Review

Review Date: 6-April-03
Juju Judgment: Jubilation!

The Long and Short of It/an Evening with Sean Astin

On April 5, I had the great pleasure of attending a special screening of "The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers" introduced by star Sean Astin (who plays the hobbit Sam) and preceded by Astin's five-minute short film, "The Long and Short of It."

The event was organized by Bit of Earth.net, in conjunction with Regal Cinemas and New Line Productions. Bit of Earth is a Samwise Gamgee fan club which had invited the actor/director to assist in planting a children's reading garden in Beaverton, Oregon, known as Project Elanor. (If you haven't read LOTR, Sam is a gardener by trade, and Elanor is a kind of flower after which he names his first child.) All proceeds from the evening were donated to Reading is Fundamental, in keeping with the spirit of the project and Astin's person interest in promoting children's literacy.

I arrived at the event expecting a brief, flashbulb-blinding appearance by Astin in front of a fan-crazy crowd, and was most pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying nearly an hour of down-to-earth, interesting, and lively discussion with the young star, kicked off by his delightful "The Long and Short of It." Astin was inspired to make the film by the LOTR gaffer (chief electrician), the late Brian Bansgrove, and because it gave him an opportunity to continue developing his skills behind the camera (he also directed an episode of the TV show "Angel" which aired earlier this year). Shot in six hours in Wellington, New Zealand, the dialogue-free film pays tribute to the simple fellowship of strangers, as a man who is having trouble plastering an advertising poster on a wall is helped by two people who just happen to be exactly what he needs. Both funny and touching, the film features LOTR crew members, including cinematographer Andrew Lesnie as the plasterer, two of the regular extras as the people who assist him, and director Peter Jackson as a bus driver. The film was shot using one of George Lucas' personal digital cameras, which had been sent to Jackson for a test run. According to Astin, "The Long and Short of It" will be included in the DVD package of "The Two Towers" due out in August.

Astin, very lean and buff now that he's done playing Sam, arrived with his wife and two daughters with nary a flashbulb in sight (cameras were not allowed), and he stayed after "The Long and Short of It" to answer questions. He proved to be one of the most engaging speakers I have ever seen. Funny, intelligent, and at ease with himself (and holding a teddy bear he had been given for most of his 45 minutes on stage), he displayed that quality which would make anybody a fascinating study: passion. It was obvious that Astin absolutely loves making films — as an actor, director, and otherwise — and, consequently, loves talking about making films. He said he could answer only about 15 questions, but was unable to walk away while hands were still in the air and had to be literally coerced out of the theater by his patient wife, who called him on his cell phone from the back of the room at one point to urge him to wrap it up. (Astin repeatedly expressed his devotion to his family and was obviously very conscious of the sacrifices they are making for his burgeoning career.) His responses were always thoughtful and entertaining as he fielded everything from the political (Was it awkward to talk to Joan Rivers before the Oscars, considering the world situation?) to the personal (Did you steal anything from the LOTR set?) to the inevitable (Can you give me Orlando Bloom's phone number?). Here are some of his responses.

On Future Projects: Astin says he is interested in doing a sequel to his 1985 movie, "The Goonies," but it sounds like he will have his plate full for quite a while with several possible directorial and acting stints. He is currently shooting a movie with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.

On How He Got the Role of Sam: He was invited to audition because Peter Jackson was familiar with his previous films and had worked with his father, John Astin, on "The Frighteners." He got the role after two try-outs and convincing Jackson and Co. that he could gain both a British accent and a lot of weight.

On the Best/Worst/Hardest Aspects of Filming LOTR: Astin became very animated when describing the most valuable thing he learned on the set: how much imagination he has within himself, and how the possibilities for filmmaking are endless. He said that having his wife and daughter with him in New Zealand (the second child had not yet been born) and being able to share the experience with them was the highlight. The hardest part for him was having to get "so fat" to play Sam; for the project overall, it was planning the logistics of such massive scenes as the battle at Helm's Deep. Asked about the foot injury he sustained while shooting, he cheerily related the story as if it were an adventure yarn, in which he got to ride with Jacques Cousteau's helicopter pilot and was later presented with a cane by the cast and crew as a memento of the experience. (By the way, he also took home a set of hobbit feet.)

On His LOTR Castmates: Christopher Lee is "really funny;" Elijah Wood is "one thousand years old;" and John Rhys-Davies was the most reclusive. Astin said he wished he could have gotten to know Rhys-Davies better, even though he is "politically just right of Attila the Hun."

On Gollum and Andy Serkis: Although Astin dismissed the importance of Oscars as in no way contributing to or taking away from the greatness of the films, he still stated that Serkis should win an award for his intensive work in bringing Gollum/Smeagol to life. He said his first impression on seeing Gollum was "how much he looked like Andy Serkis," and later, when someone asked if Serkis were really scary, he replied with a grin, "Only at first."

On His Favorite LOTR Character: Treebeard was his favorite while reading the books; he loved the idea of the environment coming to life.

On Changes Made to Tolkien's Books: Astin mentioned his newfound wonder and appreciation at the "fan culture" surrounding LOTR several times, and said that he loves the fact that people are debating how and why the movies and the books differ because it means the mythology is still alive, as Tolkien would have wished.

On "The Return of the King": Yes, Astin actually gave away something about the final film in the trilogy! First, though, he said that while he hasn't seen a rough cut of the film, he is sure it will be his favorite of the three, and he can't wait to see himself battle a giant spider. When a very little girl in the front row queried in barely a whisper whether Shelob was going to be scary, he bucked up her courage with a big hug. Astin also responded "Yes" when asked whether they had filmed the hobbits returning to the Shire at the end of the story.

In the end, it seemed as if Astin were just as reluctant to leave the scene as his fans were to see him go, but it was clear that everyone had shared an excellent experience (and not just the three lucky people — one from each section of the theater — who also got a hug in response to one girl's request). The cheers were long and many throughout the subsequent showing of "The Two Towers," and this reviewer, at least, left with an even greater appreciation for the films, the wonder and love they have generated, and the people who made it all happen.

For my review of "The Two Towers," click here.

Thanks are due to New Line's Official Lord of the Rings site for the wee picture of Sam, and to TORn for keeping me and countless other fans apprised of LOTR news and happenings around the world. (You can find other reviews of this event there as well.)

Copyright © 2002 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.