Tonight, tonight, Lord of the Rings tonight, tonight I'll see Return of the King.

I cannot help but think there are kids on farms who are being formed by the Lord of the Rings experience almost as much as the Star Wars experience did for my friends and I growing up. It's a touchstone in the life of nearly every contemporary I call "friend"... I honestly meant something growing up.

Now, I'm being a bad Star Wars fan here, but Lord of the Rings is different - in an entirely different league. These films, this one "big film" as it really is... this is absolutely some of the finest work ever done in the medium of film. Star Wars is a classic, true, and wonderful, and absolute dear and original and epic... and will always hold the closest dearest place in my heart... but, let's face it, Old Man Lucas has never been the greates writer of dialogue, or director of actors. Not at issue.

However, I don't think perhaps LOTR will be quite AS formative for children growing up now as Star Wars was for me, because LOTR hasn't taken as long to present itself. Star Wars took 1977-1983 to come to reality. One movie roughly every three years. LOTR was filmed all at once, and the first movie only came out in 2001. So, maybe there isn't as much time to affect as there was with the galaxy far, far, away.

I digress.

It warms my heart to think of kids growing up in small towns everywhere finding something to love in this. My friends, most of whom I cannot be with tonight, whom I've seen every other LOTR with, and I have found that in this.

Just a LITTLE excited here for midnight tonight.

And you think I sound excited? I'm calm compared to a few people here... wow...

Anyway, to absent friends, I wish I could be seeing this with you. This is an experience to share. This is... a moment.