Tip#1175: The Uplifting Power of Cinema, Part 8 - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

I just watched the last Saturday Night Live show of the decade hosted by Eddie Murphy and it just kept putting a smile on my face! Returning after 35 years since he last performed on the show I loved seeing his beloved characters Mr. Robinson, Buckwheat and Gumby return and seeing Murphy really enjoy himself! And though 2019 is ending I have a wonderful, hopeful feeling inside me as we enter the new decade of 2020!

This year also marked cinematic endings to three epic film series. Avengers: Endgame saw the culmination of 21 years of an intricate story line that began with Iron Man movie in 2008. And X-Men: Dark Phoenix also came out in 2019 closing off this series in a film that received harsh and mixed reviews. But I loved it because it had something in common with Avengers: Endgame and that is they both dealt with the pain and affects of depression.

This theme of depression in both films gave viewers important life lessons of the supportive power of family and friends and also the need for hope, resilience, perseverance and indestructible optimism. These films reminded me that during this year of 2019 I also received life-changing help through two group therapy programs at a Toronto hospital. Read more: How To Cope With Depression

My clinical depression and seasonal depression (SAD) symptoms were greatly lowered thanks to the 16 week day treatment program and 10 week mindfulness therapy group program where the guidance from the psychiatrists and social workers helped me rescue my wounded inner child. Most importantly it was the loving support I felt from participants of each group that gave me strength and courage to face the dark sides of myself.

2019 saw the close of the third major film series and it too celebrated the idea of love and support of people during difficult times. It too was a reminder of the power of family.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

The epic space-opera film, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, is the third installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy and the final episode of the nine-part "Skywalker saga". It wraps up the trilogy of Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo (Adam Driver) in a final confrontation and battle with Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). The film's ensemble cast also includes Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong'o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran and Billy Dee Williams.
See: movie trailer 
Watch now: Amazon Prime

Despite so many negative reviews of this film I was surprised and relieved that I highly enjoyed this final Skywalker chapter. There were so many problems this film had to solve due to the highly divisive chapter of The Last Jedi and the unexpected death of Carrie Fisher. I actually felt that the producers and co-writer and director J.J. Abrams needed a miracle to make this film a success to please its audiences. So as a long time fan since I first saw the very first Star Wars film in 1977 this movie lifted up my happy inner child and thrilled my adult self!

For me some problems I had with The Last Jedi were fixed enough so I could enjoy this cinematic ride that was filled with exciting space battles and other creative challenges and characters our heroes faced. And I thoroughly enjoyed all the many callbacks, characters and references to many of the previous eight chapters that made me so happy to see! And John Williams’s score was as majestic and soul-stirring as ever. Watch for a cameo Williams makes in a cantina scene!

The real bonus of this film is the message of family that shines throughout the story right until the final scene. It’s a message that in whatever appears to be the end of something that family and generations of family will always live on in each of us as long as we keep that memory alive in our thoughts and feelings. I’d like to think that is what the power of The Force is all about too!

Movies can deliver important messages while we are being entertained and taken away from our daily problems and life. They can remind us that we are not alone in our problems and that we each have family, friends and others to support us in dark times. Find a film today to give you comfort that all you need is to find someone to share your burdens with and help you feel loved and supported. And remember this message, The Force will be with you, always!

Happy holidays to all my readers around the world! And wishing you an awesome, thrilling New Year and new decade of 2020!

Related Tips:
Tip#1115: The Uplifting Power of Cinema, Part 7 - A Simple Favor
Tip#1152: Life Lessons in Your Favourite Movies, Part 7 - Anna - Femme Fatale
Tip#1118: Cultivate Supportive Relationships, Part 9 – Alpha
Tip#1114: What Does Family Mean to You? Part 10 - Moonstruck - Unleashed

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Remember How Movies Can Help You:
A) Entertain & Escape
B) Re-energize & Release
C) Inspiration & Motivation

 

Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman
Award-winning Illustrator | Movie Blogger | Speaker | Foodie
Discover Movies As Inspirational Learning Tools!
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© Emmanuel Lopez 2019