I had just turned eleven. By that time, hundreds, perhaps even thousands of hours of my young life had been spent watching reruns of TWILIGHT ZONE and LOST IN SPACE and reading powerfully evocative comic books. The crew members of the Starship Enterprise were like family to me. In fact, the STAR TREK narrative was so much a part of the DNA of my youthful imagination that I devoted a good portion of my childhood to figuring out a reliable means by which to velcro my plastic phaser and communicator to my “phaser belt” (which, in actuality, was an old seat belt that had been detached from our Chevy Impala and wrapped twice around my waist).
My steady diet of science fiction served to make me uniquely receptive to a very special film that was released thirty years ago today. That film was STAR WARS. (Episode IV, to be more precise.)
I was living with my mom and dad in Grove City, Pennsylvania at the time. They were well acquainted with the cinematic proclivities of their eleven-year-old son. They knew how desperately excited he was to see STAR WARS (ever since he had seen the first television advertisement for the film during an episode of HAPPY DAYS).
On a Monday night during the first week of the film’s release, my dad and I traveled to a movie theater in Sharon, Pennsylvania, stood in line for half an hour, and made it in. We purchased our popcorn, found two seats in the middle of the theater, and made ourselves comfortable for the cinematic experience. Little did I know that, for the next two hours and five minutes, I would be hyperspaced into a phenomenon that would forever change the way I relate to movies.
Within the first three minutes of the film, I was utterly captivated. I had never before seen anything like the scrolling introduction: “It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire…” The dramatic scroll then gave way to a cinematographic image that I will never forget: A small Rebel space ship, chased across the screen by a huge Imperial Star Destroyer. (It felt like it took a minute-and-a-half for the Star Destroyer to come into full view from the top of the screen!). Oh my, the spectacle of it all. I was mesmerized. When the quintessentially ominous Vader made his first appearance…well…fahgettaboutit! I ceased to be merely a spectator and became a participant—a skywalker, if you will—in an epic story that took me to another galaxy and made me to understand the power of movie-making.
Two hours and five minutes later, as the credits rolled, I looked down in my lap and saw a full bag of cold popcorn. I had been so thoroughly focused on the film that I forgot I was holding it. I kid you not.
I proceeded to see the film eleven times over the course of five months.
I am not blind to STAR WARS’ shortcomings as a film. Its dialogue is often choppy and ham-handed. Its characterization and plot-development are far from profound. But the film hit me at the right time. In fact, it hit our culture at the right time. In a culture that was still endeavoring to make sense of Vietnam and Watergate, STAR WARS challenged us to consider the possibility that some rebellions were righteous and that some heroes could still be trusted.
Right this minute, thirty years after the release of the film, I am sitting in a comfortable chair in our television room, with my beautiful wife on one side of me and my cat on the other, watching…you guessed it…Episode IV of the STAR WARS saga. (The Millennium Falcon was just pulled into the Death Star by the tractor beam!). The DVD looks pretty darned good on our 63-inch high-definition set! It reminds me of an experience I once had thirty years ago.
It is Pentecost weekend, a weekend in which Christ-followers give particular attention to what might be called their spiritual “force.” An unseen God, fully present in the human condition, dynamically active in human affairs, always advocating for human souls. As I celebrate the person and work of the Holy Spirit, it feels strangely appropriate for me to be devoting a couple of hours to STAR WARS, the film through which the Holy Spirit was once at work to deepen the imagination and broaden the perspective of a wide-eyed eleven-year-old boy.
I think that that boy is still inside of me. Somewhere.
Preach it, brother! “Star Wars”…God’s prevenient grace in action never ceases to amaze me.
I think the man is sometimes trapped inside the little boy. So, those that know the little boy, can love the man more intensely.
May the force be with you…nanu nanu!
