Heartwarming / The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Desolation of Smaug

• It's a little moment, but in the first scene, when the waitress brings Thorin his meal, he says, "Thank you." And smiles. And looks genuinely grateful. It's oddly touching. Despite spending most of two movies being grumpy, short, or downright rude to various people in power (such as Elrond, Thranduil, and even Gandalf), Thorin is Nice to the Waitress.
  • Another nice moment is when a hobbit walks up to the bar and, without even needing to be asked, a man lifts him onto a stool so he can sit comfortably and have a chat. Compared to the Prancing Pony the last time we saw it, this time round it's so much more friendly and welcoming, and it's good to know that there are at least some people in this film who aren't spying on/trying to kill each other.
• Beorn talking about respecting those who are smaller and weaker than yourself, while gently holding a mouse in his massive hand.
  • Mikael Persbrandt grew so fond of the mouse that he took it home with him when shooting finished. Behind the scenes he can be seen kissing and cooing at it.

• The scene after Bilbo rescues the company from the spiders cutting them free from the webbing, one of them starts asking where Bilbo is once he is loose and also begins calling for him wanting to make sure he is also safe.

• The Company is hopelessly lost in Mirkwood, when Bilbo just manages to regain enough sense to start climbing, to get their bearings. The moment his head peeks above the tree line, the dark and grey-lit twilight of Mirkwood is replaced by a breeze, warm sunshine, butterflies, and chirping birds. Soon Bilbo is laughing as the tension leaves him, and it's hard not to feel the same way.
• In a bizarre way, the mention of Gimli - of course, he's only brought up because Legolas looked at his picture and called him a "goblin mutant", but it's a Call-Forward to a friendship that will overcome hundreds of years of prejudice, and Legolas has no idea yet. Funny and Heartwarming all at once.
  • Small, but the fact that Glóin carries with him a picture of both his wife and son and gets indignant when Legolas mistakes Glóin's wife for Glóin's brother.
• The look of intense concern on Thorin's face when Bofur asks for Bilbo's whereabouts right before they're led into Thranduil's palace. His facial expression says a lot about the new respect and camaraderie that Thorin has for their burglar, especially compared to the beginning of their journey.
  • And then, after Thorin refuses a deal from Thranduil and an exasperated Balin states that the deal was their only hope, Thorin insists that it was not their only hope. Cue an invisible Bilbo sneaking through the palace while wearing the Ring.
  • Not long after, once Bilbo has sprung them, he has trouble getting the dwarves to follow the escape plan. Thorin steps in and tells them to trust Bilbo.
• Watch the dwarves' expressions when Bilbo arrives to free them from the dungeon. They're all ecstatic and delighted with the single exception of Thorin, who doesn't even look surprised. He trusts Bilbo so much by this point that he expected the hobbit to rescue them.
• Kíli and Tauriel bonding in the dungeon over their shared fascination for the world and how little they've seen, considering they're both still young for their species.
  • In particular, Kíli's absolutely starstruck expression when Tauriel is talking about the starlight, like she's the most beautiful thing in the world to him.
• During the escape from Mirkwood, when Bilbo forgets that he needs to leave too and finally triggers the trapdoor by accident, we see that Thorin had been at the front of the group, holding the rest of the Company in place against the current until Bilbo could join them.
• It's subtle, but when Legolas is fighting an orc and another one creeps up behind him, Thorin saves his life by hurling an ax into said orc. He protected an enemy who, at the time, was trying to recapture him and his company. And not only that, but he's also the son of Thranduil, someone who Thorin openly despises. It's a moment that shows that despite his dislike of elves, he wasn't just going to stand by and let one die.
  • Also, Legolas noticed this and he did not look happy when he noticed that the Orcs and Dwarves were getting away. Of course, this could be because he wouldn't be able to recapture them but, considering how much honor is worth to Elves, it could be that he does not like his savior dying so quickly.
• Tauriel going to save Kíli, and actually giving a damn about what happens to people outside of Mirkwood.
  • Legolas following her despite his father's order to not let anyone in or out, an order he was tasked to enforce.
