The following is a short interview with my father, Cass Sunstein, to mark the publication of his new book, "The World According to Star Wars," now available on Amazon.
Q. Do you remember the first time you showed me "Star Wars"? It was your millionth time watching the films but your first as a dad. Did having a child change what the movies meant to you?
A. I remember the feeling, very precisely: It was (umm errr) magical. There was the music, and then there was the ship, and there was you!
Yes yes it changed the meaning of the movies for me. Watching them as a father: The movies are all about fatherhood, and about what fathers mean to their children, and vice versa. You and I had a bunch of things to bond over -- above all, maybe, our amazing dog, Bear, a true Jedi Knight, Yoda and Han, all in one -- but we also could bond over "Star Wars." (True, you liked "Twilight Zone" even better, but: "Star Wars"!)
Q. We watched the movies in your new apartment soon after you and Mom got divorced, during a time when I felt confused and kind of alone. I was probably too young for some of it -- you mentioned a year ago that Declan was too little for Return of the Jedi, when he was older than I had been -- but you wanted me to watch it anyway. Why?
A. You were not too young for it! You felt the Force!
Ok, maybe you were too young for it. But it's really fun, and it moves like a son of a bitch (in the words of the great Lawrence Kasdan), and I knew you'd like it. There are ships and there are colors, and there are celebrations.
Q. "Star Wars" embraces the ambiguous, gray areas of morality, unlike most children's movies, where there's a "bad guy" and a "good guy." Just as many kids want to dress up as Darth Vader as they do Luke Skywalker. I identified strongly with both of them throughout my childhood and adolescence. What do you think "Star Wars" taught me about right and wrong?
A. Girl, you knew about right and wrong from the earliest age. You didn't need "Star Wars."
But I think they were part of a lot of things that taught you about the importance of awe and wonder. You do know about that, and maybe "Star Wars" helped a little.
Q. Tim (my husband) and I woke up early on a Saturday morning to see The Force Awakens. We arrived before anyone else, and he told me he felt a "magic" he hadn't felt since going to the movies as a child. We both missed our parents badly. What about "Star Wars" -- aside from the obvious -- makes it so magical?
A. Well, listen to the "Star Wars" theme, and then look at those yellow letters? Also, it's a whole world, with integrity and coherence. It's strange but familiar. It's a long time ago, and the galaxy is far, far away, but don't you know a Luke, a Leia, a Han, an Obi-Wan, and a Vader? Don't we all have each of them in us?
Also: It's also about the Hero's Journey. That's your journey too.
Q. My mother, ever since I was a little kid, has told me that she wanted me to read her first edition of Bleak House -- given to her by your mother -- when she dies. She says I'll find "all the answers" there. What answers do you hope I'll find in "Star Wars," now and forever?
Oh well: Only a Sith deals in absolutes, and difficult to see, the future is (that's good news!), and you choose your own path; no one else can. Also, the answers are within you. Also, ships are amazing, and so are planets. Also, your father loves you, whether or not he's still around, and he'll be a Force Ghost, and you helped save him (you already have).
Ellyn Kail (née Ruddick-Sunstein) is a freelance writer and the Staff Writer at the photography blog Feature Shoot. She lives in Bronxville, N.Y., with her husband, Tim, and her pit bull mix, Brenda.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.