5 things from The Lord of the Rings books we wish were in the movies

3) The "real" Faramir

Let's talk about Faramir, the unsung hero of The Lord of the Rings and the king of us less-appreciated children (mom and dad, I am just kidding). In the books, this guy is like a walking advertisement for nobility and wisdom. He's the younger brother of Boromir, but while Boromir's like the high school quarterback who gets all the attention, Faramir's more like the quietly brilliant, nicer-looking and friendlier guy in the library. In Tolkien's world, Faramir is a standout: he's wise, kind, and most importantly, he's not tempted by the One Ring, unlike his brother. When Frodo and Sam bump into him in Ithilien, Faramir listens to their story, gives them food, and basically says, "A Ring of Power? No thanks, not my style." He's like that rare person who doesn't go crazy on a Black Friday sale.

Preach it, Mr. Snyder.

Now, cue the movies. Here, Faramir does a 180. Suddenly, he's got a bit of a chip on his shoulder, and he's all about seizing the Ring to prove himself to his dad, who grinds cherry tomatoes in his teeth and is about as warm and fuzzy as a cactus: Denethor, the Steward of Gondor. This version of Faramir drags Frodo, Sam, and the Ring all the way to Gondor, creating tension and drama. It's like the filmmakers decided Faramir was too nice and needed a dash of Boromir's Ring-lust to spice things up. Just let the nice guys be nice!

So how would the original book Faramir have changed things? For starters, it would have given us a breather from all the "everyone wants the Ring" drama. It also would have highlighted the contrast between him and Boromir, showing that not everyone in Gondor is power-hungry. Plus it would have saved Frodo and Sam a whole lot of trouble; no ridiculous detour to Osgiliath. Just a nice, helpful Faramir sending them on their way with a pat on the back and some food for the road. The original Faramir was a breath of fresh Middle-earth air, showing that power doesn't always corrupt, a theme that's kind of, you know, the whole point of the story.