‘Chewie We’re Home’: Why The New Star Wars Trailer Is So Emotional: did you get a little weepy after seeing Han Solo and Chewbacca again? Don’t feel bad;we all did. 

If you’re a massive, or even a casual Star Wars fan, I’m sure you’ve checked out the brand new teaser trailer for Star Wars The Force Awakens. I think I’ve seen it about 30 times…so far.

The film, which hits theaters this Christmas, has a lot riding on it. Director JJ Abrams is bravely stepping into the fray to drag the franchise forward, after George Lucas’s abysmal prequels.

We’ll be treated to a cast of new characters played by younger actors including Daisy Ridley and John Boyega. But the main draw is our chance to see the original cast in all their galactic glory.

The trailer is beautifully cut, and full of unanswered questions: hints that Darth Vader might be alive, new worlds, and a voiceover by Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill.

But our first real glimpse at the old guard comes at the end, where Han Solo and Chewbacca board the Millennium Falcon. Solo, all smiles says: Chewie, we’re home.

I felt a rush of emotions, and to my surprise, a little weepy. Fearing I was losing it in my old age, I tested the waters with friends, and pretty much to a fault, they all felt the same way.

But why does it tug at the heartstrings? I can of course only speak for myself, but here’s as best I can articulate it:

Childhood Memories:

I have no idea how Millennials or anyone born too late to see the original films in the theaters fully process Star Wars. I can only speak for Generation X. I saw Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope back when it was just called plain-old Star Wars.

I was 6 years old. My father, after seeing the film with a friend, deemed it family friendly, and prepared me for it. I can’t recall the exact words he said, but he knew I was going to like it, and that he’d never seen anything like it before. I overheard him telling my mom that this would either be the next big thing, or a big flop. But he bet on the former.

I had an odd anxiety about seeing it, like it might be scary. But off we went. Seeing the opening scroll and the Star Destroyer’s seemingly endless crawl across the cinema screen was mind-blowing. And I’ve never been the same since.

My parents would take me several times to see it again (I begged incessantly), and my Mother fussed when trying to get me the just released Star Wars toys that Christmas. It was a crazy time. The toymaker Kenner hadn’t anticipated demand, and I was stuck with an early bird kit. What is that you ask? It was a cardboard drawing of the cast, with proof of purchase points for 4 figures when they went into production. It was quite a letdown.

While the wait seemed interminable, I soon had oodles of Star Wars toys and friends to play it with. It became all-consuming, and I devoured every Star Wars related thing I could, including that amazingly bad holiday special.

Journalist Bill Moyers stated that after Vietnam and Watergate, Star Wars’ sense of wonder nourished a national pessimism, and it certainly fueled childhood imaginations.

So when I think of Star Wars, I’m reminded of innocence, and my parents who indulged my obsession. It’s a bittersweet feeling given my father is no longer with us. But losing a parent fits into the ways of the force and Lucas’s archetypal mythology perfectly. Star Wars is comfort food above all else. An easy way to absorb life lessons (even if the ending of Empire Strikes Back was traumatic at the time).

It’s Been A Long Time Coming

There’s also an element of closure with The Force Awakens. When the trilogy ended in 1983, there were rumors of future films with the new cast, but those were to come after Lucas would helm the prequels. But too much time passed, and the prequels looked like all we could get.

I was never terribly enthused by the idea of the prequels to begin with. My Dad was also annoyed saying: why watch a story that you already know the ending? Who cares? We already knew via back story what caused the events in the original trilogy. It was a waste of time going back. How many years could we have had great stories with the original characters we loved?

That’s one reason the trailer strikes such a chord with fans. Sure, Star Wars has survived all these years in various formats, but diehards want what works best.

I’m certainly excited by the new characters, but seeing them alongside old stalwarts will make things so much more satisfying.

And I think another reason seeing Harrison Ford so spry and feisty got me misty-eyed are recent events. The man just survived a plane crash. How many walk away from those? He’s a real life Han Solo, that guy.

I will hold my reservations about the film at bay until my ass hits the seats on Christmas Day. The scars from the prequels have never fully healed, and I’m aware you can’t always go home again.

But to revisit a world that filled me with daydreams in a galaxy far, far away, I’ll be happy just to have a few moments with Han, Chewie, Luke, Leia, C3-PO & R2-D2 and a collective group of fans sharing in that escapism. May the force be with us. Always…or at least on December 25th. Am I right? Don’t mess it up Abrams. PLEASE.

You can order the newly released Star Wars Digital Collection on Amazon via the link below: