The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Cate Blanchett as: Galadriel

Director: Peter Jackson
Selected Cast: Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving & John Rhys-Davies
Written by: Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, & Philippa Boyens (Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel)
Release Year: 2001
Genre: Action / Adventure / Fantasy
MPAA Rating: PG-13

 

 

 

IMDb | Photos | Videos | Official Site

An ancient Ring thought lost for centuries has been found, and through a strange twist in fate has been given to a small Hobbit named Frodo. When Gandalf discovers the Ring is in fact the One Ring of the Dark Lord Sauron, Frodo must make an epic quest to the Cracks of Doom in order to destroy it! However he does not go alone. He is joined by Gandalf, Legolas the elf, Gimli the Dwarf, Aragorn, Boromir and his three Hobbit friends Merry, Pippin and Samwise. Through mountains, snow, darkness, forests, rivers and plains, facing evil and danger at every corner the Fellowship of the Ring must go. Their quest to destroy the One Ring is the only hope for the end of the Dark Lords reign!

Related Images

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Screencapture from DVD Appendices – The Fellowship of the Cast
Related Videos

The third video is a playlist of the appendices from the DVD, just click on the playlist icon on the upper right to see the other videos in it.

Quotes from Cate Blanchett

  • “I wanted to work with the guy who made ‘Braindead.”
  • “I was [in New Zealand] for three weeks on the Lord of the Rings, and I think I might have been on The Hobbit for only three days, but it was really special nonetheless.”
  • “I felt so lucky to be part of that [Lord of the Rings trilogy], because I really believe it will be one of those things that have real resonance. When I was on the set, I felt like I really was in Middle-earth, and I think Peter [Jackson] will work the same magic on the audience. I know I can’t wait to see it.”
  • “Making films like Lord of the Rings, well, I was in a state of wonderment. I was in heaven, really.” (Ok! Magazine, January 2005)

Quotes from Others

Quotes by Cate Blanchett’s character, Galadriel

  • “[From prologue] It all began with the forging of the Great Rings. Three were given to the Elves; immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings. Seven, to the Dwarf Lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. And nine, nine rings were gifted to the race of Men, who above all else desire power. For within these rings was bound the strength and the will to govern over each race. But they were all of them deceived, for another ring was made. In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged in secret, a master ring, to control all others. And into this ring he poured all his cruelty, his malice and his will to dominate all life. One ring to rule them all. One by one, the free peoples of Middle Earth fell to the power of the Ring. But there were some who resisted. A last alliance of men and elves marched against the armies of Mordor, and on the very slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle-Earth. Victory was near, but the power of the ring could not be undone. It was in this moment, when all hope had faded, that Isildur, son of the king, took up his father’s sword. And Sauron, enemy of the free peoples of Middle-Earth, was defeated. The Ring passed to Isildur, who had this one chance to destroy evil forever, but the hearts of men are easily corrupted. And the ring of power has a will of its own. It betrayed Isildur, to his death. And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge. Until, when chance came, the ring ensnared a new bearer. The ring came to the creature Gollum, who took it deep into the tunnels under the Misty Mountains, and there it consumed him. The ring gave to Gollum unnatural long life. For five hundred years it poisoned his mind; and in the gloom of Gollum’s cave, it waited. Darkness crept back into the forests of the world. Rumor grew of a shadow in the East, whispers of a nameless fear, and the Ring of Power perceived. Its time had now come. It abandoned Gollum. But then something happened that the Ring did not intend. It was picked up by the most unlikely creature imaginable. A Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, of the Shire. For the time will soon come when Hobbits will shape the fortunes of all…”
  • Galadriel: “I know what it is you saw, for it is also in my mind. It is what will come to pass, If you should fail. The Fellowship is breaking, it has already begun. He will try to take the Ring, you know of whom I speak. One by one, it will destroy them.”
    Frodo (Elijah Wood): “If you ask it of me, I will give you the One Ring.”
    Galadriel: “You offer it to me freely? I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired this. In the place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the Morn! Treacherous as the Seas! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair! I have passed the test. I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.”
    Frodo: “I cannot do this alone.”
    Galadriel: “You are a Ring-bearer, Frodo. To bear a Ring of Power is to be alone. This is Nenya, the Ring of Adament. And I am it’s keeper. This task was appointed to you, and if you do not find a way, no one will.”
    Frodo: “I know what I must do, it’s just that… I’m afraid to do it.”
    Galadriel: “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.”
  • “The Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the Company is true.”
  • “For the time would soon come when hobbits would shape the fortunes of all.”
  • “We shall not meet again, Elessar.”
  • Galadriel: “For you, Samwise Gamgee, Elven rope, made of Hithline.”
    Sam (Sean Astin): “Thank You M’Lady… Have you ran out of those nice shiny daggers?”
  • “I give you the light of Eärendil, our most beloved star. May it be a light for you in dark places, when all other lights go out.”