I remember first seeing Star Wars on my 10th birthday. I remember being captivated by the special effects, which pale in comparison to today’s film technology. I found the breathing of Vader to very scary at the time. My older brother used to mimic it in the days after the film, to frighten me. As I watch the film today, my favorite character is Han Solo. He reminds me that people can change, and put their selfish motivations aside in order to do the right thing and help others.
Choppy and Ham handed describes well the novice actor of Mark Hamill.
I wanted to go to toshi station to buy some power converters. Make sure you say it in the most whiney voice!
Eric,
We grew up during the same time period, but had far different experiences concerning Star Wars. Sorry to say it but I wanted nothing to do with this movie, didn’t see it, didn’t like Darth Vader, and didn’t like all those strange looking creatures.
This viewpoint pretty much continued until the last few years when I was led to the movie by 2 little boys. They slowly converted me to the type of fan who would go see the midnight opening of Star Wars III not only to preview the appropriateness of the movie for 5 & 7 year olds, but also for personal pleasure. What is the saying about the children leading the way?
And I’m sitting here watching your alma mater, Duke in the lacrosse semi-finals - go Blue Devils!
Allene…
You say that you “didn’t like all those strange looking creatures.”
Then how in the world do you ever feel comfortable at Central Highlands Church?!!!!!!!
And, by the way…What kind of a wacko goes to see a midnight showing of a Star Wars film anyway?! You must have some really strange friends!
We are now in Round Two of Star Wars adoration at our house. Elliot (about to be six on June 13) is really into Star Wars. He has seen the first three movies (Episode IV - VI) and also plays the XBox Star Wars Lego game (which I HIGHLY recommend). When I hear the Star Wars music playing, I just feel like all is right with the world. (Which, of course, it isn’t)
Maybe that’s the answer to the Reality TV problem…cancel them all and run Star Wars 24/7.
What’s your opinion of Episodes I - III?
I don’t know that they should have made Darth Vadar a sympathetic character. He’s such a great bad guy…one of the very best. The first time Elliot saw him (granted it was a couple of years ago) he turned tail and ran out of the room. That’s how he should be! We don’t need to know why he’s evil, just that he is. I suppose that’s not a very Christian perspective, but there you have it! He is, after all, redeemed in the end…did we need all of the explanation offered by the new movies?
By the way, I think your mom once told us that you were very (VERY) fond of Mr. Rogers. Was that you? Changing into a sweater and changing your shoes? Maybe it was someone else. Care to comment?
All right, that’s it. I’m firing my mom for disclosing company secrets!!! Lura Jean….clean out your desk!
Yes, Mr. Rogers was a huge hero for me. Back when Dad was serving the West Washington UMC, I would regularly embarrass my older brother and sister by parading around the neighborhood in a sweater and necktie (even on the hottest days of summer), singing “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” at the top of my lungs. I actually had a “land of make believe” studio set up in my bedroom.
I was a peculiar 4-year-old, no doubt about it. It’s amazing I made it into adulthood.
Concerning EPISODES I-III…they left me feeling disappointed. The geek in me (and there’s plenty of that!) simply enjoyed the thrill of having Star Wars films to experience once again. But the critic in me saw the major flaws, not the least of which was George Lucas’ screenplay. Quite frankly, as gifted as George is at creating cinematic spectacle, he needs to allow a more accomplished writer to create the dialogue. After all, the transformation from Anakin to Darth is an enormous journey, one that should have been handled by an author who could do justice to the profundity of the change.
That said, it was worth the price of admission just to see Yoda wielding a light saber like a little green samurai! That was way cool.
I think I admire you even more for having Mr. Rogers as a hero. I received a calendar with quotes of his for a gift one year and one of them is taped to my mirror. It helps me every day. It’s like he said it just for me. I think he was truly a great man who touched so many lives. There is much to be learned by his particular brand of ministry. Did you know they plan to construct a statue and small park in his honor in pittsburgh? You can read about it here…http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/13382717/detail.html.
And, sadly, that’s the last of the secrets I know. I could make some up if you’d like!
r