George Lucas in Love
Encyclopedia
George Lucas in Love is an independent
, live action
, parodical
short film that started attracting notice in June 1999 when it was passed around Hollywood offices as a filmmaker's "calling card". The film was directed by Joe Nussbaum
, a University of Southern California
graduate.
is a USC college student in 1967, and he's suffering from writer's block as he tries to write a movie about a young space farmer with a bad crop of "space wheat". Everywhere he goes, viewers see classmates and teachers that either resemble, or will influence the creation of, Obi Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader
, Han Solo
, Chewbacca
, Jabba the Hutt
, R2-D2
, and C-3PO
. Lucas is surrounded by inspiration, but he sees nothing. Not even his adviser, who looks and speaks suspiciously like Yoda
, is able to help him.
Eventually, young Lucas meets his muse, a young woman (with a very unusual hairdo) named Marion who is "kind of leading a student rebellion". After they meet, everything falls into place for Lucas, as she urges him to "write what you know." His writer's block dissipates and he quickly finishes his masterpiece. However, his shot at romance with the girl is blown when he discovers she's his sister.
In a post-credits scene
, a depressed Lucas gets a new idea when his neighbor introduces Lucas to his new pet...a duck named Howard
.
Short Film Award at the 2000 Deauville American Film Festival
, the Audience Award at both the Florida Film Festival
and the San Sebastián Horror and Fantasy Film Festival and Best Short Film at the 2000 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival.
When the film was released on VHS in 2000, The New York Times
reported that the film made it to #1 on Amazon.com
's Top 10 sales chart, beating out sales of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
for at least a day. A DVD with audio commentary by the director and producer, a behind-the-scenes featurette and several other MediaTrip short films, including Evil Hill, Film Club and Swing Blade, was released in 2001; George Lucas in Love itself is also included in Cinema16
's DVD of American Short Films, released in the United Kingdom
in 2006.
Nussbaum would later direct films such as: Sleepover
, American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile and Sydney White
starring Amanda Bynes
.
In 2004, the film won the Pioneer Award in the Lucasfilm
-sponsored 2004 Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards
.
George Lucas
is a fan of this movie, having sent a congratulatory letter to the filmmakers, which they show in a hidden easter egg
on the DVD.
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
, live action
Live action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
, parodical
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
short film that started attracting notice in June 1999 when it was passed around Hollywood offices as a filmmaker's "calling card". The film was directed by Joe Nussbaum
Joe Nussbaum
Joe Nussbaum is an American film director. A graduate of the University of Southern California, he got his break into the movie industry by passing around Hollywood offices his short film George Lucas in Love...
, a University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
graduate.
Plot
In the film, George LucasGeorge Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
is a USC college student in 1967, and he's suffering from writer's block as he tries to write a movie about a young space farmer with a bad crop of "space wheat". Everywhere he goes, viewers see classmates and teachers that either resemble, or will influence the creation of, Obi Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
, Han Solo
Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise played by Harrison Ford. Introduced in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca , become involved in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire...
, Chewbacca
Chewbacca
Chewbacca, also known as Chewie, is a character in the Star Wars franchise, portrayed by Peter Mayhew. In the series' narrative chronology, he appears in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
, Jabba the Hutt
Jabba the Hutt
Jabba the Hutt is a fictional character in George Lucas's space opera film saga Star Wars. Designed as a large, slug-like alien, his appearance has been described by film critic Roger Ebert as "Dickensian," a cross between a toad and the Cheshire Cat....
, R2-D2
R2-D2
R2-D2 , is a character in the Star Wars universe. An astromech droid, R2-D2 is a major character throughout all six Star Wars films. Along with his droid companion C-3PO, he joins or supports Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Obi-Wan Kenobi in various points in the saga...
, and C-3PO
C-3PO
C-3PO is a robot character from the Star Wars universe who appears in both the original Star Wars films and the prequel trilogy. He is also a major character in the television show Droids, and appears frequently in the series' "Expanded Universe" of novels, comic books, and video games...
