J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit finally hit the big screen this past week. For me and many other Tolkien fans, it was a long-awaited moment . While I enjoyed the movie, and believe that most Hobbit fans will as well, here are five things Tolkien purists, concerned parents, or moviegoers wondering whether they want to plunk down their $10 should know:

#1-Peter Jackson is still in Lord of the Rings  mode. This is probably my main issue with The Hobbit. Before I explain, however, I must tell you, first off, that everything in this film is gorgeously designed- the sets, the costumes, the CGI images, you name it. The opening scenes simply took my breath away. If you thought Minas Tirith was something, just wait till you see Erebor and Dale. And don't even get me started on how good Gollum looks this time around. Regardless of what other quibbles critics may have with this film, none are suggesting that Jackson has lost his cinematic mastery. Which brings me to my point. While Jackson's overpowering, over-the-top sets and epical dialogue were a smash-hit in LOTR, they feel just a tad unwieldy and gradiose in The Hobbit. Much of this is due to the fact that, compared to the grim, everything-at-stake nature of The LOTR books, The Hobbit is a frolicking child's tale. With the LOTR books,Jackson had to decide what to cut out. With The Hobbit, in order to fill the nearly 3 hour time block, Jackson instead found himself in need of excess material to pad the storyline. Perhaps The Hobbit would have fared better as a single three hour flick than as a nine hour trilogy. Apparently, though, Jackson was more interested in fitting the Hobbit into his LOTR mold than in fitting his plans to The Hobbit's mold.

#2- Martin Freeman delivers as Bilbo Baggins. Since I was ten, Bilbo Baggins has been one of my favorite story characters. Thus, I awaited Freeman's portryal of him with much anticipation. I'm happy to say he gets an A+ in my book. Quirky, endearing, and brave, Freeman's Bilbo is nearly everything I could expect of an actor. I say nearly because, honestly, I don't think any actor could quite measure up to the Bilbo I envisioned reading the Book. But Freeman's comes close.

#3- The longer it's been since you've read the book, the more you'll enjoy the movie. I went to see The Hobbit with two of my sisters, neither of which had read the book. While I exited the theater unsure how I liked it, they both came out raving. I think this difference was largely due to the fact that, since I've read the book many times, I have a strong mental outline of how the story progresses. Consequently, I found the new plot lines including Radagast, the white council, and Azog distracting. Since my sisters were experiencing the story for the first time, however, they didn't know what was new and what wasn't, and apparently found the storyline engaging.

#4- This movie probably isn't for little kids. I have two younger sisters who have both read The Hobbit, and they and I really hoped they could see the film. After viewing it though, I must admit that it might be a little much for one of them, and definitely too much for the other. While the violence is, in my opinion, definitely a step down from that in LOTR, the film still solidly earns its PG-13 rating. There are multiple decapitations, lots of ugly creatures, and at least one or two genuinely scary moments. Like I said before, though, this isn't quite Lord of The Rings level intesity. While everyone's kids are different, I would say as a general rule that this film would probably be fine for anyone 12+. However, as in everything else, parents know best.

#5- Despite a few questionable decisions, Peter Jackson has proven that he was the one meant to helm this film. I remember seven years ago, when the first Walt Disney Narnia film, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe came out. I thought it was outstanding, and waited a whole year in eager expectation for the second. When Prince Caspian finally rolled around, however, I was thoroughly disappointed. While the first film had remained startlingly true to C.S. Lewis's vision while still feeling fresh and compelling, the second fell flat due to new themes and character interactions foreign to C.S. Lewis's work. With the Hobbit, Jackson faced a similar test. He had to prove to audiences that he still had the touch- that he would treat The Hobbit with the same respect he gave to LOTR. And I believe Jackson solidly passed that test. In an age where big-budget action flicks are a dime-a-dozen, Jackson's painstaking attention to detail is refreshing. From the gently rolling hills of the Shire, to the lush valley of Rivendell, to the mighty halls of Erebor, this film is a visual masterpiece. And although I might take issue with a few of Jackson's plot tinkerings, I can say this: he has kept the heart and soul of Middle earth intact. Even more important than the visual beauty in The Hobbit are the themes of friendship, valor, and courage that permeate this story. While it may not be quite the story you remember, taken as a whole, The Hobbit is a visually awesome, emotionally compelling film.

