Honorable Mention
It has to be every Star Wars fan’s worst nightmare: you try to deliver a letter from your critically ill son to George Lucas…
And you end up knocking him cold by accident.
Then, of course, there’s that whole kidnapping thing. And tying George up in duct tape in his own apartment.
Definitely a bad day.
What we have here is an amiable comedy about Star Wars, its impact, and its fandom, set in that perilous time when George had just released The Phantom Menace to less than stellar reviews and a somewhat muted audience response. It’s all shot on location, mostly at an actual Star Wars convention, with a lot of real fans and genuine cosplay costumes (including a marvelous entrance by the villain of the story in a remarkably accurate Darth Vader costume, complete with an escort of Storm Troopers. Mind you, I’m not entirely sure that the silver on the chest armor looks quite right…).
David Prowse shows up as himself and actually gets a fair amount of screentime without a mask on. As far as I know, I’ve only seen his face in one other film — A Clockwork Orange — so this is a very welcome sight.
Heck, in Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell he might as well have had Vader’s mask on as he’s buried under so much creature makeup.
Perhaps the best part of the film is George Starkey’s performance as George Lucas — and not just because of his close resemblance to the legendary filmmaker. It is almost eerie how well he captures George’s voice and mannerisms. Admittedly, this means he doesn’t get a lot of dialogue (George always was a quiet guy when he wasn’t talking about his films) but the result is uncanny.
Which probably explains why he’s played George in nearly every one of the handful of films he’s in.
Besides the generous helpings of fan service (Leia and Amidala) and enough Star Wars quotes to fill, oh, four movies, this gentle and sweet little comedy somehow manages to talk about the role Star Wars has played in the lives of those who love it; the part it should play; and how it has become part of the legacy a Father passes on to his son.
Even if he isn’t one of the hardcore fans. Not anymore, at least.
It’s about hope for the future, mixed with a little dread (and even a suggestion or two about what George should have done in The Phantom Menace to improve it).
And, yes, it is a plea with George Lucas to give us more Star Wars. And soon.
The sad part is that it is a message so many of us wish we could give him right now.
Help us Obi Wan Lucas. You’re our only hope.
(My special thanks to Gary Wood, the director, for making his film available for free on Youtube to all the fans!)
rivets on the poster 