DC Film Society: Adam's Rib June 2019

Chewbacca: What a Wookiee!

A few years ago my wife and I were walking down a New Orleans street when a big furry, friendly dog came up to me. As I petted the dog, I asked the owner for its name. “Chewie,” he replied. I smiled at the man, and he smiled back. No further explanation was needed.

Peter Mayhew’s death on April 30 reminded me how much I love Chewbacca. Seeing social media in the days after Mayhew’s passing showed that I am far from alone. Star Wars fans have fostered an emotional connection with Chewie over the last four decades. Why has this “walking carpet” who never says a word in any real-life language become such a fan favorite?

Of course, George Lucas created the character. Mayhew was the man inside the Chewie suit for almost forty years, before handing the role to Joonas Suotamo. Lucas, Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill credit Mayhew for imbuing Chewie with warmth and heart. Ben Burtt and his sound team developed the signature Wookiee growls, grunts and wails. But that’s just the start of it.

Soon after meeting Chewie in the original Star Wars, we learn he’s a good pilot. Then his character really starts to form in his holographic chess game with R2-D2. For anyone not remembering that scene please check it out here: Check out Chewie’s look of satisfaction once Han explains that Wookiees have been known to rip their opponents’ arms off when they lose. Chewie is not one to be messed with. Even the little droid on the Death Star knows that.

Through the rest of Star Wars, Chewie gradually becomes more than just intimidating in part through his friendship with Han Solo. They argue but always stick together. After Luke Skywalker chides Han for leaving right before the rebels attack the Death Star, Chewie questions Han, who replies “I know what I’m doing,” when he clearly doesn’t. Han does come back, and it’s reasonable to deduce that Chewie worked on Han to change his mind. When Han shoots Darth Vader’s TIE fighter to save Luke, who was piloting the Millennium Falcon? Chewie of course. So by now we know his toughness, his warmth is starting to come through, and he has a clear moral center.

Chewie starts The Empire Strikes Back by yelling at Han for not helping with repairs on the Falcon. The two of them bicker like an old married couple, with Chewie laughing when Princess Leia kisses Luke instead of Han (in a scene that really hasn’t aged well). That part builds on what we saw in Star Wars, but Chewie in Empire goes further. First we see how deep he feels emotion. His wails when Han and Luke are trapped in the snow outside the base in Hoth, and then later when Han is frozen in carbonite are truly heartbreaking. But above all Chewie demonstrates loyalty to his friends. An underrated scene has Chewie attacking Stormtroopers in a last-ditch effort to stop Han’s freezing. He stops only when Han asks him to and reminds him that he has to protect Princess Leia. You can feel the love and trust between them. Later Chewie gets back at Lando Calrissian for betraying Han by strangling Lando with furious anger. Lando only saves himself by saying there’s a way to save Han. For Chewie his friends always come first. He even rescues the annoying C-3PO. Who among us would not want Chewie by their side?

By Return of the Jedi, Chewie’s character is pretty well-defined, and I defy you not to smile when he gets reunited with Han. But he still finds a way to surprise us. In the climactic battle of Endor, the rebels and their Ewok allies are outnumbered and outgunned. When all seems lost, Chewie takes control of one of the Imperial Walkers and uses it to shoot the other ones. In case we forgot, Chewie’s a smart dude.

So put it all together and Chewie is tough, smart, caring warm, and fiercely loyal. He’s adorable without trying to be (like the Ewoks). While you can never directly understand what he’s saying, you can always piece it out from others’ reaction to him. Along with R2-D2 Chewie has us pulling for, and identifying with, a being that doesn’t look like us or speak the same language. The Star Wars universe feels more accessible because Chewie is a part of it.

It’s no surprise that the love for Chewie only grew after the original trilogy. In 1994, the band Supernova wrote and performed “Chewbacca: What a Wookiee!” for the Clerks soundtrack. Three years later, a wrong was righted. Chewie fans took offense to the ceremony that closed Star Wars. Princess Leia presented medals to Luke and Han, but not Chewie even though he was standing right next to them. Finally at the 1997 MTV Movie Awards, Chewie won the Lifetime Achievement Award, and got his long-awaited medal from Carrie Fisher. Yes the whole thing was tongue-and-cheek, but you could see that the affection for Chewie in the audience was palpable.

The first two films in the prequel trilogy missed a Chewie character. Jar-Jar Binks is sort of meant to take that role, but while Chewie was endearing, Jar-Jar was grating. Also, like the Ewoks, Jar-Jar was trying much too hard to be a fan favorite. That status cannot be forced; it must be earned. The biggest difference is that Jar-Jar is stupid and incompetent, two words that have never applied to Chewie.

By the time I saw the trailer for Revenge of the Sith, I had heard that Chewie might be in the film, but I wasn’t sure. Nothing in the first half of the trailer, but then I heard the familiar growl. Chewie was back, and I hadn’t realized how much I missed him. Sure enough, when the Stormtroopers betray Yoda at the end of Sith, he turns to Chewie for safety.

A decade later, another trailer for another new Star Wars film, The Force Awakens. Looks interesting but not jaw dropping, until the very end. Han and Chewie together, as they should be. “Chewie, we’re home” and Chewie agrees in his own unique way. That’s when I felt I was back in the Star Wars home. Towards the end of that film, when Kylo murders Han it’s Chewie who once again speaks for the audience, howling in pain and anger. Chewie has a brief scene alone a little later, which is simply heartbreaking. Director J.J. Abrams later said his biggest regret was not having Leia hug Chewie at the end, as it would have made sense for the two of them to share their grief. Luckily Rian Johnson included the hug at the end of The Last Jedi, a moment all the more poignant with Carrie Fisher’s passing.

A couple of years ago I bought a book for my nieces and nephews that had recordings of Chewie’s various noises. For some reason I never gave it to the kids. Maybe someday I will. Or maybe I’ll just keep playing it when I want a quick pick-me-up. I have tried to explain that emotional connection, but perhaps it can’t fully be put into words. Chewbacca, What a Wookiee!

Adam Spector
June 1, 2019