Trivia & Facts

  • Filmed in New Zealand.
  • The film received 13 Academy Award nominations, winning Best Cinematography for Andrew Lesnie, Best Score for Howard Shore, Best Make-up and Best Visual Effects, more accolades here.
  • In an interview Cate Blanchett gave to Fox Television Network, she admitted blushingly that she had accepted the role of Galadriel, the Elf Queen, in The Lord of the Rings trilogy because she always wanted to appear in a movie wearing pointed ears.
  • After completing work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy in the role of Galadriel, Cate Blanchett kept and bronzed her elf ear prosthetics.
  • At the 2014 San Diego Comic-con, Philippa Boyens said that they had a wish list with names of possible people for the roles and Cate Blanchett’s name is on it for Galadriel.
  • Cate Blanchett and the cast were nominated for Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
  • Cate Blanchett won Best Supporting Actress at National Board of Review Awards, shared with her performances in The Shipping News (2001) and The Man Who Cried (2000).
  • As of 2022, Cate Blanchett holds the record for most Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Aviator (2004), Babel (2006), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), and Don’t Look Up (2020).
  • As of 2023, Cate Blanchett holds the record for an actress with the most appearances in a Best Picture-nominated at the Academy Awards: Elizabeth (1998), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Aviator (2004), Babel (2006), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Don’t Look Up (2020), Nightmare Alley (2020), and TÁR (2022).
  • Originally the narration at the prologue was to be spoken by Elijah Wood, but it was felt that the information imparted had little bearing on the character of Frodo. Ian McKellen also recorded a narration but once again it was felt that Gandalf wasn’t the right character to speak it. They eventually settled on Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, as it emphasizes the timelessness of the elves.
    Galadriel’s home at Lothlorien was the largest miniature set built for the trilogy.
  • Peter Jackson did a “Director Cameo” and can be glimpsed outside the Prancing Pony holding a carrot. Originally it was supposed to be a pipe, but after a couple of puffs, he felt sick and went for the carrot instead.
  • The original cut ran four hours and thirty minutes.
  • The film grossed over $868 million worldwide during its original theatrical run.
  • The film stayed in the US top ten grossing films for 13 weeks.
  • In August 2002, the DVD release set a UK record when it chalked up sales of 2.4 million.
  • The total crew amounted to over 3,000 people of which approximately over 300 were in the art department alone.
  • The overall budget for all 3 films was $300 million. Add another $200 million for the publicity and marketing of all 3.
  • It is estimated that filming of the trilogy pumped about $200,000,000 into the New Zealand economy. The New Zealand government even created a Minister for Lord of the Rings, whose remit was to exploit all the economic opportunities the films represented.
    The Elvish language lines spoken in the film are not just quotes from the book, they were derived from Tolkien’s own limited dictionary of that language. Dialect coach Andrew Jack used actual recordings of Tolkien reading his books to guide the actors’ pronunciation.
  • When the trailer was released on Internet on April 7, 2001, it was downloaded 1.6 million times in the first 24 hours.
  • When Christopher Lee and Tolkien were in correspondence, Tolkien gave Lee his blessing to play Gandalf if there ever was a film version of Lord of the Rings. Years later, Lee campaigned for the part of Gandalf in this production, but was offered the part of Saruman instead. Lee, who wanted to participate in the project anyway he could, accepted the role of Saruman. Lee is the only cast and crew who has met Tolkien and he also reads the books every year.
  • Ian McKellen hadn’t read the books when he was first approached by Peter Jackson to play Gandalf. It was Jackson’s enthusiasm for the project that won him over. McKellen later based Gandalf’s accent on that of Tolkien himself.
  • While Christopher Lee was always Peter Jackson’s first choice for the role of Saruman. Jackson did consider Tim Curry, Jeremy Irons and Malcolm McDowell for the role.
  • Ian Holm was always Peter Jackson’s first choice to play Bilbo Baggins.
  • Orlando Bloom originally auditioned for the part of Faramir. He was called back and subsequently cast, instead, as Legolas. Bloom landed the role of Legolas two days before he finished drama school.