• The dwarves' excitement over finally getting to see their home again.
  • Glóin's reluctance to pay Bard is utterly broken the moment he sees the mountain.
    • It's mildly amusing and kind of touching that Thorin immediately knows who it is that's not pitching in their fair share.
• Remember Gandalf's speech in the previous film, about how he believes little acts of kindness are more powerful than the loud and impressive things of the world? Bard proves him absolutely right. The Master of Laketown has spies littered throughout the town, and soldiers willing to arrest people for no reason, all the wealth he could want and every single weapon he can find hoarded and locked up. And yet, he still fears an insurrection from Bard, who despite coming from a disgraced family, treats the people he meets with kindness. Bard is the kind of man to help some down-on-their-luck dwarves against his better judgement, the kind of man who will give someone a boatload of fish for free.
• Fíli has several moments showing intense concern for his little brother (like the spider attack, and when Kíli is shot), culminating in abandoning the quest to be at Kíli's side when he's sick.
  Fíli: I belong with my brother!
  • And defending Kíli's right to come along on the last leg of the journey, even insisting he'll carry his brother up the mountain if he has to.
  • By the same token, Thorin's refusal to let his ill and grievously wounded nephew join them on such a perilous errand could be considered heartwarming.
  • Also Óin, who quickly states that he'll be staying behind as well since his place is with the wounded, even above continuing the quest with his kin and reclaiming their homeland.
    • And, though he holds plenty of disdain for the Elves, he still says watching Tauriel work on Kíli was "a privilege to witness."
• Bard letting the dwarves into his home again to treat Kíli, despite all the trouble they caused him earlier.
  • Tilda and Sigrid (Bard's daughters) go to help hold Kíli down when Tauriel is healing him. Sigrid doesn't even have to be asked - she just steps in to help this dwarf she barely knows, because it's the right thing to do.
    • Most of the dwarves show nothing but disdain for Bard, but, when they learn that Smaug's coming, Fíli immediately tells Bard to flee with his children, and later protects the girls bodily from orcs.
• Kíli's dazed sort-of love confession to Tauriel. He doesn't know she's actually standing right beside him and wonders aloud "Could she ever love me?". Followed by Kíli slowly reaching for her hand and Tauriel returning the touch.
• Gandalf telling Radagast to not follow him into the fortress, twice, directly implying that Radagast is willing to put himself in danger to help and that Gandalf fears for his life.
  • Also, the fact that Radagast is there with him in the first place. Who does Gandalf call when he wants some company exploring the tombs of the Nine? Elrond? Galadriel? Nope. Quirky, fidgety little Radagast, who shows up to help despite the fact that it's "not a nice place to meet."
• After Balin scolds Thorin for being so callous and only referring to Bilbo as their "burglar," Thorin spends the remainder of the film addressing Bilbo by his first name.
• Thorin and Balin remembering every last room and hallway. Erebor is the size of a city, not just a castle. They haven't been there in almost two hundred years, but they still know it like the backs of their hands.
  • "I know these walls... these halls... this stone." Part Tear Jerker and Heartwarming Moment, this is where you realise that Thorin, beyond the burdens of his line, simply wished to come back home. And he has.
    • Balin looks about ready to cry when he steps through the hidden door, and can only manage to say Thorin's name before being completely overcome.
• Right before Bilbo is about to descend into Erebor, he and Balin have a chat, during which Bilbo reaffirms his desire to help. For a second, Balin just chuckles, and quietly says "It never ceases to amaze me...The courage of hobbits."
• In the Extended Edition, when the dwarves confront the Master of Laketown, he demands to know if there's anyone who can stand as character witness for Thorin. It's Bilbo who pipes up, saying, among other things, "If Thorin Oakenshield gives his word, he keeps it." Thorin's expression of gratitude is a moment of heartwarming in and of itself.
• In the extras, we see Stephen Colbert completely geeking out about getting to be part of the film, and at the end of his shoot he's given a copy of Sting, and tells the crew even if there hadn't been any cameo involved, it would have been worth it just to see the great work they were doing.

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