Monday, April 22, 2013
Adoption Movie Guide: Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope
Luke and Leia were separated at birth. Their mother died
shortly after delivery, and their father… Well… He’s Darth Vader. Neither child
knows much about him, and they know nothing of each other. Leia was adopted by
non-relatives, and Luke is being raised by his step-uncle and step-aunt, Owen
and Beru Lars. In this film, Luke is told that his father was murdered by Darth
Vader. Meanwhile, an oppressive, galaxy-wide government is trying to suppress any
thought of revolution. Luke sets off with his father’s old friend, Ben Kenobi,
to save the galaxy and to learn more about his father.
How is This Relevant
to Adoption?
Luke
and Leia were both adopted. As is the case in some adoptions, they don’t know
about each other. They seem to know nothing about their birthmother, and only
have misinformation about their birthfather. Yet, without realizing it, Luke
shows similarities to his father – a great amount of strength in The Force, an
adventurous spirit, and a propensity to whining. He also follows in his father’s
footsteps – studying under the same master, growing up in the same
neighborhood, and even working on the same droids.
Strong Points
Luke
shows much resilience. In the face of many losses, he demonstrates bravery, the
ability to trust, and the ability to never give up. Leia is also brave,
intelligent, and bold.
Challenges
Luke
is curious about his father, and about his own history, but his uncle shuts
down his questions. Luke eventually meets Obi-Wan Kenobi who was a close friend
of his father, but is fed partial information and misinformation. Luke only
learns the truth in a subsequent film – and even then Obi-Wan defends the
misinformation as being “true, from a certain point of view.” The reluctance of
Luke’s family and friends to share the truth with him is understandable – after
all, his father is one of the most notable film villains ever. But Luke really
did have the right to know, process, and make sense of his story.
Sure,
Darth Vader is a villain – but Owen and Beru have a hurtful conversation about
Luke’s father. Beru counsels Owen to let Luke explore the galaxy, “He can’t
stay here forever. He’s not a farmer. He has too much of his father in him.”
Owen responds, “That’s what I was afraid of.”
Luke
sees Leia and, without realizing that she’s his sister, develops a crush on
her. Eventually, she seems to
reciprocate. They even kiss. Some adoptees have reported anxiety about
unwittingly falling in love with a sibling, and these scenes might be
uncomfortable if they evoke or introduce this fear.
When
Luke’s aunt and uncle die, Luke turns to his heritage. He explains, “There’s
nothing for me here now. I want to learn the ways of The Force and become a
Jedi like my father.”
Luke
goes through a series of broken connections. His mother died shortly after his
birth. His father is thought to be dead. His aunt and uncle die. His new mentor
also dies. Some kids will certainly relate to the feeling of a series of deep
losses, but some might be troubled by it.
Weak Points
Secrecy
seems to govern much of Luke’s life. When he was an infant, his friends decided
to keep much of his history secret, for his own protection. Even as a young
adult, information is withheld from him. Obi-Wan knows about Luke’s sister, but
doesn’t tell Luke. Luke directly asks Obi-Wan, “How did my father die?” and is
lied to.
One
scene has the potential to be very troubling to some young viewers. Much as
Anakin was too late to save his mother from invading forces, Luke is too late
to save his aunt and uncle. He returns home from an excursion to find their
charred remains.
Leia
is (unknowingly) in a position of helping her adoptive father fight her birth
father. Darth Vader is abusive to Leia (he threatens her, and subjects her to a
mind probe.) Although neither of the characters are aware, this is a troubling
scene of a father abusing his daughter. He even orders her execution, and does
(indirectly) kill her entire adoptive family (by blowing up their home planet.)
Recommendations
Star
Wars Episode IV is a classic movie, loved by even very young children. It also
has a lot of adoption connections. It might be most valuable to kids over age
10, who might be ready to start talking about losses they’ve experienced.
Parents should decide ahead of time whether their children can handle the potentially
troubling scenes mentioned in this review.
Questions for Discussion after the movie
Were
Luke’s family and friends right for lying to him about his father? How could
they have helped him deal with difficult information?
Which
of Luke’s losses was the hardest?
Some
kids worry about accidentally falling in love with a sister or brother. Do you?
Luke
is like his father in many ways. How is he different? In what ways is Leia like
her father? How are you like your birthparents? How are you different from
them? How are you like your adoptive parents, and how are you different from
them?
Luke
runs into elements of his father’s life by chance – for example – when he ended
up buying C3PO and R2D2, which his father had owned previously. Where in your
life do you see your birthparents’ influence?
Have
you ever been to a place like Mos Eisley Spaceport?
Don't forget to check out the Adoption Movie Guides of
Star Wars Episode 1
Star Wars Episode 2
Star Wars Episode 3
Don't forget to check out the Adoption Movie Guides of
Star Wars Episode 1
Star Wars Episode 2
Star Wars Episode 3
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Unfortunately, the issues you discuss in the review only become apparent in subsequent films, Luke doesnt know Leia is his sister (neither did the writer/director at this point). Lukes father is not known to be Darth Vader etc. There is no connection made with R2D2/C3PO and his father - so these questions for discussion really just don't stand up. Star Wars is pretty safe for Adopted children.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to comment. I see your point, that on its own, Episode IV doesn't really touch on many different themes adoption-wise, just Luke being raised by his Uncle and Aunt, wondering about the father he never knew. I'm still a bit uncomfortable with the lie (half-truth?) that Obi-Wan tells him. Even so, I do enjoy the movies! Again, glad you commented :)
Delete