AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to George Lucas (2005) (TV)

Director:

Louis J. Horvitz

Writer (WGA):

Bob Gazzale (written by)

Release Date:

20 June 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Biography

Plot:

The American Film Institute awards George Lucas with their highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award. |

Plot Keywords:

American Film Institute | Lifetime Achievement Award | Awards Show | Reference To Star Wars | TV Special

Cast

Melissa Disney	...	Announcer (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Warren Beatty	...	Himself
James Cameron	...	Himself
Francis Ford Coppola	...	Himself
Linda Crispien	...	Stormtrooper
Colleen Crosby	...	Stormtrooper
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Himself
Robert Duvall	...	Himself
Jean Firstenberg	...	Herself (as Jean Picker Firstenberg)
Carrie Fisher	...	Herself
Calista Flockhart	...	Herself
Harrison Ford	...	Himself
Mark Hamill	...	Himself
Tom Hanks	...	Himself
Ron Howard	...	Himself
Peter Jackson	...	Himself
James Earl Jones	...	Himself (voice)
Daniel Logan	...	Himself
George Lucas	...	Himself
Maroon 5	...	Themselves
Peter Mayhew	...	Himself
William Shatner	...	Himself
Jimmy Smits	...	Himself
Steven Spielberg	...	Himself
Billy Dee Williams	...	Himself
John Williams	...	Himself

Directed by
Louis J. Horvitz

Writing credits (WGA)
Bob Gazzale		(written by)

Produced by
Cort Casady	....	supervising producer
Jerret Engle	....	remote producer
Bob Gazzale	....	executive producer
Louis J. Horvitz	....	co-producer
Mark Leed	....	associate producer
Chris Merrill	....	coordinating producer
Cort Tramontin	....	remote producer
Bill Urban	....	line producer

Original Music by
Glen Roven

Film Editing by
Adam 'Chip' Pauken
Michael Polito		(as Mike Polito)
Mark Stepp
John Zimmer

Production Design by
Bruce Ryan

Art Direction by
Dave Edwards

Makeup Department
John E. Jackson	....	makeup artist
Sheryl Ptak	....	makeup artist
Faye Woods	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Victoria Zika	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jim Tanker	....	assistant director

Art Department
Mike Cooper	....	scenic supervisor (as Michael A. Cooper)

Sound Department
Patrick Baltzell	....	house p.a. mixer
Tyler Bender	....	sound
Robert Brogden	....	sound
Debbie Fecteau	....	sound
Ed Greene	....	sound mixer
Bob La Masney	....	audio sweetener (as Bob Lamasney)
Pete San Filipo	....	sound
Jamie Santos	....	sound re-recording mixer
Andy Strauber	....	sound
Mark Elliott Weber	....	sound

Special Effects by
Allan Wells	....	effects technical director

Camera and Electrical Department
Theodore Ashton	....	camera operator (as Ted Ashton)
Rocky Danielson	....	camera operator
Robert A. Dickinson	....	lighting designer
Thomas Geren	....	camera operator (as Tom 'Scoop' Geren)
Larry Heider	....	camera operator
Marc Hunter	....	camera operator
Jon Kusner	....	lighting director
Scott Marshall	....	remote camera unit
Kevin Muldoon	....	video tape operator
Jerry Nashleanas	....	gaffer
Jeffrey Nichols	....	camera operator
Andy O'Reilly	....	lighting director
Rob Palmer	....	camera operator
Bill Philbin	....	camera operator
David Plakos	....	camera operator
Hector Ramirez	....	camera operator
Brian Reason	....	camera operator
Patrick Alexander Stewart	....	remote camera unit
Michael Sullivan	....	remote camera unit
Kris Wilson	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Rita DaSilva	....	first assistant editor
Rita De Silva	....	assistant editor
Diana Fishman	....	assistant editor
Ben Folts	....	assistant editor
Kevin O'Dea	....	assistant editor
Ryan Tanner	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Diane Prentice	....	music clearance

Other crew
Sam Abrahmsohn	....	assistant: Louis J. Horvitz
Josh Adams	....	production staff
Jimmy Alfred	....	production assistant
Jimmy Alfred	....	production staff
Dan Andresen	....	utilities
Tom Angelotti	....	communications
Howell Begle	....	film clip clearance
Joe Brouilette	....	special events: AFI
Christine Calandra	....	talent supervisor (as Christine Calandra Farrell)
Vince Calandra	....	talent executive (as Vince Calandra Sr.)
Kevin Carlisle	....	assistant choreographer
Mary Chau	....	script coordinator
Aaron B. Cooke	....	production coordinator
Jennie Cote	....	production staff
Tess Csiszar	....	special events: AFI
Dario Cueva	....	utilities
Brian Dark	....	telecommunications
Kit Donovan	....	utilities
Frank Duggin	....	assistant choreographer
Robert Duvall	....	speaker
John Esposito	....	stage manager
John B. Field	....	technical director
Carrie Fisher	....	speaker
Harrison Ford	....	speaker
Jaime Lyn Gaudet	....	assistant: Bob Gazzalle
Robin Gaydos	....	talent coordinator
Bill 'Scratch' Greiner	....	utilities
Keith Hall	....	communications
Mark Hamill	....	speaker
Tim Harbaugh	....	telecommunications
Jeff Hayne	....	conventional board operator
Hugh Healey	....	engineer: Denali (as Hugh Healy)
Steve Kerr	....	production staff
Cindi Kim	....	special events: AFI
Norm Levin	....	projection
Frank Linder	....	utilities
Anita Mann	....	choreographer
Gary Natoli	....	stage manager
Dency Nelson	....	stage manager
Seth Olson	....	production assistant
Walter Painter Jr.	....	production staff
Teresa Prindle	....	production staff
Fred Quillen	....	profiler
Frank Rainey	....	engineer: Denali
Deborah Read	....	associate director
Donna Salmon	....	film clip clearance
Karlos Sandres	....	production staff
Mark Sanford	....	video
Tad Scripter	....	engineer in charge
Doug Smith	....	stage manager
Kristen Patterson Terry	....	seating coordinator
Ryan Urban	....	production staff
Melissa A. Wong	....	script supervisor (as Melissa Wong)
Jon Zuccaro	....	utilities

