Star Wars

My parents took me to the drive-in to watch Star Wars.  I had fallen asleep during the first minute or so but my they woke me up in time for me to open my eyes and see Darth Vader board the Princess Leia's spaceship.  I immediately fell in love with Luke Skywalker despite his whining.  Maybe because I was only 3 1/2-years-old, I felt a kinship with him when he whined for the first 30 minutes onscreen. The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi were equally joyful to watch and I had high hopes when the new Star Wars Prequels came out.

What a disappointment Episodes 1 - 3 were!  I watched The Phantom Menace at the Mann's Chinese theater but the classic Hollywood setting could not overcome the disgrace that Jar Jar Binks emitted.  I didn't bother paying good money to watch the next episodes and only set my eyes on them when they were available at my mom's house and I was bored.

When Simone started watching full-length movies, I got excited to show her my favorites.  But I was struck with a dilemma regarding the Star Wars movies.  Which set of trilogies do I show her first?  I polled parents of older parents and they had different anecdotes.  Some showed their kids the movies in order according to release date.  A few others showed it in chronological order.  None however could comment if they liked the order shown.  Apparently, I'm the only one who wrestles with such exposure!

I finally settled with showing my kids Episode 4 through 6 first because I frankly did not want to relive the first episode.  So what did Max and Simone think of A New Hope?  They were bored!!!!!  Michael and I however were so hypnotized with it that we watched the entire thing that afternoon instead of working on the bus.  Once we started we couldn't wait to see the next scene and the next scene and the next scene until there were no more nostalgic scenes left.  Max and Simone left the room!  I don't know what was more disappointing.  The kids' lack of interest or Jar Jar Binks' existence.

Well, I forged on with The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi to great success.  I don't think inundating the kids with sci-fi culture was the key.  I think it was R2D2, Yoda, and the Ewoks that gave us a chance of conversation about the movies.  They must have felt a kinship with those characters because of their common stature.  While the kids don't love the trilogy, they are excited enough to see C3PO at the library and check out his book.  They chose their new Vitamin C gummies because R2D2 was on the bottle.  Simone saw Darth Vader on a nearby bottle and asked, "Is that the Star Wars Dad?"

Recent news revealed that J.J. Abrams is directing Episode 7!  The trilogies continue!!!!  And thank goodness because it has given me an "out."  I don't feel the need to show the first 3 abhorrent episodes anymore.  We are just going to skip to 7!  Maybe one day the kids will discover from peers that the prequels exist.  They may blame me for the missing pieces in their film repertoire or they may thank me.  I am prepared for for either outcome.  I have felt the force awaken and I will leave the Phantom Menace behind in the dusty annals of star wars.