October 4th, USA Today
Susan Wloszczyna

The wee hero

Hobbits, those hairy-footed homebodies who inhabit the bucolic Shire, travel far to join in a war against oppressive evil in The Fellowship of the Ring (Dec. 19).

The first of three epic episodes of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings features a band of these mythical creatures led by Frodo (Elijah Wood). But they boast traits that are very human indeed.

Says Sean Astin, who plays Frodo’s protector, Sam: “The hobbits suddenly seem like the perfect heroes. They love their comfortable life and would rather eat and drink than be bothered by life’s nuisances. But when called upon, despite their size, they rise to the occasion. They represent the best of what we can accomplish.”

No hobbit is more human than Sam, a simple gardener. “I don’t think he understands what’s at stake,” Astin says. “He just has a general feeling of badness and doesn’t like it. He’s all about loyalty, decency, goodness and faith, all qualities that always been there in the American psychology.”

Thanks to Erin and Lindulan