Why is Matthew McConaughey bawling over the new 'Star Wars' trailer?
The actor reacts with such emotion to the "Force Awakens" trailer you'd think he's been away from his children for years. Oh, wait...
- Third place film critic, 2021 LA Press Club National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards
Over the course of the last day, some of my geek buddies have described getting emotional upon watching the "="" trailer"="" shortcode="link" asset-type="article" uuid="383416e3-8d4d-4059-9242-c5ca771d4c76" slug="star-wars-force-awakens-new-trailer-teaser" link-text="new " section="news" title="'Chewie, we're home': New 'Force Awakens' trailer lands" edition="us" data-key="link_bulk_key" api="{"id":"383416e3-8d4d-4059-9242-c5ca771d4c76","slug":"star-wars-force-awakens-new-trailer-teaser","contentType":null,"edition":"us","topic":{"slug":"culture"},"metaData":{"typeTitle":null,"hubTopicPathString":"Culture","reviewType":null},"section":"news"}"> , especially when Han Solo pops up at the end. Seeing the visibly older Harrison Ford as Han, they say, reminds them of the first "Star Wars" movie they watched -- how old they were at the time, the amazement they felt seeing eye-popping TIE fighter tricks and their first lightsaber duel, how the "Star Wars" canon has affected their lives since.
So I wasn't surprised to see actor Matthew McConaughey, in the video above, getting clearly overwhelmed while watching the trailer that came out Thursday.
But then things take a bizarre turn and he gets really, really emotional. Like the kind of emotional you'd get if you were seeing your kids' faces for the first time after you'd been busy traveling through an interdimensional black hole and they hadn't talked to you for the equivalent of decades.
Which, it turns out, is the case with the blubbering McConaughey, since the now-memey video by YouTuber oskararnarson creatively turns "Interstellar" footage into one of those YouTube "Celebrity Reacts" jobs.
Only I haven't seen "Interstellar" yet, so I didn't realize the footage wasn't real until my CNET co-worker Eric Franklin geeksplained what was happening. I totally get the power of film nostalgia and tri-sabers and rolling droids, but sheesh, McConaughey, pull it together. It's just a trailer.
Anyway, watch the video above, and once you've dried your tears, read this touching post by my CNET colleague Tania González, a lifelong "Star Wars" fan who shares her own emotional reaction to the just-released trailer.
