A Reel Opinion: STAR WARS - Our Only Hope

In less than a week, the calendar will read May 4^th. For fans of a certain far, far away galaxy, the day is a national, if not world-wide holiday. May the 4^th celebrates STAR WARS day, with more than one generation of fans coining the phrase, “may the fourth be with you”; a pun on the line, “may the Force be with you”. The day has been celebrated for years, with fans taking the opportunity to revisit the films that they love. This year will be the same, but this time it will mean much more. 

For many fans, May the 4^th is the day to watch STAR WARS, either their favorite film of the Saga, or to begin a month-long binge of all 11 films. This year is unique, as the closing chapter in the “Skywalker Saga”, THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (2019), has just arrived for home viewing. This means that for the first time in the franchise’s 43-year-old history, fans will be able to take in the entire story. 

But the most vital reason why this May the 4^th is so unique is because of the current state of the world. The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the lives of everyone; shuttering movie theatres, ballparks, restaurants, cantinas, and parks. Everything normal is gone. Everything we love on hold. These are dark times, and that is where STAR WARS is needed the most. Since 1977, STAR WARS has had one important theme; hope. That one, simple word that means so much to everyone. So difficult to find and maintain, and so easy to lose. By revisiting the Saga, we can find it again. Not just because we are once again visiting that galaxy and the characters we love, but because the adventures of those characters can show us the way; how resilience and loyalty can overcome any odds…even if they are 3,721 to 1. After all, giving us something to cheer for is exactly what STAR WARS was made for. In the 1970’s, cinema was overtaken by nihilistic anti-heroes in tragic films such as TAXI DRIVER and THE GODFATHER. Creator George Lucas changed all that with his earnest good vs. evil adventure, complete with a bell-ringing, arm-raising victory capped off with a medal ceremony. It was a knockout ending that gave the franchise an identity that has stuck. 

Call it nostalgia if need be, but nostalgia is not just sentimentality; it is a memory of something that happened, no matter how long ago. So on this coming May the 4^th, put aside these dark times and just watch STAR WARS. Some of us may watch them all, some of us just our favorites. Others (like this Blogger), may start the Saga a few days early, so a personal favorite may be viewed on the 4^th. It doesn’t matter how we do it,  just travel back to that galaxy and remember what we love about them. Take in the musical swell of Luke’s binary sunset. Gasp at Vader’s long-kept secret. Laugh at Yoda’s mischief. Thrill at Han Solo going full throttle in an asteroid field, and shed a tear when he comes home. Return BB-8’s thumbs-up, and marvel at Darth Maul’s dexterity. Put your arm around a loved one and share it for the first time or again. Find that new hope. 

May the Force be with you.