Changing accents?

[Lalwendë]

Some time ago I read that Sean Astin's West Country accent in the films was 'bad'. I have since listened to it and to my shame I can't detect much wrong. Are there any West Country folks on here who could confirm it's authenticity? Or am I too stuck in my Northern ways and ignorant of such matters?

For me, I am anything but snobby about accents, I love them and refuse to lose mine because it's part of me and where I am from. Though I do have to offer thanks to Peter Kay for bringing it mainstream, as now a few more people do actually understand half of what I'm saying. What I do object to is when film/programme makers use a kind of ubiquitous Northern accent. I've been watching North and South which is a great adaptation seriously let down by intermingling of too many different northern accents in one town.

[Encaitare]

But back to the topic, i was rewatching the scene where Arwen returns to confront Elrond about her son, and she says a line really strangely:
"You saw there was a child. You saw my son."
Is she putting on some kind of accent there or am I just being really pedantic?

I don't think so... maybe it just sounded funny because about half of the time she's just speaking Elvish, and she suddenly went back to English.

[Kath]

Yes I think you're right Encaitare, I had been skipping scenes and may possibly have gone from an Elvish speaking Arwen to an English speaking one. Ignore that comment.