To say that LOTR is important to
Peter Jackson
and Frances Walsh is an understatement. To say that the films are
challenging
is to state the obvious. Peter and Fran have spent nearly every day of
the
last six years working on and overseeing every aspect of this mind
boggling
complex project. Here's what's really amazing:
The Lord of the Rings is not this twosome's most important project.
It's not even the most challenging.
What the heck am I talking about? Have I lost all
my marbles? No. What's remarkable is that Peter and Fran are able to
successfully
do their important work while still entertaining us (the fans) so
greatly.
So what's more important than LOTR?
Katie and Billy Jackson.
The two are now 7 and 8 years old respectively,
and while they've grown up in the eye of a hurricane, their parents,
Peter
and Fran, have always kept the center of the storm a calm sanctuary.
The
Lord of the Rings is certainly fun, and it means so much to so many
different
people. But it's pretend. Katie and Billy are real.
Obviously, being a parent is challenging for everyone,
from the rich and famous to the unknown and poor. But for the infamous
Peter
and Fran, the difficulty is magnified. Overseeing a project the size
and
scope of LOTR requires an almost omnipresence- and time is critical. If
one
parent was involved with this, it would seem a difficult task for the
children
to be given the time and attention they need. With two parents involved
(at
the top level), it seems an impossible feat. And yet it's done.
Peter and Fran use their patience, their intelligence,
and their creativity to keep Billy and Katie involved with their lives.
From
cameo appearances under the bright lights to quiet time with Mom and
Dad
as the sun sets, the two children are not only given care and love from
their
famous parents, they're given the well rounded normal childhood they
deserve.
Being "Mom" and "Dad" may not be gives Fran and
PJ their glamour. The jobs pay rather less than LOTR too. But Billy and
Katie
are only entitled to one childhood. Thankfully, they're getting the
best
their parents can give. And that's Peter and Fran's most important work.
