: : : Why should English accents alienate an American audience? Did the Scottish accents in 'Braveheart' alienate them (OK Mel Gibson's accent probably alienated half of Scotland but that's another story).

: : : Why does an English accent sound stupid? I'm English but I don't feel alienated when I go the cinema and see American movies with every actor speaking with an American accent. Furthermore I have *never* heard *anyone* here express any views of that kind.

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I feel I'm on firm ground in arguing that a film can few or no "American" accents by the principal characters and still have box office appeal to American audiences. "Braveheart" is a fine case in point, but only one. Just to look at the current films, for example, "Shakespeare in Love" and "Elizabeth" are both enjoying surprising success at the box office -- not "Titanic" level success, to be sure, but quite well just the same. I think it's patronizing to assume otherwise. Certainly awful dreck like "Batman" or "The Waterboy" can rake in the receipts, but sometimes the American filmgoing public can surprise you. And any concern about a lack of American idiom is sure to offset by LOTR's built-in audience -- the millions of Americans who have read the book. So I can't agree with Cyberlock here.

I'm in a muddle about how the accents *should* sound. As with the question of the kind of clothing, weapons, and architecture, I don't think the accents should evoke any one dialect too strongly. Differentiation should be made between distinct cultures: a rustic hobbit accent should sound somewhat different from the fierce primitiveness of the Rohirrim or the high men of Gondor. Beyond that, however, I'm not sure what's the most appropriate way to go. I've always imagined the dialogue with a vaguely English accent. Others may differ, however.

I do not think box office considerations should enter into the discussion. But Jackson has indicated that New Line may have the final word on that.