If your only source is the movies, one of the annoying gripes about them is they have this deceptive editing that makes it seem like Frodo left the Shire within a relatively short timespan after the birthday party.

Frodo got the ring on the 22nd of September of 3001. He leaves Bag End on the 23rd of September...of 3018.

[–] rickyrigatoni@lemm.ee 23 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Someone should edit the movie to have a transparency of a calendar having its pages blown in the wind until it lands on 3018.

[–] Mnemnosyne@sh.itjust.works 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Yes, I have always from the first time I saw the movies thought that's what they needed. A five second clip of that and nothing else about the movie has to change!

[–] TwanHE@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

Hear me out, SpongeBob style voice over with "17 years later"

[–] stebo02@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Interesting, though that still doesn't explain the aging part though. I get that Hobbits age slower than humans but if their life expectancy is only 100 years, the difference should be noticeable right?

[–] Mnemnosyne@sh.itjust.works 20 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Sam aged, Frodo did not. I recall several mentions throughout the books that Frodo was considered unusually young-looking for a 50-year old hobbit, just as Bilbo himself was very young-looking for 111. Owning the ring seems to basically just pause your aging, even if you're not using it.

Sam was also twelve years younger than Frodo, but since Frodo stopped aging for 17 years, he wound up effectively older, physically speaking.

[–] samus12345@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Not pause, but slow. That's why Gollum looked like shit, but still good for being 500 years old!

[–] shottymcb@lemm.ee 2 points 2 days ago

When 500 years old you reach, look as good you will not hmm?

[–] cd_slash_rmrf@programming.dev 2 points 4 days ago

he wasn't actively wearing/using the ring while in the shire iirc

[–] TwinTusks@bitforged.space 12 points 4 days ago (1 children)

They are Hobbits, they don't really age all that fast.

[–] stebo02@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

according to Google they have a life expectancy of 100 years, so they do age a bit slower but a ~20 year difference should still be noticeable