Lord of the Beans
Encyclopedia
Lord of the Beans is the twenty-seventh episode in the VeggieTales
VeggieTales
VeggieTales is an American series of children's computer animated films featuring anthropomorphic vegetables in stories conveying moral themes based on Christianity...

animated series, and the first since An Easter Carol
An Easter Carol
An Easter Carol is the twenty-first episode in the VeggieTales animated series, released in early 2004 on DVD and VHS format. It lacks a subtitle, but the lesson it conveys is to remind viewers of the Christian significance of Easter. It is longer than most episodes, running to approximately 49...

to feature only one story. Subtitled "A Lesson in Using Your Gifts", its goal is to teach viewers how they can use their talents to bring joy to others rather than merely bringing glory or satisfaction to themselves. It's also the first video to have the Silly Song after the 30-minute mark of the video. This video has also been the subject of a clue on "Jeopardy!" ("What is "Lord Of The Beans"?") Also, there was no directors commentary recorded for this video.

The story used to illustrate the lesson is an overt parody of J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...

's The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...

. The parody takes character names and places directly from the source and changing them to fit the VeggieTales context. In spite of this, the plot takes many unexpected turns, and recognizable scenes are freely reinterpreted to create humor or underscore the video's message.

Plot

"Lord of the Beans" begins with Randalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...

's arrival in the Shire
Shire (Middle-earth)
The Shire is a region of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings and other works. The Shire refers to an area settled exclusively by Hobbits and largely removed from the goings-on in the rest of Middle-earth. It is located in the northwest of the continent, in...

 for Billboy Baggypants
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist and titular character of The Hobbit and a supporting character in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of J. R. R...

' 122nd (He calls his "Twelfety-twoth", referencing Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist and titular character of The Hobbit and a supporting character in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of J. R. R...

' "eleventy-first") birthday party. Billboy, who has experienced many adventures, talks about retiring and leaving, and uses a strange bean to produce a birthday cake. He returns to his home to find Randalf waiting in his living room. Randalf remarks on Billboy's impressive height, his fine clothing, and his luxuriously appointed home. He knows these gifts have come from the bean and warns his friend of using such things lightly. Billboy concedes that it has given him everything except for one special thing, which he intends to leave and find. He announces that he is leaving everything he owns, including the bean, to his nephew Toto
Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.He is the main protagonist of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He was a hobbit of the Shire who inherited Sauron's Ring from Bilbo Baggins and undertook the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom...

 and leaves.

Toto soon returns, and Randalf informs him that Billboy has already departed, leaving him everything, and draws his attention to the bean. Toto is curious as to why he would want a bean. Randalf sings about the origin of a magical bean that could produce clothing, consumables, and small kitchen appliances, and also change your appearance. They verify the bean's authenticity from an inscription left by the fire. Toto is anxious about accepting such a gift and tries to pass it off to Randalf, but Randalf explains that we cannot choose our gifts and must determine for ourselves how they should best be used.

He suggests that Toto travel to the Elders of Razzberry forest for insight, and has already gathered some friends to assist with the journey: the ranger Ear-a-Corn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...

; the elf Leg-O-Lamb
Legolas
Legolas is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. He is an Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring.- Literature :...

; the dwarf Grumpy; and "The Other Elf", Leg-O-Lamb's brother who had nothing better to do. The fellowship is born.

They trek through the Mountains of Much Snowia and eventually reach the Razzberry Forest. There, Randalf warns the others not to laugh because the Elders have lost their sense of humor. The Elders welcome them and inform Randalf that they must travel to the Land of Woe. The others burst into laughter upon hearing the native tongue of the Elders, which is blowing razzberries. This gets them sentenced to detention on a platform forever. However, a Cockney Eagle "saves" them and they escape the Razzberry Forest.

They emerge upon the Blue Gate, entrance to the Land of Woe
Mordor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor or Morhdorh was the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, a volcano in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to...

. Randalf observes that they must solve a riddle (written in the "Tongue of Woe," which Randalf translates) to gain entrance. Toto provides the answer, and the Blue Gate opens, but Toto is the only one small enough to fit through. His desire to learn the purpose of his gift, the bean, compels him to proceed alone.

