Finally arrived, it had. What filled the lobby of Cape West 14 Cine before the first screenings of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was more than the excitement, nostalgia or anticipation. It was Nerd-vana.

Professional cosplayers posed for photos with fans. In the crowd, Imperial-theme ringtones went off intermittently. Most people wore Star Wars T-shirts, a few wore R2-D2 dresses, and at least one sported a Rebel Alliance tattoo.

Something that sounded almost like disbelief crept into lifelong fan Jon Gilmore's voice as he tried to explain his feelings to his 23-year-old nephew Wes Sutton.

"I really do feel just like a kid again," he said. "I was 5 years old when I saw 'A New Hope.' ... Each time [a new Star Wars movie] would come out, I would get this sense of ... giddy joy, and I've had that all day."

Sutton fell in love with the films on VHS tapes before having the opportunity to see the prequel trilogy in theaters. Although many found "The Phantom Menace" underwhelming, Sutton found watching the goings-on in that far, far away galaxy to be magical on the silver screen.

For Gilmore and Sutton, the latest Star Wars installment represents the quintessential cinematic experience and another culmination of a lifetime of fandom.

That many of the families in attendance shared similar stories shows how much the movie franchise has transcended mere popularity to become a multigenerational touchstone.

Seventeen-year-old William Kapp, in Anakin Skywalker tunic, said he bought his family's tickets four months ago.

He and his sisters Kelly and Reagan credit their father with igniting their fandom.

"He would sit and watch them with us," Reagan said.

"And we'd bug him the whole time," Kelly said. "We'd be like, 'What's going on? What's going on?'"

Bob Clubbs and his son Eli wore matching "The Force Awakens" T-shirts, as well as matching ear-to-ear grins. Bob said when the movies debuted in the 1970s, Star Wars merchandise was everywhere.

If the baffling array of Star Wars T-shirts in attendance can be trusted, the merchandising empire is as strong now as it's ever been.

There were the political ("Kenobi 2016"), the sardonic ("I had a friend on that Death Star"), the regional (a St. Louis Cardinals/Sith lords mashup shirt), the non-sequitur (Vader in a kayak, just because) and the show-stealing (a his-and-hers pair reading, "I love you" and "I know").

But Clubbs still has some of the action figures he played with long ago, which he's passed on to Eli, along with a passionate appreciation of the films.

"One of my proudest moments of parenting came when [Eli] was playing in the bathtub one night with X-Men or something and looked up and asked me, 'Daddy, why is Darth Vader a bad guy?'" he said.

The anticipation was unanimous, but for some older fans, the memory of the oft-maligned prequel movies forced uncertainty into the prospect of a new film in the Star Wars canon.

"I was extremely nervous until I saw that J.J. Abrams was the director," Jackson resident Randy McWilson said. "But he's got a proven track record. He's more than capable when it comes to mystery, drama, character development ... but on a scale of 1 to 10, I'm probably a 12. I think J.J. Abrams will save the franchise."

In light of a ban on face-covering costume for moviegoers, Cape West 14 Cine booked professional cosplayers to interact with fans. Gregory Lipe and his son Gavin, 13, were dressed as an Imperial Scout Trooper and Darth Revin, respectively.

"It's the imagination of it all," Gregory said, explaining why he and his son, Illinois residents, enjoy Star Wars cosplay.

"Dressing up as your favorite character and making people happy with it? It's great," Gavin agreed.

The theater screened 14 showings of "Star Wars" on Thursday night. Some fans planned to see it twice.

"I decided if I like it enough, I'm just gonna walk right back around and see it again at the later showing," McWilson said. "I told my wife ... 'I love you, Honey, but this is Star Wars.' I've waited too long for this."

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627

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