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THE ENDAE

 He's got short (SHORT) shorts, a tucked-in T-shirt, hair immaculately parted in the middle. Tube socks and dress shoes. Fading differential equations scribbled in pen on his right elbow. And don't forget that gleaming specimen of a watch on his wrist. 14.9 ounces of gleaming chromium , complete with a compass, radio, and cheese spreader. Who is he? the local homeschooler, OF COURSE. Alas, such is the public perception of those of us who have been blessed (or, from a minority's perspective, doomed) to receive our schooling at home. However, instead of attempting to prove that we are normal (enough people try to do that), I have decided that a better way to expose the myths surrounding homeschoolers is to paint a picture of homeschooling, in the ridiculous way that the public perceives it.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF HABBAKUK ZEIGWEISTER

 Habbakuk stumbles out of bed, careful not to awaken the seven other boys in bed. He starts to unbutton his pajama shirt, but then he remembers that since he is homeschooled, he can just wear his thomas-the-train engine pajamas all day. He tiptoes down the stairs, careful not to step on the two goats nestled on the bottom step. Entering the kitchen, he grabs a bowl of cereal (100% organic, of course), then sits down to knock out some advanced physics. However, he is soon interrupted by the sound of his mother's 12 gauge rifle. A few minutes later, in walks Mom with a fresh possum. "Possum stew for dinner!" she happily announces, then sits down to skin the beast. In walks Habbakuk's Dad. "Helpmate", Dad intones, "The horse is sick. Can I take the twenty-seven-and-a-half passenger van today?" "Oh, I'm so sorry dear," Mom replies, "But I need the van for a field trip to the park. We are going to observe unregenerate homio sapiens in their natural habitat." After a light morning of Trigonometry, Organic chemistry, Calculus, and Greek, it is time for PE. Habbakuk and his 24 brothers and sisters tumble outside and commence a spirited game of duck-duck-goose. A truck rumbles by, its speakers booming country. Twenty-five pairs of wide eyes follow the vehicle unblinkingly as it bumps down the road. "That man was listening to bad music", mutters one of the children fatefully. After lunch, it is time for the field trip. "Now children", Mom warns, " when we go to the park, don't touch the playground equipment. It is covered with germs. I would hate for one of you to die just because we don't believe in vaccines." Habbakuk and his siblings pile into the van, and before they know it, they are at the park."One more thing", Mom adds right before they get out. "If any of the other children or their parents speak to you, don't look them in the eye. Some of them have laser vision..."

Well, it seems pretty ridiculous, but that's how the public sees it. I guess all we can do is act normal, be friendly, and not wear tube socks.

We had the family out for Thanksgiving this week. It was quite the time. Not only did we have 17 people stuffed into our medium-sized house, but we also had 4 dogs. And on top of that, my grandma is suffering from depression and doesn't respond well to change- especially change involving four dogs and lots of little kids in a closed area. however, things went as well as could be expected...and then came time for Thanksgiving dinner. My Mom has a special gift for inviting in lonely people or families during the holidays, which is greatly admirable. I would be o.k. with it if we limited our number of guests to the number of chairs we had in our possession, though. As people poured through the door Thursday afternoon, I asked myself, how in the world are all these people going to fit around the table? We finally worked something out involving a piano bench, plenty of lawn chairs, and very little elbow room. I must admit I didn't have the best attitude as we settled down to pray over the meal. "We already have plenty of family over," I told myself. "Isn't that enough? Why do we always need to be looking for more people to invite?" As the meal progressed, though, I started how silly my thinking was. Here were people- including a recently returned soldier, a young lady whose father had an order of restraint, and a college student who was so determined to get through college debt-free that he was working during thanksgiving break instead of going home- people who would probably be spending thanksgiving alone. I have so much to be thankful for- a loving family, a warm home- that I should be more than ready to share these blessing with people who might not have them in such abundance. That's the lesson I learned this Thanksgiving.

  I spent part of my Sunday afternoon yesterday jogging down a country dirt road, past rickety old barns and farmhouses, an skeleton of what was once long ago a church building where my elderly neighbor was baptized, and plenty of lethargic country cows who eyed me suspiciously as I went by. It was great, for several reasons. Number one, I love running. The idea of going somewhere,as fast as you can, without any aid- not from a car or a bike or a skateboard or anything- that really appeals to me. Number two, I love rediscovering  roads around my area by running them. It's amazing how you can go for a run down a road that you've driven down a million times, and still notice things that you have never noticed before. Number three, I love the feeling that I get when I've really pushed myself, the pain is getting pretty hard to ignore, and I keep going. Not that I enjoy the pain in itself- no one really does. Instead, I enjoy knowing that with every time I push past the pain, I am making myself a stronger person-both mentally and physically. Not that I always succeed with this- there are days when I just can't get myself to push through. And there are other days when I don't feel like running at all. But there are also days when I do succeed, and those are the ones that mean the most. As John Wooden said, success is peace of mind that comes from knowing that you gave your best effort. So I can know that when I give push through the pain, I am creating success for myself. That's why those hard runs are so rewarding. They give me peace of mind, because I know I gave my best.