It's My Story and I'll Tell it the Way I Want

There's new documentary premiering at the South by Southwest film festival called "The People vs George Lucas".  It's about the love/hate relationship between Lucas and fans of his "Star Wars" franchise.  First, I want to talk about what's being said about the documentary.  One reviewer said of this documentary "it is still a well-constructed documentary on the subject of our generation's most inspirational work of fiction."  Excuse me?  Did he say "our generation's most inspirational work of fiction"?  If that's true, it may be one of the saddest things I've ever heard.  There are some people out there who view the Star Wars movies as inspirational.  What most folks don't seem to realize is that these movies are the late 20th and early 21st century equivilent of a Buck Rogers serial.  And, they're about as deep, too.  Don't get me wrong, I love all the Star Wars movies.  But, let's not make them into something they're not.  Fun way to waste an afternoon?  Absolutely.  Inspirational work of fiction?  Not hardly.  If you want to be inspired, try reading the Bible. 

About the actual documentary, this film has been made because a bunch of folks put a lot into a movie that it was never meant to hold (see above paragraph).  Here's a quote from the director, "George Lucas made Star Wars; but it was the fans who turned it into a seemingly undying worldwide phenomenon" 
While that much is true, the problem is these folks feel they own the franchise as much as Lucas does.  In this misconception, they need to be brought up short.  Unless you've sweat over blood over the story, gone without sleep to figure out characterizations and mortgaged everything you own to see it on the big screen, you don't own a damn thing about the story.  And, what is it that has these people so up in arms?  They don't like the direction the story has taken, there are characters they despise (Jar Jar Binks), tweaks he made in the original story and other things.  Here's my take: If you don't like it, don't freakin' watch it!  Quit lining up to see the movies, get rid of your Stormtrooper armor and sell all your action figures and space ships.  Going to see each episode 72 times doesn't qualify you for partial ownership of the story; it qualifies you for the "Get a Damn Life" award. 

When a writer sits down to a blank screen and begins to let his imagination run wild (which actually happens before you sit down), what comes out is uniquely his or hers.  They share it with others for various reasons. Sometimes out of vanity (almost always),  sometimes hoping to make some money out of it (if you're lucky), but mostly because they're unable to do anything else.  To see anyone, much less a bunch of pimply-faced nerds still living in they're mother's basement, try to take any credit at all for someone elses work pisses me off.  Here's an idea for all those who want to tell Mr. Lucas how his story should go: Instead of playing World of Warcraft until the wee hours, write your own story.  Do all the things that you believe Lucas should have and avoid all of his mistakes.  If (not when, it's not that easy) you come up with something worthy of public comsumption, wait for the very people you were hoping to entertain to rip it to shreds with a bunch of ridiculous ideas and inane criticisms.  Then, see how you feel about it.  I suspect you'll agree with me.  It's George's story and he can tell it the way he wants.