{"id":785,"date":"2019-05-10T14:31:35","date_gmt":"2019-05-10T21:31:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/?p=785"},"modified":"2019-06-12T14:33:08","modified_gmt":"2019-06-12T21:33:08","slug":"tolkien","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/2019\/tolkien\/","title":{"rendered":"Tolkien \u2013 An Incredibly Heartwarming Film Telling How J. R. Tolkien Drew Inspiration for His Books"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Tolkien-197x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-793\" width=\"148\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Tolkien-197x300.jpg 197w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Tolkien.jpg 655w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 148px) 100vw, 148px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Tolkien<\/em> explores the formative years of the\norphaned author as he finds friendship, love and artistic inspiration among a\ngroup of fellow outcasts at school. This takes him into the outbreak of World\nWar I, which threatens to tear the &#8220;fellowship&#8221; apart. All of these\nexperiences would inspire Tolkien to write his famous Middle-Earth novels. KIDS\nFIRST! Film Critic Rohan F. comments, \u201c<em>Tolkien<\/em>\nis an incredibly heartwarming film telling the story of John Ronald Tolkien\u2019s\nlife and how he drew inspiration for his books. This film is extremely\nentertaining for a biopic. It tells his life story in a way that shows how\nevents throughout his life fueled his imagination to create his incredible\nfantasy stories.\u201d Calista B. adds, \u201cA mind like Tolkien is very intriguing. I\nwas interested in how creativity and imagination are the central focus of the\nmovie. As I writer, I get very excited when I hear how \u201ccreativity can change\nthe world,\u201d because that is something I believe in very deeply. So, I enjoyed\nthat very much. \u201c See their full reviews below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tolkien<br>Reviewed by Rohan Foxe, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 13<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tolkien by Rohan F.\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QxUsrUYkDIc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Tolkien<\/em> is an incredibly heartwarming film\ntelling the story of John Ronald Tolkien\u2019s life and how he drew inspiration for\nhis books. This film is extremely entertaining for a biopic. It tells his life\nstory in a way that shows how events throughout his life fueled his imagination\nto create his incredible fantasy stories. It brilliantly represents how people\nmake connections with other people and events that inspire creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/tolkien-035a_T_03505C_rgb.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-788\" width=\"216\" height=\"144\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Tolkien <\/em>begins with J.R.R. Tolkien in a small\ncamp in a WWI trench, where he is having visions of mythical creatures\nbattling. It then cuts to him as a child and shows how he always loved these\nmythical creatures that he wrote about. Suddenly, due to a lack of money, his\nfamily is forced to move to the city where he has no friends. He and his\nbrother are admitted to a prestigious school on scholarships where he makes\nsome lifelong friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The use of\nimagery in this film is incredible. Lots of normal things are transformed by\nJohn\u2019s imagination into incredible creatures from myths and legends. Many of\nthe things that John experiences over the course of his life are mirrored by the\nevents in his books. The film excels at showing that Tolkien was really\npassionate about his writing and the use of language. The war scenes in the\nmovie are quite graphic and hard to watch, but show the inspiration for\nTolkien\u2019s epic battle scenes in his writings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/tolkien-015_RugbyScreengrab_rgb.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-786\" width=\"216\" height=\"122\"\/><figcaption>(From L-R): Nicholas Hoult, Anthony Boyle, Patrick Gibson and Tom Glynn-Carney in the film TOLKIEN. Photo Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures. \u00a9 2019 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>One thing I\ndisliked is the way the movie starts. It begins with a scene of two CGI horses\nbeing ridden into battle. The CGI used isn\u2019t that great and is a terrible\nchoice for the opening scene, because it instantly turns down the audience and\nmakes it just a little bit harder to get their support. However, the story is\nstrong enough to compensate for that and you become quickly lost in the world\nof Tolkien\u2019s imagination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The moral of\nthis film is that you should try to accomplish your goals and overcome\nobstacles. This is told throughout Tolkien\u2019s journey. He constantly tries to\naccomplish different goals and is incredibly dedicated to finishing them. There\nis also an integral message about dealing with loss. This\nis shown in how he deals with the many devastating losses in his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The music in\nthis film is great. It is exciting and conveys a strong tone that matches the\nfilm incredibly. It is very interesting and has a lot of variety. I give