A Tolkien Bio-pic?

[Lalwendë]

No, there's not going to be one!

But I was thinking about this and his life would make for an interesting piece of drama. Maybe not on the cinema screen, maybe a BBC drama - it'd fit in really well on BBC Four actually. Of course, it's doubtful the estate would permit such a thing, so it's a long way into the future if at all.

Would you like to see something like that? And who could star in it? I thought of Robert Hardy for the older Tolkien as he has a lovely resonant tone.

I actually think there's a lot in his life that would be interesting and people would probably find it interesting anyway - Jane Austen's life was pretty close to deadly dull, but all the dramatisations of it I have seen have been enjoyable and interesting. In contrast Tolkien had quite a few dramatic moments - going through the trenches, his forbidden love affair, and then his sudden success late in life, plus a number of documented funny moments.

[Elmo]

Would the estate be able to block it even if it didn't contain copyrighted material? I'm not sure but haven't their been biographies of Tolkien that the estate didn't endorse? You know the ones that talk about how much of a grumpy sod he apparently was

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

No, there's not going to be one!

But I was thinking about this and his life would make for an interesting piece of drama. Maybe not on the cinema screen, maybe a BBC drama - it'd fit in really well on BBC Four actually. Of course, it's doubtful the estate would permit such a thing, so it's a long way into the future if at all.

Would you like to see something like that? And who could star in it? I thought of Robert Hardy for the older Tolkien as he has a lovely resonant tone.

I actually think there's a lot in his life that would be interesting and people would probably find it interesting anyway - Jane Austen's life was pretty close to deadly dull, but all the dramatisations of it I have seen have been enjoyable and interesting. In contrast Tolkien had quite a few dramatic moments - going through the trenches, his forbidden love affair, and then his sudden success late in life, plus a number of documented funny moments.

It is one of those things that could be wonderful or could be a travesty. Maybe a documentary with dramatised episodes could be done. But I guess that Christopher has been so persecuted that he would be reluctant to do anything that might invade his privacy, though I hope perhaps privately he has recorded his memories for posterity. And of course there are all the letters - I think Carpenter had full access but concentrated on those that enlightened the works.
Of course he is no longer with us ... and I wonder if there is anyone that the family would trust enough. With two children still alive there is that balance between gaining the personal, first hand memories that you get by gaining the authorisation or cooperation of the family with perhaps slightly compromising objectivity.

However Adam Tolkien who seems to be "heir apparent" is a deal more "media friendly" (and savvy) and so it may happen eventually.

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Elmo

Would the estate be able to block it even if it didn't contain copyrighted material? I'm not sure but haven't their been biographies of Tolkien that the estate didn't endorse? You know the ones that talk about how much of a grumpy sod he apparently was

they might not be able to block the programme but they can block access to a lot of documents and so they would be limited to stuff already in the public domain and the memories of those people who would agree to be involved.

Well the biography and the letters in particular show that he was not always sweetness and light - far number of moments in the letters which could be Gandalf at his grumpiness but he was also clearly devoted to his children in the many affectionate letters - let alone the legacy of the stories he wrote for them.

It is a lot to expect great artists to be also perfect human beings - it is a lot ot expect of anyone! However while we do not expect the media to present people as Holbein did Anne of Cleves, we expect "warts and all" - but sometimes the media only want to show us the feet of clay, and that is why it would be understandable if authorisation were not forthcoming.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

I don't see why such a project couldn't be done, and done well.
Consider the Tolkien bio bit in FOTR extended dvd disc 3, and
the way the Biography series covers just about anyonne.

It would make an interesting Ken Burns type documentary,
perhaps not just JRRT, but featuring the Inklings in a mid-20th
Century British literary context.