Could it have worked?

[The Only Real Estel]

Now that the movies are over and done with (sorry to remind you again), I have a nagging question. Spurred by Eomer's retrospective Shelob, and choice of cliffhangers thread that searches the 'what if,' I want to discuss a what if that's been thrown about a bit before - Faramir.

With all the movies and extended editions having been released, what is everyone's final opinion on Faramir? Could it have worked to make him more 'bookish'? Could they have had him resist the Ring and not totally screw the film?

I was thinking it over not long ago and thought, If they did have Faramir pass up the Ring, a good bunch of the forgetful audience is going to wonder how hard it really is to resist the Ring. But after thinking it over a bit it really wouldn't be that hard to throw in a line to deal with that. Example:

Faramir meets the hobbits, perhaps you have the tense "I could kill you, NOW" line from the books; then Faramir settles down and explains to Frodo that he would never take the Ring. They find Gollum and Frodo tricks him like in the movie (<---it's not all just chit-chat between new buddies), Faramir eventually, after not to long, sends them on their way. Now, when Pippin and Gandalf happen across Faramir in RotK and Gandalf says "Tell me everything," couldn't we stick a line in here that wouldn't insult the audience's intelligence to badly?

Example:

Cut away to the three of them in a seperate room, with Pippin mostly in a corner, more than likely.

Faramir explains that he let the hobbits and the Ring go, wanting no part of it.

Gandalf sighs in relief and says something along the lines of: "It is fortunate that you sent them on their way quickly, the longer the Ring is in your presence the harder you may find it to give It up."

Now, I'm no screenwriter, and I'm sure that that scene could be written much more eloquently than that. But wouldn't that work? It would deal with Boyens’ (screenwriter) assertion that having Faramir show a little strength of character would totally destroy the Ring's power by illustrating that no matter how 'righteous' Faramir seemed to be (or others might seem to be), the Ring could quickly corrupt good morals.

Or do you all think that I'm a disillusioned visionary and that the movie is better of the way it is? At any rate I'd love to hear your opinions and/or any other ideas on how to make it work better.