If the Movie had been Directed by Someone Else

I know he wouldn't do it if he wasn't allowed to completely rewrite the story, but could you imagine Lucasfilm's adaptation of LOTR?<P>I agree with everyone else that PJ has done an incredible job, but imagine for a second that George Lucas DID win the rights and agreed to be at least as faithful as Jackson has been to the books. Wow.<P>First of all, the casting. <BR>Mark Hamill as Bilbo (I'm not kidding...)<BR>Sean Connery as Gandalf<BR>Breckin Meyer as Frodo<BR>Ian McDirmad as Saruman<BR>Robbie Coltrane as Bombadil (this is my dream, so back off)<BR>Kevin Spacey as Elrond<BR>Mel Gibson as Aragorn<BR>Frank Oz as the voice of Gollum<BR>That's a good start...<P>Anyway, on to cinematography. You know that George would nail the sentimentality. Sweeping Williams score rises and falls dramatically as a wide angle shot of Frodo and the lads looking on the Shire for the last time fills the screen... Sad, sweet (yet hope-tinged) music plays as Sam stays by his master's bedside in Rivendell, with a glimpse of Gandalf and Elrond holding council outside the door... Aragorn, weeping, pulling the stricken Frodo from the edge of the chasm in Khazad-Dum, then composing himself and leading the fellowship out of Moria... Boromir, with tear-streaked face, sitting stunned after Frodo's disappearance...<P>Well, I could write more about the battles and all (maybe I will later), but right now my philosophy of religion final isn't being studied for, so I'd better get to that.<P>Eru's Child