The Big Picture
5-25-77
is a heartfelt coming-of-age film exploring the impact of Star Wars on aspiring filmmakers and fans.
The film follows Pat’s journey as he deals with mental health issues and coincides with pivotal figures in Hollywood history.
5-25-77
‘s production process mirrors the challenges of the original
Star Wars
, emphasizing perseverance and dedication.
It’s hard to overstate just how significant of an impact the release of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope had when it was first released in theaters in the summer of 1977, quickly becoming the highest-grossing film of all time. While works of science fiction had existed before in the form of the Planet of the Apes franchise and the classic Universal monster movies, George Lucas’ epic space opera merged the influence of Joseph Campbell, the Flash Gordon adventure serials, gunslinger Westerns, and the filmmaking of Akira Kurosawa into a genre-bending blockbuster that inspired a new generation of young filmmakers. Director Patrick Read Johnson examined the impact that the original Star Wars had on aspiring filmmakers in his heartfelt coming-of-age film 5-25-77.
Given how quickly the iconography of Star Wars had been accepted into the popular culture lexicon, the franchise received many parodies, tributes, and homages. Every popular series from Family Guy to That ‘70s Show had a Star Wars-themed episode, but 5-25-77 wasn’t just there to make jokes about “the droids you’re looking for.” Rather, it was an earnest examination of the roots of Star Wars fandom that showed why the franchise continues to connect with audiences decades after the first film’s release. However, 5-25-77 had a hectic road to release that was almost as exciting as a chapter from the galaxy far, far away.
5-25-77
Alienated film-maker hopeful Pat Johnson’s epic story of growing up in rural Illinois, falling in love and becoming the first fan of the movie that changed everything.
Release Date May 25, 2017
Director Patrick Read Johnson
Cast John Francis Daley , Austin Pendleton , Colleen Camp , Neil Flynn , Steve Coulter , Emmi Chen
Runtime 113
What Is ‘5-25-77’ About?
5-25-77 centers on a lifelong film fan whose development as an artist corresponds with the release of the original Star Wars. Pat (John Francis Daley) has grown up loving Jaws and 2001: A Space Odyssey, and dreams of developing his own sequels and becoming a mainstream Hollywood director. After spending years reading about his favorite filmmakers, Pat decides to bet on himself by visiting the studio of the famous filmmaker, Douglas Trumball. As Pat attempts to find himself as he deals with severe mental health issues, his path begins to coincide with several pivotal figures involved in this period of Hollywood history, including special effects supervisor John Dykstra and Lucas’ good friend Steven Spielberg.
5-25-77 examines the unusual production process of the original Star Wars, which was famously so disastrous that it sent Lucas to the hospital. There’s a thematic resonance between the film’s development and Pat’s development as an artist, as they are both “underdogs” who have to fight against an established system that doesn’t want them to succeed. This is most evident in one of the film’s standout sequences, in which Pat views a work print of the original Star Wars that only had rudimentary special effects in place of the laser blasts, ships, and planets. Although it seems like everyone around him doubts that the film will be anything but a complete failure, Pat sees the level of investment that Lucasfilm is making as a reason why anyone in their position could succeed in the industry.
The release of Star Wars intersects with Pat’s personal life, as he is only able to reunite with his love interest Robin (Katie Jeep) after they attend a screening together. Like the original Star Wars, 5-25-77 does not wrap up all of its plot points in the last frame; it indicates that Pat still has a ways to go before he can become a director like Lucas. Nonetheless, he emerges from several screenings of Star Wars with his optimism at an all-time high. After hearing Obi-Wan Kenobi’s (Alec Guinness) words of wisdom to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Pat decides to finally have faith in himself.
‘5-25-77’ Had a Lengthy Production Process
Johnson was already an established filmmaker at the time that 5-25-77 was first put into production, having directed the “so bad, they’re good” classicsSpaced Invaders and Baby’s Day Out. However, 5-25-77 was a self-funded project that first began acquiring resources in 2001; Johnson was busy working on other projects, and intermittently shot the film between 2004 and 2006. It was a very microbudget project with no official involvement from Lucasfilm, and no major stars attached. While Daley would later become a hit star on Bones, and later an accomplished filmmaker in his own right, 5-25-77 went into production after Freaks and Geeks was canceled after its first season.
Although it was accepted to screen as part of the Toronto International Film Festival New Wave lineup in 2013, 5-25-77 wasn’t able to complete its visual effects shots until 2016, as Johnson wanted to ensure that the film’s depiction of the Industrial Lights and Magic department was as accurate as possible. The film premiered at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan, Illinois in the summer of 2017, but only received a limited theatrical release in select cinemas before disappearing. Thankfully, MVD Entertainment acquired worldwide distribution rights to the project in May 2022 and quickly made it available for digital purchase and on physical media.
‘5-25-77’ Shows the Positive Side of ‘Star Wars’ Fandom
It’s no secret that Star Wars fandom has become quite toxic, as the cast and crew of The Acolyte have been hit with unfair criticism, despite the show’s ratings success.5-25-77 shows the power that Star Wars has to bring people together, as Pat’s journey of self-acceptance is one that his friends and family come to appreciate. Even if they don’t quite understand why he’s completely obsessed with a strange sci-fi movie that hasn’t been released yet, Pat’s family comes to respect that anything he loves is worth celebrating.
5-25-77’s challenging road to release mirrors the production of the original Star Wars, showing that perseverance and dedication pay off in the long run. There may be so many Star Wars shows now that the franchise risks being overexposed, but 5-25-77 celebrates just how exciting it was to be transported to the galaxy far, far away for the first time.
5-25-77 is available to rent on Amazon in the U.S.
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