Thanks
Jane Bay	....	special thanks
Lynne Hale	....	special thanks
Clifford Hugo	....	special thanks
Kristie Macosko	....	special thanks
Patricia McQueeney	....	special thanks
Kim Painter	....	special thanks
Victoria Van Ysseldyk	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• American Film Institute (AFI)

Distributors

• USA Network (2005) (USA) (TV)
• USA Network (2005) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• Chainsaw  post-production facility
• Computer Prompting Services  teleprompter
• Denali, NEP Entertainment Group  mobile video facilities
• ShowBiz Enterprises  draperies

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:TV-PG | Canada:E

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

American Film Institute (AFI)

Quotes:

Harrison Ford:[on Indiana Jones IV] If you guys can think of more ways to torture me, I'll be there for Indy 4; but George, listen, listen! Get on with it, man! If we wait around too much longer, Sean is going to be much too old to play my father.

Movie Connections:

Features Spaceballs (1987)

Soundtrack:

She Will Be Loved

Two parts tribute, one part roast

This tribute to George W. Lucas starts off with William Shatner singing "My Way" accompanied by dancing stormtroopers, so who said the Star Wars Holiday Special was dead? American Film Institute recipients from all over Hollywood converse to welcome George Lucas into their midst, and unlike some earlier shows, there is as much roasting as their is flattering being directed at the man of the hour. But whenever someone goes a bit too far, Steve Spielberg pats his pal George on the back as if to say "It's all right, buddy". Meanwhile, on the other side of the table Harrison Ford is pulling faces and drawing attention to himself while Callista Flockheart hides behind a single rose.

After some home movies laying out Lucas' early years (narrated by himself) Robert Duval and Richard Dreyfuss earnestly introduce segments on THX 1138 and American Graffiti. 2002 AFI recipient Tom Hanks comes out quoting lines from Star Wars, which to all the Hollywood alums seems like some kind of sidesplitting comedy monologue (because they don't know every line by heart like some of us do). Let's be honest: although it's called a Life Achievement award, Lucas is really being honored for just one film, the one that changed cinema history and defined the summer blockbuster. Therefore a lot of time is spend on the original Star Wars, with Darth Vader's voice introducing the various Joseph Campbell archetypes, who one by one they take the stage to reenact the final Throne room scene (not sure if it was actually Peter Mayhew and Anthony Daniels in those suits again, certainly not Kenny Baker).

As the first Star Warrior speaker, Mark Hamill steals a bit of Carrie Fisher's thunder by mentioning the Pez-dispenser and the Underoos with his likeness (dont worry, she repeats the joke with vigor anyway). Carrie seems to have had her lips done preparing for a rant worthy of Dean Martin's Celebrity Roast while Harrison plays it bitter, once for Han Solo and then again for Indy Jones. The second time he starts doing impressions and makes a not so subtle plea to hurry up with the next one, otherwise 'Sean Connery will be too old to play his dad". To make up for all the mock-negativity, Peter Jackson, having lost his glasses and so much weight that he looks almost exactly like Merry and/or Pippin (proving all the hairstyles in his Lord of the Rings were based on his own), leads a group of pre recorded directors raving about Star Wars.

Strangely enough, Jimmy Smits is the only prequel trilogy star to attend (Sam Jackson was no doubt filming a dozen movies simultaneously), and only introduces Maroon 5, the Lucas kid's favorite band. During their number there are a few clips from other Lucasfilm productions like Willow and Tucker(the man and his dreams) projected on a view-screen, so they don't need any further mention. In fact, the only thing worth mentioning about Willow these days is that it features ILM's very first morphing effect. The prequels also gets the short end of the stick, when interviews with Lucas make it seem these three films were only made 'because digital technology allowed it' Lastly there is a montage of gushing fans thanking George for creating Star Wars (only two of them mention his other films) and when The Maker himself takes the stage, he reasons that the two trilogies are really one movie, meaning he only made three films in his entire career (Irvin Kerchner and the late Richard Marquand are neither mentioned nor thanked).

7 out of 10