"Just like Beggar's Canyon back home!"

What was Lucas thinking when he kept this line in the movie after deleting all the Biggs scenes? How would anyone in the audience in 1977 know what the heck Luke is talking about when Beggars Canyon is never ever mentioned in the script before this? Also, since we don't know Biggs is Luke's old friend from Tatooine in the original SW, how does it make sense for Luke to tell this to him? It would have been a very touching and rousing line, if we knew what he was talking about and who Biggs. Its done much better in TPM, with "Now this is Podracing!" because we've seen Anakin podracing earlier in the movie, so the audience has a connection. But in ANH, the line falls flat unless you read the EU or are really into SW.

I just noticed this after watching the original version of SW recently.

So I ask...what was Lucas thinking when he kept this line in the movie after cutting out all the Biggs scenes? I love the line. It just didn't fit in the 1977 version very much.

 

Pehaps he included the line to show that Luke and Biggs have a history that goes beyond the Alliance so that when Biggs gets blown up, it hurts Luke more then when any of the other pilots get toasted. Just my 2 cents....probably not worth that much.

 

Geez Louise!

Weren'tcha payin' attention?
Luke says to Uncle Owen "Ya, that's what you said when BIGGS and Tank left."

Biggs part wasn't very biggs. It was smallls. Yet we know that they had a HISTORY, man. (sniff, choke).

 

I think it's done far better in ANH. A lot of the appeal of SW is stuff that's referenced but never addressed. It perks curiousity, and makes people want to dig deeper and deeper into the movie. "What the hell is Beggar's Canyon?" etc. We've all asked that at one point. And we all looked for an answer. It was fun, wasn't it?

 

I always thought it was Luke being re-assuring. But then I just rewatched it not too long ago and heard the line about Biggs earlier in the moive

 

He puts it in to provide a small portion of a backstory to Luke. If the line was never put in, you'd just think Luke was a typical farmer and his only knowledge of technology was moisture vaporators.

Luke's showing that he's a fair pilot, just like his father. Just like Anakin talking about being a pilot, and podracing and stuff. It's to elaborate that Luke has already somewhat unknowingly tapped into the force to enhance his piloting abilities. In Shadows of the Empire he returns to Beggars Canyon and explains that he knows it like the back of his hand and that anyone who didn't would surely die.

Of course, Shadows of the Empire is EU and after ANH and ESB, but it's just to show that Luke has excellent piloting abilities.

 

Ok, now I hope you guys are understanding me. I understand the line, Beggars canyon and know all about Biggs. I'm talking about the general audience's reaction or lack therof. Its an emotional and awesome line if you know what he's talking about and thats the problem...you don't, if your just watching the film. I mean who's gonna remember or even hear Biggs name in the beigning of the film when its so fast? Also, if you do make a connection, you'd be confused at why thew movie dosen't make a big deal that Luke was reunited with his old friend for the battle.

I understand not everything has to be explained. Thats what I LOVE about SW. Like the spice mines of Kessel and stuff. Thats awesome.

Its just I think the purpose of this line was for the audience to connect Luke flying down the trench to his boyhood adventures back home with his friends, and you can't do that unless you read the EU or saw the lost cut of SW.


I L.O.V.E the line btw.

 

"You look strong enough to pull the ears of a Gun-Dark!"

Star Wars is full of dialgoue that doesnt make any conventional sense - and it's a big part of how it worked so well. Rather than trying to explain everything, Lucas dumped us in the middle of a universe and made it seem familiar to us by making everything seem natural. It was all part of the "used universe" concept. This way, we the audience could focus on the story.

And quite personally, only an idiot wouldn't realise that Luke was talking to Biggs about.

They're about to fly into the trench. Luke tells Bigs that it will be just like Beggars Canyon. Kind of suggests that they used to fly at great speeds around said Canyon when they lived on tatooine. Couldn't mean anything else really.

