The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Screenplay Genre: Action / Adventure / Fantasy

Movie Time: 178 minutes

1. INCITING INCIDENT

Using the ring, Bilbo Baggins disappears from the festivities of his 111 birthday and returns to his home to pack up before leaving the Shire. However, the Wizard Gandalf waylays him, reminding Bilbo to leave the ring behind. When Bilbo refuses, calling the ring "my precious", Gandalf reminds Bilbo that he is trying to help him. Bilbo drops the ring, leaving it for his nephew Frodo, and departs. (00:20:02)

2. LOCK IN (End of Act One)

Learning the Ring is bound to the spirit of the Dark Lord Sauron, who is building an army, Gandalf returns to the Shire to warn Frodo. They agree that the ring cannot stay, so Gandalf instructs Frodo, and his eavesdropping friend Sam, to take the ring and travel to the village of Bree, with plans to meet Gandalf there after he seeks council from the head of his order, Saruman. Hence, the journey begins. (00:34:34)

3. FIRST CULMINATION (Midpoint)

At the elvish haven of Rivendell, a council agrees that the Ring can only be destroyed by throwing it into the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor at Sauron's fortress, and as the council bickers over who should go on this dangerous journey, Frodo volunteers, along with his hobbit friends, Gandalf, Strider (revealed to be Aragorn, the heir to the throne of Gondor), the Elf Legolas, the Dwarf Gimli, and Boromir, son of the Steward of Gondor. Together they comprise the Fellowship of the Ring. (1:31:15)

4. MAIN CULMINATION (End of Act Two)

After escaping through the mines of Moria, but losing Gandalf to the shadow demon Balrog, the fellowship finds shelter in the elvish realm of Lothlórien, ruled by Galadriel. Galadriel allows Frodo to use a magic mirror, in which Frodo sees a future of slavery and destruction. Galadriel explains that what he saw is what will come to pass if he should fail, warning Frodo that the Ring will destroy the fellowship and to bare the Ring of Power is to be alone. (2:17:43)

5. THIRD ACT TWIST

The fellowship lands at Parth Galen, but no one can find Frodo, who has decided to continue the journey to Mordor alone, knowing that the Ring's temptation will be too strong for the others. Boromir, however, finds Frodo in the woods and at first tries to convince Frodo to lend him the ring, but then attacks Frodo, who only escapes by putting the Ring on his finger and vanishing. (2:30:04)