To add (agh, too many of these today):
So there’s that much of an effect on my generation.
I’m sorry, but trying to invoke historical inevitavility is a bad argument. The fact is that LotR may or may not have come to th big screen with any flair without SW. I think it would not have.
Simply because a book is popular is no guarrantee a good movie - or any movie - will come from it.
LOTRs had already had two adaptations to the screen, and several rip-offs (willow). I don’t think it’s out of the range of the probable to assume that it would eventually have gotten picked up.
I’m not arguing that LOTRs was a popular book and therefore it was destined to become a smash movie. All I’m saying is that there were many factors, such as two other movies, various adaptations, and an interest in fantasy (Harry Potter) that helped LOTRs come to the screen. I admit that SWs probably helped LOTRs arrive earlier; but I think that LOTRs would have been made anyway-perhaps much later.
Other movies, such as Titanic, had huge budgets, great special effects, and huge box office appeal. I think these movies stimulated the production of LOTRs as much as SWs did.