this\nmovie 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 11 through 18, because it\ncovers some heavy topics that are unsuitable for younger viewers. Any fan of\nthe writings of JRR Tolkien will love this. It is one of my favorite films and\nI am certain I will watch it again. It opens in theaters May 10, 2019 so look\nfor it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tolkien<br>\nBy Calista Bess, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 15<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Interviews with Nicholas Holt, George R.R. Martin and more at the Tolkien premiere by Calista B\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/riYmHx5NS8E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At this\npoint, it\u2019s hard not to know about J. R. R. Tolkien. Given that <em>The Hobbit <\/em>and\n<em>The Lord of The Rings<\/em> are behemoths in pop culture, you\u2019ve no doubt\nheard of the author. Even though I\u2019m not a Tolkien fan, I\u2019ll admit this movie is\nquite interesting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/tolkien-029_T_08412_rgb.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-787\" width=\"216\" height=\"144\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This movie\nis a biopic about the early life of J. R. R. Tolkien showing his high school\nyears, him building his strong friendships, falling in love with Edith Bratt &#8211; all\nculminating in the creation of <em>The Hobbit.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A mind like\nTolkien is very intriguing. I was interested in how creativity and imagination are\nthe central focus of the movie. As I writer, I get very excited when I hear how\n\u201ccreativity can change the world,\u201d because that is something I believe in very\ndeeply. So, I enjoyed that very much. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A big focus\nof this movie is about how friendships we build in school can push us and help\nus ascend to become better artist. Early in the movie, Tolkien befriends three\nboys &#8211; Robert Gilson, Christopher Wiseman and Geoffrey Bache Smith. They form\nThe TCBS Club which created such a strong brotherhood that it probably would\nhave lasted a lifetime, if not for the war. Most of the scenes in this movie\nfocus on their relationship and the performances really bring their friendship\nto life. Speaking of which, I really enjoyed the performances in this film. The\ntwo leads, Nicholas Hoult as Tolkien and Lily Collins as Edith Bratt, work\nreally well together. Not only do they have a lot of charm, but they also have\na lot of chemistry. There\u2019s one scene where they\u2019re in a restaurant and talking\nabout Tolkien\u2019s stories and languages. The dialogue feels very natural.\nSomething about the whole scene is very immersive and charmingly romantic,\nwithout being cheesy, which is very rare in modern cinema. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/tolkien-081_T_05811_rgb.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-790\" width=\"216\" height=\"144\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I like how references\nto Tolkien\u2019s future works are sprinkled throughout the film. From he and Edith\ngoing to see an opera about a magic ring, to a very well shot scene from\nTolkien\u2019s time in World War 1 where he sees fantasy creatures throughout the\nbattlefield, it reminded me of how I picture scenes for my own stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I give this\nmovie 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 13 to 18, plus adults. It\ncomes out May 10, 2019. Look for it, especially if you are a fan of his\nliterature. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tolkien explores the formative years of the orphaned author as he finds friendship, love and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts at school. This takes him into the outbreak of World War I, which threatens to tear the &#8220;fellowship&#8221; apart. All of these experiences would inspire Tolkien to write his famous Middle-Earth novels. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Rohan F. comments, \u201cTolkien is an incredibly heartwarming film telling the story of John Ronald Tolkien\u2019s life and how he drew inspiration for his books. This film is extremely entertaining for a biopic. It tells his life story in a way that shows how events throughout his life fueled his imagination to create his incredible fantasy stories.\u201d Calista B. adds, \u201cA mind like Tolkien is very intriguing. I was interested in how creativity and imagination are the central focus of the movie. As I writer, I get very excited when I hear how \u201ccreativity can change the world,\u201d because that is something I believe in very deeply. So, I enjoyed that very much. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[61,62,64,60,63],"class_list":["post-785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-jury-updates","tag-lily-collins","tag-literature","tag-lord-of-the-rings","tag-nicholas-hoult","tag-the-hobbit"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/785","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=785"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/785\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":795,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/785\/revisions\/795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}