Star Wars: The Last Jedi has the bittersweet distinction of showcasing the final full performance of Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia. Not only does the film always carry the unspoken context of being Fisher’s last Star Wars appearance, it actually puts the character of Leia in moments of serious peril – and that definitely did not sit well with her family members.
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As TMZ reports, Carrie Fisher’s brother Todd Fisher spoke to them about the experience of seeing The Last Jedi both before and after Carrie’s death, revealing that several scenes – one big one in particular – were “gut-wrenching” to watch in the context of his sister being dead.
It seems even TMZ is afraid of dropping Star Wars spoilers too early, as the tabloid wouldn’t reveal exactly which scene (or scenes) upset him and other family members. Of course, since we’ve seen the film, we have a couple of good guesses.
WARNING – SPOILERS FOLLOW!
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- There’s a scene early on in The Last Jedi where Kylo Ren and some of his cronies hop in ships and attack the Resistance convoy trying to flee from the First Order. While Kylo doesn’t blow up Leia on the bridge of the command ship (due to their Force connection), his wing man shoots, and the explosion blasts Leia into space, where she seemingly dies. In a shocking last-minute twist, Leia comes to life again and uses her Force powers to pull herself back onto the ship; however, the moment she looks dead and is floating in the void of space would probably be “gut-wrenching” for her family members, indeed.
- After Leia’s near-death ordeal, she’s left comatose for a time, regaining consciousness in the third act. In one shot, we see Leia draped in white cloth and laid out on a floating stasis bed. While she’s indeed alive in the context of the film, the shot definitely resembles a dead body resting in a coffin. Needless to say, that association wouldn’t be lost on the family member who attended Carrie Fisher’s real-life funeral and viewing.
While most of us didn’t know Carrie Fisher on the personal level her family members did, it’s fair to say that watching The Last Jedi can be an unnerving experience for anyone who can’t ignore the real-life context in which the performance is taking place.
Knowing we’re seeing the last of our beloved Star Wars princess will get most everyone choked up, at one point or another.
Star Wars: The Lat Jedi is now in theaters.