Editors Note: In honor of International Star Wars Day, (it’s May the 4th Be With You day if you were not aware,) Here is a story of when my kids discovered the greatest movie franchise in the known galaxy. Enjoy.
Discovering a galaxy far far away…
Honestly we have been actively keeping this from him. Obviously we’ve not done a very good job at shielding him from it. Kids are maturing so quickly these days. He’ll only be five in May so how soon is too soon? How early is innocence lost these days? When is the right time to tell him about it, to have THE talk?
He’s seen it by accident on TV so apparently the moment has come and the time is now.
Time for THE talk.
Time to tell him about Star Wars.
Some random dude on Twitter mentioned how no matter how many times it’s on he always gets sucked in by the Star Wars marathon on Spike. Mrs Franks Place replied to his tweet by saying she knows someone who does the exact same thing.
Two things she fails to realize is I follow her on Twitter so I saw that tweet. Second, I watch a lot of Star Wars and because of that have developed Jedi mind power which means I know she was talking about me, and in a non-complimentary way. The dark side always reveals itself sooner or later.
She’s not wrong. No matter how many times it plays I can watch the Star Wars. Like The Godfather, the Star Wars movies transcend time. They hold up. They’re great movies and always will be.
A Jedi’s power flows through the binker.
I’m dying for Frank to get hooked. The light-saber battles alone will be epic. But the movies are too dark in theme for a little kid in my opinion so I’ve not let him watch. Kids in his class have though. Frank has been to a Star Wars themed birthday party and has had imaginary light-sabre duels in the school yard with his buds. We have actual duels on the Wii. But that’s me against him using just characters from the movies. No plots or darkness involved. Still I didn’t think the movies would be a good idea for him. There are parts of Henry Huggle Monster that cause him to run from the room.
It just so happened there was a Star Wars marathon a few weeks ago. Spike TV was playing all six movies in numerical order. If I was single I would have never changed from my PJ’s and eaten nothing but popcorn for the entire Saturday. Married with no kids: I would have still lived on Diet Coke and popcorn all day, but I would have done it standing at the ironing board folding all the laundry in the house. That would have got me through three and a half of the six moivies. Would have been sitting on my ass for the last two.
Married with two kids: still doing laundry but with remote set to the Star Wars and Disney Junior so I can flip to Octonauts in case the two midgets wander in. They wander in all the time so I was seeing a lot of Octonauts and not much Jedi. But one particularly quiet moment when midget 2 was down for her nap, midget 1 wandered in to my laundry station undetected while I was watching A New Hope, the first Star Wars movie released, (1977) but fourth in the series. Also least darkest in my opinion. Although Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen were sent to their eternal dirt naps in a less than glorious fashion by the storm troopers.
Anyway, once I realized he was standing by the door I switched it to Disney. Too late. The questions start.
What was that movie? Why were they shooting that man? What happened to that ship? And on and on.
It was time. No way around it now.
You see son a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away…
Ah the explanations won’t do any good. I just let him watch it. In five minutes he saw a light-saber fight and thought they were playing the game we play on the Wii. When Obi Wan is killed by Darth Vader Frank asked, “Where are they gonna play next.” In the game after you win a duel it restarts and you can pick which planet or scene you want to duel in next. Not so in the movie. Obi Wan was sent to the eternal ether. This stark reality caused Frank to deem it a daddy movie and he promptly ran out.
That same day, three baskets of laundry later, midget 2, up from her nap wonders in while I’m watching the third movie in the series and the latest one released, Revenge of the Sith. It’s by far the darkest of the six movies in my opinion. The particular scene she saw takes place on Chewbacca’s home planet, loaded with Wookies in a bloody battle with the droid armies.
Wookies/Sheep – Anne Marie speaks their language.
Anne Marie’s response? Pointed at the TV and yelled “Sheep! Sheep! Baaa”. Yeah so I guess they do look like sheep, if sheep could stand on two feet, fire a laser crossbow, and you know, be self governing so as to run an entire planet. But I took her point. That kid is a pistol.
So Frank appears to be unfazed. He got a light-saber from the birthday party he went to Saturday, (not a real one, I would have kept that for myself) and he still wants to have duels on the Wii. He just doesn’t want to watch the movies.
That’s ok I guess. Seems a bit unnatural to get sucked in by the merchandizing without seeing the actual movies, but ok.
Maybe the force is not strong with him after all.
His sister on the other hand…
Jedi or Sith? We report, you decide!
OK maybe not.
Frank's Place 
Dude….once they get sucked in it is never ending. Nicholas was probably about Frank’s age, maybe a tad younger when he got sucked in…he is almost 11 and guess what we were watching last weekend….yep all 6 of the movies….I have so far been able to hold him off seeing the end of #3 – and yes that is definitely the darkest of all 6 movies. He is anxiously awaiting release of #7 sometime in 2015…….already has his opinions on what it is going to be about!
Me and NIcholas may have to talk. Can’t wait for #7.
Perhaps my first real notion of the “epic” battles between good and evil. Will ALWAYS be my fav.
My youngest padawan knows the lines, characters, director’s thoughts, mandatory break times for the union-led actors…you name it.
We’re both Lucas-laden addicts…what a team.
I’m sure our sons would enjoy a light sabre match or two – let’s make that happen 🙂
Union led actors – nice.
Wait… you do laundry?
Haha. Yeah, laundry, cooking, cleaning, dishes, grocery shopping, school drop off, baths, diapers, nap-time, bedtime, dr appts, yard work, etc…
We caved when my son was 5 and let him watch Star Wars… he LOVES the movies! He was a jedi knight for halloween. He now has 3 light sabres. Now we just have to wait for our 3yo to be ready and we can watch as a whole family – can’t wait!
I’m hoping Frank gets hooked soon. The Force of July marathon is right around the corner. 🙂
May the force be with you!
Vinnie, at least watching Star Wars you could enjoy it together in relative quiet. If you were watching Godfather, you would have to explain to him the family history. Like great uncle Michael, whom your middle name came from. The “family business” isn’t really importing olive oil. And Uncle Frido died from a touch of lead poisoning. Better to wait on Godfather. Till at least he can push your hospital bed room to room. Keep it coming Fran.
He does have a family nickname already – Frankie Five Angels. No Jedi name yet.
Oh my God, it starts!
Wait, Mrs. Frank’sPlace has a Twitter account too? Where the heck have I been?!
She does. She’s keeping it on the down low so she can say things anonymously. I’ll e-mail you her handle.
No worries 😀
Nice! Our son Joe is a huge Star Wars lover too and has his 2 and 4 year olds deeply engaged to include 3 Halloween costumes framed and mounted! Nice post and pics!