So the photo for this Newsfeed is with the first Meme I’ve ever created. Kind of fitting as Star Wars IV was probably the first movie I saw in a movie theatre. So, will there be spoilers in this Newsfeed? Yeah, probably, but I say, if you haven’t seen the new movie by now then you aren’t that into the saga and have no real reason to complain. For the rest of you, read on.

So, I, like many people, was anticipating this movie. With a director like J.J Abrams behind it, I trusted that it would be fantastic. He was, after all, the one that turned me back on to the Star Trek legacy. Unfortunately, I live with a bit of a nerd: my husband. Who, while watching the trailers, was giving me insight into the storyline. (He’s actually read these stories…think of that folks! These stories are actually in book form! Crazy!) I knew going in that Leia and Han had twins and one turned to the dark side as the new Vader. So, about 1/4 into the film I turn to him and start whispering questions about the character’s relation and he just waved me off with, “They must have changed that for this movie.”

That is kind of a big deal to me. I don’t like drastic story changes. Now I was really pissed that he had told me anything. As a parent, more questions start brewing, particularly how Leia and Han could have raised such an Emo teenager (follow @emokyloren for some great laughs). Where did he get the melted mask? Why was that the only piece to survive? What if he only found Vader’s boot? How bad was the parenting of these two galactic heroes? And in the words of my comedian Andy Bush, “Man. look at what 40 years did to Princess Leia! It turned her into a poorly written character!”

Before the movie came out the film makers were getting worried it wasn’t going to be as good as everyone was hoping. In my opinion, yeah, that kind of happened here. But, now get this, as I read the posts of people who had watched it, I started to see something really incredible that has lead me to believe: this is a “guy” movie. Men on Twitter, who saw the early premiers, said they “Cried their eyes out” and were “Puddles”. As I sat in the theatre I couldn’t help but notice I was flanked by young males, um, wiping tears away. I was still sitting there fuming about plot points and bad acting and these guys were crying?! Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a few girl friends on Facebook state they loved the new movie but the “guys” have already gone and seen it 3 or 4 times already. Really? Wouldn’t that make you question even more of the plot holes? Is this what becoming a parent has done to me? Am I this jaded? Has age made me more practical? Am I expecting more than I should from a fantasy story, built on the the Joseph Campbell hero mythology? Um…yes.

About the Author

Stephanie Herrera is a comedian, writer, producer, teacher, singer, actor, mother of 4, and shallow philosopher. She runs the Durham Improv & Acting Studio in Oshawa, Canada, is a professor at Durham and Fleming Colleges, and is an award winning performer.  www.durhamimprov.com / www.stephanieherrera.com / info@durhamimprov.com / (647) 899-3342  Durham Improv Group and Business pages can be found on Facebook and follow @durhamimprov & @antimommy