The Awakening

I am 2 sleeps away from the one of the most anticipated theater experiences of my entire life – next to the 1994 release of The Lion King, obviously.

Thanks to my day job, I have Thursday night pre-screening passes to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In preparation, I’ve spent the last week watching the original Star Wars trilogy, and obsessively gorging on all the available (spoiler-less) trailers and TV spots for the latest installment that the internet has to offer. I’ve been utterly captivated

…in a cinematic entertainment kind of way. I’m not prepared to go full nerd over this and dive head first into Jedi Training Camp or anything. (Apparently, I’m too old to enroll.)

I have not always been a Star Wars fan. But, appreciation for The Force is strong in my family. My brother has it, like his father before him.  I  lost track a long time ago of how many times my dad finalized his decisions and concluded arguments with “No… I am your father.” Which is hilarious now, but not so much when you’re 17 and you just want to borrow the car. Case in point: Fan or not, the undeniable fact remains that Star Wars has become an inescapable norm, intrinsic to our culture.

I watched the original trilogy when I was a teenager. I didn’t relish in the experience. Ready to appreciate I was not. I lacked the deepest commitment, the most serious mind.

Things have changed. There has been…wait for it…an awakening.

…aaaand, Sparrow out.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens December 18.  Did you order your tickets in advance? Have you been camped out for days? Tell us your super-fan stories!