. Lucas is surrounded by inspiration, but he sees nothing. Not even his adviser, who looks and speaks suspiciously like Yoda
Yoda
Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, appearing in the second and third original films, as well as all three prequel trilogy films. A renowned Jedi master, Yoda made his first on-screen appearance in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back where he is responsible for...
, is able to help him.
Eventually, young Lucas meets his muse, a young woman (with a very unusual hairdo) named Marion who is "kind of leading a student rebellion". After they meet, everything falls into place for Lucas, as she urges him to "write what you know." His writer's block dissipates and he quickly finishes his masterpiece. However, his shot at romance with the girl is blown when he discovers she's his sister.
In a post-credits scene
Post-credits scene
A post-credits scene is a short clip that appears after some or all of the closing credits of a film have run...
, a depressed Lucas gets a new idea when his neighbor introduces Lucas to his new pet...a duck named Howard
Howard the Duck (film)
Howard the Duck is a 1986 American science fiction comedy film directed by Willard Huyck and produced by George Lucas. It is loosely based on the Marvel comic book of the same name, created by Steve Gerber and quoting scripts by Bill Mantlo, the film focuses on Howard, an alien from a planet...
.
Reception
The film received great attention as it circulated around Hollywood in the summer of 1999 and eventually premiered at the Toronto Film Festival on September 19 that year. It debuted online at MediaTrip.com on October 12, 1999. The film won several awards, including the Canal+Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
Short Film Award at the 2000 Deauville American Film Festival
Deauville American Film Festival
The Deauville American Film Festival is a yearly film festival devoted to American cinema, taking place since 1975 in Deauville, France. It was established by Lionel Chouchan and André Halimi....
, the Audience Award at both the Florida Film Festival
Florida Film Festival
The Florida Film Festival, produced by Enzian Theater in Maitland, Florida, is an annual international film festival. Showcasing the best American independent and foreign films, the festival has become one of the most respected regional film events in the United States.-Overview:The Festival...
and the San Sebastián Horror and Fantasy Film Festival and Best Short Film at the 2000 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival.
When the film was released on VHS in 2000, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reported that the film made it to #1 on Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
's Top 10 sales chart, beating out sales of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, as the first of a three-part prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the first film in the saga in terms...
for at least a day. A DVD with audio commentary by the director and producer, a behind-the-scenes featurette and several other MediaTrip short films, including Evil Hill, Film Club and Swing Blade, was released in 2001; George Lucas in Love itself is also included in Cinema16
Cinema16
Cinema16 is a small British DVD company who release "classic & award winning short films on DVD".The compilations they release feature short films from famous directors such as Ridley Scott, Tim Burton, Christopher Nolan, Guillermo del Toro, Jean-Luc Godard, Mike Leigh and George Lucas, as well as...
's DVD of American Short Films, released in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 2006.
Nussbaum would later direct films such as: Sleepover
Sleepover (2004 film)
Sleepover is a 2004 American teen film directed by Joe Nussbaum and starring Alexa Vega and Sara Paxton.-Plot:On the last day of 8th grade before their freshman year in high school, Julie Corky has a slumber party with 3 best friends, Hannah Carlson , Yancy Williams , and Farrah James...
, American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile and Sydney White
Sydney White
Sydney White is a 2007 teen comedy film starring Amanda Bynes, Sara Paxton, and Matt Long, and based on the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.-Plot:...
starring Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Laura Bynes is an American actress, comedian, singer, and fashion designer. Bynes appeared in several successful television series, such as All That and The Amanda Show, on Nickelodeon in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, and in 2002, she starred in the TV series, What I Like About You...
.
In 2004, the film won the Pioneer Award in the Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO....
-sponsored 2004 Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards
The Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards
The Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards is an annual contest put forth by Lucasfilm and AtomFilms to showcase and acknowledge the growing genre of fan films made by, for, and about fans of the Star Wars saga. The inaugural contest in 2002 was the first time Lucasfilm had officially sanctioned the...
.
George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
is a fan of this movie, having sent a congratulatory letter to the filmmakers, which they show in a hidden easter egg
Easter egg (media)
Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
on the DVD.