(1983). George Lucas conceived of the saga as akin
to old-time serials such asFlash Gordon, billing the
1977 film in its novelization as being “From the Ad-
ventures of Luke Skywalker.”
Luke is a young man from a backwater planet who
is told by Obi-Wan Kenobi that his father was a Jedi
Knight, one of the psychically talented guardians of
the universe betrayed, and was killed by one of their
own number, Darth Vader. This leads Luke and his
ragtag group of companions, including Princess
Leia and Han Solo, into a conflict with the Galactic
Empire, which had seized power from the Old Re-
public. As the story unfolds inThe Empire Strikes Back
andReturn of the Jedi, Luke undergoes Jedi training
and learns that Vader is his father, tricked and ma-
nipulated by the powerful Emperor into turning to
the Dark Side as a Sith lord. He has a confrontation
with the Emperor in which Vader saves Luke’s life
but loses his own.
Even before the last two segments of the story,Star
Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones(2002) andStar
Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith(2005), audi-
ences realized withThe Phantom Menacethat the lat-
est saga was not about Luke Skywalker at all but
about the early life of Darth Vader, taking the series
in an unanticipated direction. The film was not a se-
quel but a prequel revealing the boyhood days of
Anakin Skywalker, played by Jake Lloyd in this film
and later by Hayden Christensen.The Phantom Men-
acealso starred Ewan McGregor as a young Obi-Wan
Kenobi, Liam Neeson as Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn,
and Natalie Portman as Queen Padmé Amidala, the
future mother of Luke and Leia.
Lucas had waited for the development of new spe-
cial effects before attemptingThe Phantom Menace,
which was also the first film recorded in Dolby Digi-
tal Surround EX. The film featured Jar-Jar Binks, a
detailed computer-generated character that inter-
acted extensively with the live actors.
Impact Star Warsand its many spin-offs had always
been in the pop culture background of youngsters
born around the early 1990’s. It had influenced the
science-fiction genre in many ways, including the
special effects taken for granted in such films, and
references to its characters and themes were part of
everyday conversations. It was not until nearly the
end of the decade, however, that they got to see
something new in the science-fiction universe cre-
ated by George Lucas. Toys and other merchandise
were successfully marketed, and lines formed at
some theaters for weeks before the film’s premiere.
Despite a generally poor critical reception and the
disappointment of some longtime fans,The Phantom
Menace earned more than $430 million in the
United States and almost $1 billion worldwide and
was nominated for three Academy Awards in techni-
cal categories.Further Reading
Hearn, Marcus.The Cinema of George Lucas. New
York: Harry N. Abrams, 2005.
Pollock, Dale.Skywalking: The Life and Films of George
Lucas. Updated ed. New York: Da Capo Press,
1999.
Paul DellingerSee also CGI; Computers; Film in the United
States; Science and technology; Space exploration. Starr Report
Identification The report by special prosecutor
Kenneth Starr that provided the basis for the
impeachment proceedings against U.S.
president Bill Clinton
Date Released in September, 1998The multivolume report stained the reputation of President
Clinton and provided the basis for an abortive impeach-
ment attempt—the first such attempt to impeach a president
in more than one hundred years.In 1993, not long after Bill Clinton became presi-
dent, rumors of his involvement in a questionable
real estate development called Whitewater during
his tenure as governor of Arkansas became louder.
In response, President Clinton asked Attorney Gen-
eral Janet Reno to appoint a special prosecutor who
would be independent of the executive branch to in-
vestigate these rumors. Soon thereafter, she ap-
pointed Robert Fiske, an attorney with prosecutorial
experience and strong ties to the Republican Party.
This was done in January, 1994. Fiske began his in-
vestigation quickly, and he had accomplished a sig-
nificant amount by June of that year, when the Inde-
pendent Counsel Reauthorization Act was passed.
Although the new law contained provisions that al-
lowed Fiske to be appointed to this new position, he
was not.804 Starr Report The Nineties in America