So there we were, my parents, sisters and myself, waiting in a line that felt like it was ten miles long to a theater that looked tiny from where we were standing. This was the first time we went to the Golf Mill Theater, but we came here because they just installed a new Dolby surround sound system and my dad wanted to experience it with the movie we were here to see. So we drove for what felt like millions of miles and waited in an extremely long line to see a movie that had me anxious with excitement. That movie was Empire Strikes Back.
I remember when I saw the trailer for the first time and just having my mind blown by seeing the AT-AT’s, Yoda, the asteroid chase and lightsaber duel between Luke and Darth Vader. I didn’t think my young mind could take all these images in and still function, but it was the greatest thing that I have ever seen. Ever since I saw Star Wars I immediately became a fan and wanted to be a part of this galaxy. I had the toys the comics books, hell, I even had the bed sheets. Seeing the previews of the asteroid chase on the news got me even more excited to see this movie. So when I found out we were going to see it I couldn’t wait to go.
As the line got closer to the theater I could see the lobby cards along the glass and wondered to myself, “What was happening in these scenes?” One of the cards that stood out to me was the one of Darth Vader talking to Boba Fett. I remember him from mail-away offers and couldn’t wait to see him in action. Seeing this card I wondered what Vader was saying to him and what was Boba Fett’s role in the movie. I tried to not let my mind wonder too much, but being young I could do nothing but imagine what the movie had in store for me.
After what felt like hours, we finally made it into the theater, bought popcorn and drinks and grabbed some seats. As soon as the Fox Fanfare music came on I couldn’t move, then the words appeared on the screen….silence….then the opening theme blasted through the speakers and I could swear I heard a few people cheering. The next two hours were amazing, exciting and depressing. At one point during the Dagobah scene I remembered my sister jumping due to the surround sound and her sitting next to one of the speakers. When the movie was over and all was said and done I couldn’t believe that they would end it that way. It was such a downer, but it only got me more excited about what would happen next.
The Star Wars Trilogy has been a part of my life since I was 5 and while it may be hard to see, I learned a lot about life through these movies. There are a lot of good lessons to be learned, not only about life, but about friendships, honor, and being true to yourself. These are lessons that I will instill in my daughter and although my little girl is only eight months now, I do want her to see these movies and take from them the lessons that I did. I don’t know if she’ll be as into them as I am, but it would be nice to experience them for the first time again through her eyes. Who knows, maybe she’ll become a fan or just think that they are okay. Whatever her reactions will be I know that sitting together watching the movies with her will transport me back to the time when I would be sitting in the theater watching these movies with my parents and just enjoying the experience.