Which Side Of "The Force" Are You On?

I saw Star Wars when it opened in 1977. I was 8 years old and loved it! Raised on Disney-esque movies like "Escape From Witch Mountain" and "Pete's Dragon," Star Wars was very different. There were so many characters in it that everyone could personally relate to at least one of them. Princess Leia was beautiful, tiny, and tough. Luke Skywalker dreamed of doing greater things than working on a solar farm. Obi-Wan Kenobi was wise in the ways of the force, reluctant to come out of retirement. C3PO was intelligent but lacked social skills. R2D2 was the background hero, always saving the day and without much credit. Darth Vader was menacing and desired to rule the galaxy. The Storm Troopers were dutiful followers, equally sinister, wearing those cool white and black costumes. Han Solo was a bit of a rogue, street-smart scoundrel…with his loyal companion Chewbacca, the futuristic equivalent of a 7 ft dog…that could shoot laser pistols. The list of characters grew with each movie…captivating generations.