struggles, ambiguity, and range of reactions are in the book. The trilogy takes those elements and brings them to the fore.