Qui-Gon and Shmi?

Was it just me, or was there something there between them? Like some sort of companionism.... What do you think?

 

It's not just you, and part of me wishes that Lucas had gone further with it. I read a report closer to the release of AOTC which said that Liam Neeson and Pernilla August asked if their characters could kiss goodbye, and Lucas said no.

 

My father is a force sensitive bounty hunter from Mandalore


But...I always thought there was something more between Qui Gon and Shmi.

 

I am a rogue Jedi, like my long-haired hippie father before me.

 

no, it IS possible to feel something for the opposite sex without it having to be romantic,

even in this day and age.

 

When I first saw the scenes I wondered briefly. Yet, as I've matured, I think their commonality was that they'd both accepted a hard but worthy life of sacrifice and loneliness.

 

Probably... and yes, before I started this thread, I wondered if it would be too "fan-fictioned". But it would make for a pretty cool dynamic, and adds more depth to the whole Tantooine sequence from TPM.

 

It has been fanfictioned, several times. I've yet to see it done well. Have you considered doing your take on it?

 

I remember it being suggested as part of the PR for TPM, but it's very difficult to separate what LFL was putting out there & what even the more respectable press bodies were getting from fan speculation.

Nevertheless, there was definitely something there between Qui-Gon & Shmi - in fact, one of those 'Force tone poem' TV spots even included a brief moment that wasn't in the finished film:

TV commercial - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNDzoKZ7N9I - (0.25-0.29 - Shmi puts her hand on Qui-Gon's at end of shot)

Movie - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fpjOPI_MwU&feature=related - (5.53-6.05)

There's also the very friendly "Good morning" Qui-Gon gives to Shmi as he helps her off the eopie on the morning of the race, and a general warmth in their interaction overall. Nothing in terms of full-blown romance, but something a bit beyond mutual concern for Anakin. Something undeveloped, & a bit of a dead end considering what happened to both characters, but the subtle attraction between the two is a nice little nuance which reinforces Qui-Gon's genuine desire to help Anakin & the faith that Shmi puts in him to protect her son.

 

Liam Neeson stated at the time he felt there could have been an attraction hinted at between them. I remember an interview on British TV (I think it was GMTV) during the promotion where he was directly asked about the issue, and he responded by saying something along the lines of "...because I fancied Anakin's mother" (I can source the actual quote if anyone really needs it, I have it on an old VHS). Now whether that was him referring to Qui-Gon or himself (perhaps he found Pernilla August attractive) I dunno. It didn't seem clear from what he said. But I do believe he tried to convince Lucas there could be something between them - an idea Lucas didn't agree with (for obvious reasons, given the Jedi-Forbidden-Love angle that was later featured in AOTC).

I also remember the touch given by Qui-Gon to Shmi that was then reciprocated by her after the cut. And I think it was a nice moment that better exemplified the natural anguish she would have been feeling deep down about her impending loss. It was a shame it wasn't kept in (but hey, maybe Lucas was keen to avoid the kind of speculation we're having now occuring on a much wider scale).

 

The best Qui-Gon/Shmi fan fictions that I have seen are TPM missing scene ones that focus on a budding friendship as opposed to a romantic one night stand. There is one in the archives here by geo3 that is outstanding.

 

Oh, that sounds nice. Do you know the title? I'd like to see a friendship fic.

 

The Prodigal Son I believe.

 

I think Qui-Gon's feelings for Shimi were more geared towards sympathy to her situation of being a slave, and maybe knowning that he couldn't save her and take her away from that life.

 

This.......shippers.

I thought it was just a shared compassion for Anakin, they both felt he was destined for greater things.

 

Who said shippers are only concerned with the opposite sex? So, seeing slashiness everywhere is fine? LOL

Seriously, though, it's because American culture emphasizes romantic love more than all other relationships.

 

Neeson and August always stood out to me as actors that were head and shoulders above the rest of the cast.Those two gave the best performances in Phantom Menace and were also a welcome relief from the annoying Anakin/Jar Jar antics.I don't think I have ever heard any of the Phantom Menaces many detractors criticize those two characters or the actors portraying them.

Neeson is one of those actors that can elevate poor material, even in Fallout 3 when he was reading badly written dialogue about "Super Mutants" Neeson was able to make it work.

 

A few of the critics did go after Neeson actually, from what I recall. But some critics just went after anything and everything about that film for the sake of it.

 

I do recall a bit of criticism of Neeson, but none of it was particularly memorable, just lumping him in with whatever problems were being pointed out regarding the film overall.

I've still got plenty of issues with TPM, but none with Liam Neeson, I thought he was perfectly cast & turned in a great performance. My only problem is with the necessity of the character itself, in that Qui-Gon Jinn essentially replaced the far more important character of Obi-Wan Kenobi, but that's another issue altogether.
The actor himself & what he did with the role - big thumbs up. Really echoed Alec Guiness's portrayal of Obi-Wan in ANH, which, at that point, was very much the definitive idea of what one would expect a Jedi Knight to be - but Neeson didn't just do a cheap impersonation of Guinness, he took what he needed & created his own Jedi Knight.