What a Crappy Wyatt Earp!

There are a good number of movies I have seen more than once. There are also a good number of movies I have seen upwards of ten times or more. I'm always happy to find something new in a movie I have seen several times- a subtle joke, a reference to something I didn't know about during previous viewings. For example National Lampoon's Vacation is a much loved picture I have re-watched countless times through the years. From when my dad first rented it back when it was new to video in the 80's to the constant TV screenings, it is a movie I have seen in whole or in sections a good deal. I even read the John Hughes short story Vacation '58 on which the movie is based. So imagine my surprise when on the gajillionth viewing of this Harold Ramis classic that I noticed something I'd never caught before. It comes about 6 minutes into the film, before the Griswalds leave Illinois for Wally World. Clark (Chevy Chase) and Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo) are in the kitchen doing the dishes after supper. They discuss the trip, Ellen expresses an interest in perhaps flying instead of driving. It is a quiet domestic scene. Very normal. Not terribly funny. Until you notice what is happening with the dishes. Ellen is scraping the food off of the plates and handing them to Clark, who dries them and puts them back in the cupboard. The first time I noticed it, I had to rewind and watch again. It is now one of my favorite scenes in the movie.

The same thing happened with a little picture by this obscure filmmaker named George Lucas. He made one of my favorite childhood movies, Return of the Jedi. In one of the scenes towards the end, when Han Solo and Leia are attempting to shut down the deflector shields on Endor, Leia gets shot in the arm. And dang if Han doesn't cop a feel. He first grabs her shoulder, in a comforting manner, then drops it on to a royal booby. I was shocked when I first saw this. Not because it was out of character, but because somehow in this film I'd seen so many times it had slipped by me. And because George hadn't gone back and digitally altered it, perhaps make Han brush some weird Endorian critter of Leia's battle blouse. He let Han be a bit of the sleazy guy he always was.

Now I wonder what other things I've missed. Will I have to watch Ernest Goes to Camp a few more times to pick up all it's subtleties? Because I am totally willing to.



Post Script: While researching this, I came across this photo. Seems there is some serious hanky panky going on in the Star Wars universe. If the Millenium Falcon's a rocking, don't come a knocking-am I right fellas?