Hobbits are my heroes! I finally saw The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey with my family.  Despite the criticism of blood and gore, and the qualms about length, the entire family found something to enjoy.  I love those furry-feeted guys. I realize this is a rather obvious literary connection, since the movie is based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien and pretty much everyone is aware of that, but I thought it needed to be said.  To me, on my quest to show that literature affects what we do in the modern world, this movie franchise is a terrific example of the appeal books — and their transformations on screen, canvas, and whatever — can have on audiences over and over again.  What a fantastic world Tolkien created; it’s intricacy is pretty astounding.  Before I saw the movie, a family member mentioned to me that she heard some people were upset because the movie doesn’t just imitate The Hobbit story itself, but tries to incorporate some of The Silmarillon, also by Tolkien. Because I am so fascinated with the way director Peter Jackson has brought this world to life for all of us to see on the big screen, I personally thought any connection to the lore of The Silmarillon could prove interesting.  My family enjoyed talking about the literary and non-literary connections as we drove home after the show.