 

I only wish beggars canyon was further fleshed out in the pt than that inane clone wars throw away line

 

This isn't meant as a criticism...I guess. I get tired of the fact that everyone and everything needs to be explained in the PT. Having the Wookies was fine...but did it need to be Chewie? The need for Boba Fett to be in it....I'm waiting for someone to complain why wasn't the backstory of the two dudes that Ben sliced and diced wasn't told in the PT. What were the 12 systems that wanted him dead and why??? Picking too many bar fights? hmmmm

 

How are we supposed to know what Anchorhead is when the scene was cut? How are we supposed to know how Dr. Evazan got his 12 death sentences if it isn't shown? How are we supposed to know what happened with the bounty hunter on Ord Mantell if we never see it?

Star Wars is all about throwing things at this audience with little or no explanation. That's part of the fun.

 

Because as I explained, some things need to be a little fleshed out, atleast if you want to get an emotional connection with the audience.

Its like in LOTR, when the Hobbits are missing the Shire...how connected would we be to the characters if we had never seen the shire, didn't know what it was, and had no idea Sam and Frodo had a history together?

Of course, you don't have to explain everything. As I already said, I love that about SW. I'm only talking about this one line needed to be fleshed out a little more because it has the potential for being a very sweet moment, with Luke thinking back to his past, and comparing it with his present situation and his future as a star pilot.

I hope you guys understand me.

 

The line didn't really need to be fleshed out for the sake of a "sweet moment" during a battle. The attack on the Death Star is supposed to be a race against time, and pulling the audience out of it by making them go "awww, how nice. They're bonding." or "yeah, I remember his discussion with his friend about that" could pull them out of the scene.

The LOTR comparison, while I understand what you're getting at, doesn't really fit. Biggs is a minor character, unlike Sam who is a big presence in all three films (and only seems to get fatter despite all the walking and light eating) and there's a lot of exposition that happens in the Shire. Maybe if Star Wars had completely skipped Tatooine, and it was Luke and Ben who we didn't know about, it might fit a bit better.

 

I suppose my opinion was a bit biased because I have seen ANH atleast 200 times in my lifetime.

But when Luke says it in the movie, your first thinking 'oh so he's a skilled pilot? He used to have a taste for adventure also.' and then when he and biggs are re-united, he says something like 'just like back home.....' so that later in the film you realize Biggs lived on Tatooine once, and was one of his, as aunt beru described, many friends that left tatooine to join the flight academy.

But also, in a way the fact that you know Biggs and the other pilots have all been flying professionaly longer than Luke, emphasizes his skilled piloting when he's the only one left out of his rogue in the end.

 

Having a short 'sweet' intimate sentimental moment amongst a dangerous and epic battle is very good drama.

 

Speaking of Beggar's Canyon...

 

I'm with ya on that, rs!

 

They're about to fly into the trench. Luke tells Bigs that it will be just like Beggars Canyon. Kind of suggests that they used to fly at great speeds around said Canyon when they lived on tatooine. Couldn't mean anything else really.

Thats the way I see it too. Nothing really more than that.

 

i agree as well. Basically, they couldn't just have Luke hop into an X-Wing and attempt to hit this small target without at least appearing to have some kind of similar experience/skill set from his days on Tatooine.

 

Yep..

 

To me, this was just Luke's way of saying: "Biggs, we've done this crap before in Beggar's Canyon with Tuskens shooting at us, only this time, we've got starships shooting at us, so get over it."

 

When I originally saw the movie all those years ago, I knew that Biggs was a friend of Luke's. Don't forget that is it Biggs that Luke calls for when he is in danger of getting destroyed by a tie fighter (blast it Biggs, where are you). In my mind, the extra scenes helped explain why the rebels gave up an xwing fighter to this kid who nobody had ever seen pilot a ship before.

 

Well, Luke says back home, meaning Tatooine, and everyone knows what Tatooine is. I just assumed it was a place Luke used to go to to race speeders or whatever.

 

I thank god that this wasn't done. Him racing at beggars canyon or The Clone Wars?

I'm going with the War on this.