The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
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A young hobbit must embark on a perilous journey to destroy a powerful ring and prevent the return of a dark lord.
The story
Set in Middle-earth, the story follows the Dark Lord Sauron, who seeks the One Ring to reclaim his power. The Ring has found its way to a young hobbit named Frodo Baggins. To ensure the Ring is destroyed, Frodo and eight companions—known as the Fellowship of the Ring—embark on a perilous journey to Mount Doom in the land of Mordor. Along the way, they face various dangers and the looming threat of Sauron's forces, while navigating the complexities of their own roles in the fate of Middle-earth.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the Second Age, Sauron forges the One Ring to control other Rings and conquer Middle-earth. After being lost for millennia, it is found by a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, who passes it to his nephew Frodo. Guided by the wizard Gandalf, Frodo learns of the Ring's danger and is urged to leave his home. Accompanied by Samwise Gamgee, Frodo joins others including the elf Legolas, the dwarf Gimli, and the ranger Aragorn. They form a Fellowship to reach Mount Doom. During their journey, they traverse the Mines of Moria, where Gandalf falls while battling a Balrog. They reach Lothlórien, where Galadriel warns Frodo of the Ring's corrupting influence. At Parth Galen, Boromir attempts to seize the Ring before being mortally wounded by Uruk-hai. Ultimately, Frodo and Sam decide to head toward Mordor alone, while the rest of the Fellowship pursues the captured Merry and Pippin.
- First release year
- 2001
- Runtime (minutes)
- 178
- Production countries
- New Zealand; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Peter Jackson
- Writers
- Fran Walsh · screenplay; Philippa Boyens · screenplay; Peter Jackson · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Elijah Wood · Frodo Baggins; Ian McKellen · Gandalf the Grey; Liv Tyler · Arwen; Viggo Mortensen · Aragorn; Sean Astin · Samwise Gamgee; Cate Blanchett · Galadriel; John Rhys-Davies · Gimli; Billy Boyd · Peregrin Took; Dominic Monaghan · Meriadoc Brandybuck; Orlando Bloom · Legolas; Christopher Lee · Saruman the White; Hugo Weaving · Elrond
- Genres
- fantasy; adventure
- Themes
- sacrifice; corruption; friendship
- Tone and mood
- epic; serious
- Premise and plot tags
- high fantasy; adventure
- Source material / true-story basis
- J. R. R. Tolkien's 1954 The Fellowship of the Ring
- Franchise connections
- Lord of the Rings
- Reception
- The film was acclaimed by critics and audiences as a landmark in filmmaking and an achievement in the fantasy film genre, praised for its visual effects, performances, and faithfulness to the source material.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 91% · scale: percentage · review count: 269; Metacritic · score: 92 · scale: 100 · review count: 34
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Cinematography · 2002 · win; Academy Award · Best Makeup · 2002 · win; Academy Award · Best Original Score · 2002 · win; Academy Award · Best Visual Effects · 2002 · win; Hugo Award · Best Dramatic Presentation · 2002 · win; BAFTA · Best Film · 2002 · win; BAFTA · David Lean Award for Best Direction · 2002 · win; BAFTA · Audience Award · 2002 · win; BAFTA · Best Special Effects · 2002 · win; BAFTA · Best Make-up · 2002 · win; MTV Movie Award · Best Fight between Gandalf and Saruman · 2002 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The cast members playing the Fellowship received a tattoo of the Elvish symbol for the number nine.; The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2021.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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From the page to the screen
This film adapts The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien. Check the adaptation reference.
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