Randalf learns from the passing Umbrella Boy that the Sporks
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...

 are after Toto, and have taken a shortcut through the Red Gate. The Sporks, minions of the evil Scaryman
Saruman
Saruman the White is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, the main antagonist of the tale, but later on aims at gaining...

, seek to seize the bean for their master to fulfill his evil deeds. The fellowship pursues them to the Red Gate.

In the Land of Woe, Toto encounters a strange creature named Ahem
Gollum
Gollum is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was introduced in the author's fantasy novel The Hobbit, and became an important supporting character in its sequel, The Lord of the Rings....

, who seeks the bean for himself. He reveals that he was once a normal Flobbit
Hobbit
Hobbits are a fictional diminutive race who inhabit the lands of Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction.Hobbits first appeared in the novel The Hobbit, in which the main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is the titular hobbit...

 and the former owner of the bean. The bean had given him the life of ease that he still covets. Ahem accompanies Toto into Woe as a guide.

Meanwhile, the others charge through the Red Gate, only to be trapped by the Sporks. The Other Elf bakes cookies which redeem the Sporks, who haven't eaten anything "but maggoty bread for three stinkin' days" and the fellowship journeys on.

Toto and Ahem arrive in Woe to find a desperate people lacking the most basic necessities, such as food and water. Ahem wants Toto to leave them, to use the bean for his own creature comforts, but Toto recognizes that he can use it to help the people of Woe. The fellowship arrives just ahead of Scaryman, who steals the bean. However, Billboy suddenly reappears, recovering the bean and returning it to Toto. Toto throws the bean into the well, bringing water back to the Land of Woe and restoring it to its fertile and beautiful state.

Cast

  • Phil Vischer
    Phil Vischer
    Phillip "Phil" Vischer is an American voice actor, animator, director, writer and puppeteer known for creating the computer-animated video series VeggieTales with partner and friend Mike Nawrocki...

     voices several roles:
    • Bob the Tomato
    • Archibald Asparagus as Billboy Baggypants (Bilbo Baggins)
    • Mr. Nezzer as Randalf (Gandalf)
    • Jimmy Gourd as Leg-O-Lamb (Legolas)
    • Pa Grape as Grumpy (Gimli)
    • Mr. Lunt as Ahem (Gollum)
    • Scallion #1 as Scaryman
  • Mike Nawrocki
    Mike Nawrocki
    Michael Nawrocki is an American voice actor, writer, animator and director. He is the co-founder and Executive Vice President of Big Idea Entertainment, the company best known for bringing computer-animated vegetables to life in the popular VeggieTales series...

     voices several roles:
    • Larry the Cucumber as Ear-a-Corn (Aragorn)
    • Jerry Gourd as "The Other Elf"
  • Lisa Vischer voices Junior Asparagus as Toto Baggypants (Frodo Baggins)
  • Tim Hodge
    Tim Hodge
    Timothy "Tim" Hodge is an American voice actor, writer and director who works at Big Idea Entertainment in Nashville, Tennessee, where he has worked on the VeggieTales videos as well other projects like 3-2-1 Penguins!....

     voices Charlie Pincher as Umbrella Boy
  • Charlotte Jackson voices the Elf Girl

Songs

This episode includes the "VeggieTales Theme" and "What We Have Learned", and the following songs:
  • "A Little More of This" by Phil Vischer
  • "This Bean" by Phil Vischer
  • "I'm a Lucky Fella" by Hodge
  • "To Have a Gift" by Phil Vischer and Lisa Vischer
  • "My Baby Elf" (Silly Song
    Silly Songs with Larry
    Silly Songs with Larry is a regular feature in the Big Idea's popular 3D cartoon series VeggieTales. It generally consists of Larry the Cucumber singing either alone or with some of the other Veggie characters. Occasionally, another character or an ensemble gets the lead vocal. It is occasionally...

    ) by Nawrocki
  • "It's About Love" by Wynonna

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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