ST Carrie Fisher (Leia) in Episode VII (Sad News posted on Page 269)

I think JJ didn't know what to do with a 53 years old Leia, and he wasn't the best director to deal with Carrie's insecurities, though I believe he tried his best, and I know the result could be worse.

Judging for the time Carrie has spent on set, I think Rian knows (and I'm confident Colin will know) how to better use Leia, and Carrie seems to be more confident now, probably because of the positive reviews she received for her role in TFA.

 

I'm sure there was an adjustment period for all the returning old schoolers, they didn't realize back in '77 just what they were going to be getting into much less that they would be these characters forever and still playing them again 40 years later. Or that to paraphrase her "they'd be giving George (Disney) a nickel every time they looked in a mirror"

Having been doing other things and thinking that Leia was behind her in many ways, it had to be weird going back to that character and in a way that part of her life.

 

I enjoy most of JJ's outings as a writer/director. However, as I cast my mind back, I can't readily pull up any examples of him writing a well rounded, interesting, kick ass older woman in his material.

There are a lot of interesting, strong YOUNG women, yes. And for that he should be applauded because a lot of his ilk don't get it right. However, older women? I didn't watch Alias so perhaps there.

In Lost I did very much enjoy Rose, but she was sort of given the Leia treatment too; wise, warm, matronly, and largely left out of the action.

 

Which is a shame because I don't think anyone would be given a more perfect opportunity for a fail safe financial outing than the sequel to the Star Wars trilogy held. To experiment with the three protagonists being over the age of fifty. There never was a strong pull to explore this universe other than it was the adventures of Han, Luke and Leia. So I always thought it could be fascinating to use it as a fairy tale of what happens to all of us when we get older, what we still have to fight for. It could have redefined the adventure genre.

 

I agree, but Hollywood see the money with the younger demographic. I would love to see a movie with the original cast continuing on, and see them at their current ages still living and having adventures, but as with every franchise, they either pass the torch or do a reboot. In this case a reboot would have had rebellion in the streets, so they decided to do a Next Gen instead.

The new characters are cool and I have nothing against them (save the whiney, brat face, wannabe), but George's creations will always have the special place in my heart that no other characters can fill.

I would have gladly paid (probably multiple times) to see an adventure of the big three and the rest as older people, still the same characters but more mature.

Luke still a Jedi, though more of the Obi-Wan role, mentoring future Jedi including a niece or nephew ( or 2 or 3)..

H/L still happily married, bantering while still having adventures and rescuing each other while barely escaping. Physically they aren't where they used to be (who is), but it could still be made to work.

. But then I am also of a certain age group that is getting much less representation than those of my son's demographic.

 

In theory I'm not against adventure films focused on older characters. I enjoyed RED., Rocky Balboa, Indy 4, those old Star Trek movies as a kid, the Expendables, and I can't wait for Alien 5 with Sigourney.

But for Star Wars? No thanks. The precedent is long stretches of time between trilogies, and torch passing from old to young. I think it's best to stick with that routine.

But Star Wars was never ageist, especially the prequels. TFA isn't either; Han Solo is played by a 70 something man, and he's very much written as still viable physically.

They just didn't do anything to present Leia and Luke in that light. We're told they're still active, but not shown so. Thematically that makes sense with Luke being the McGuffin, but it makes no sense that Leia wasn't given even one moment to shoot a blaster.

 

Ha, for me it's the opposite... And we seem to always have the same opinion.

I guess I always had ingrained in me from the age of six or so that there would be nine movies. And I was terrified in 83 that we'd have to know wait years while he did one through three. Gulp... Fisher and Hamill would be like thirty something by the time they came back. And I thought why do we need prequels? We know what happened and the mystery is better.

So with this return, I just thought hey, three more films and that's that. I get its a business and they have to sell toys, etc to a degree. But I would have argued that we already have the three best heroes (with Chewie, 3PO and R2 rounding out the big six)... Keep it to them with some younger characters aiding them along the way. When REd and Indy 4 or The Expendables came along, I thought that's great but what this would really lend itself to is Star Wars.

 

There was a beautiful mainstream film made in 76 called Robin and Marion starring Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn. They played Robin Hood and Maid Marion years after their adventures reunited and back in the action. It was a really refreshing take.

 

Looking at the saga as it's existed since the beginning? Youth take the lead, with strong support from the elders.

I too, as a boy, hoped to see the continuation of the Big 3 adventures back in the 90s. I would have loved that (that's one of the reasons I relished the Thrawn trilogy so, so much back then). Hell I remember after the announcement of Episode I if, based on a comment George made, they were hiring Carrie back to play the mother of Luke and Leia LOL!

But that doesn't fit the formula. The limited talks Lucas had about the post-Jedi sequels with Mark were about him coming back as an old man, akin to Obi Wan, passing on the knowledge. It looks like nobody, not even the series creator, conceptualized a Star Wars trilogy featuring an old home romp for senior characters. Star Wars just has never presented as that kind of franchise.

While it's never shied away from throwing older characters right in the thick of the action, it's never revolved around older characters as the leading protagonists.

 

A few celebration panel tidbits about the new films:

- She jokes about wanting to Leia have more comedy.
- Says she loved the parts in TFA where she got to be "abusive" to Han.
- Said she was a bit of a pain on TFA because she kept asking them to give her more.
- Says she spends a lot of time lately as Leia stressed and upset.
- Her dress in VIII is "awfully large".

I literally laughed out loud a few times. There's a couple funny Mark stories. It's a lot the usual anecdotes and jokes, as these things go, but she's hilarious as always:

 

I just want to reiterate how much I love this image. One of my favorite of the couple.

 

I have that image as the wallpaper on my phone. Reminds of the song "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" by Chicago.

 

that too

 

Youth may be the lead, but we've got people like Helen Miren proving that women are vital long after they stop being twenty somethings.

 

wonder why they didn't use the dialogue that was in the novel. same applies to other scenes too.

 

Just found this picture. Leia with her General hair, but with the regal dress.

 

I thought Carrie had absolutely nothing to work with in TFA, and her scenes with Harrison were poor, but this is the one genuine moment they had together (the only decent moment for Leia), and Carrie made it genuine, despite the artificiality surrounding it.

Harrison didn't do a bad job there, either. I didn't notice the subtlety at first, because I was more focused on Carrie/Leia, but I think Harrison did it the way Han would have done it.

I'm CT and I approve this image

 

Gorgeous.

 

Her Majesty Queen Leia Organa of Alderaan in a "what if?" scenario.

 

Really? While I agree it would be nice if Leia had more, I loved all the Han/Leia scenes. And, based off critical review and the audience reactions we can gauge, their material seems to be extremely well received.

 

.

 

MattOrgana

Great pic! I know this will sound weird, but I found Leias acting so much more natural/better in the regal dress scenes...

 

I agree that Carrie plays "regal Leia" very well, and I hope to see more of it in VIII and IX. But I also liked her as General Organa - the little she got to do.

I think JJ tried his best, and I know it could've been worse, but I don't think he was the best director to deal with Carrie's lack of confidence. She's a great actress, but she's also her harshest critic.

 

Leia is very different than the characters Carrie's been playing over the last several years. She's been getting accolades as funny characters, sharp, witty, sardonic figures. It's not until you see her as Leia again, or go back and watch ROTJ or TESB, that you realize how much more subdued Leia is in comparison to Carrie's usual roles, or her public persona.