Cast: Jeff Rushing, Joe Edwards, Scott Rushing, Stacy Rushing, Stephanie Rushing, Steven Russell, Will, Michael, another hundred behind us.

	The setting: Stage 12, Bartlett, Tenn. If you look close you can see our camp on the right.

Why was I so intent on seeing The Phantom Menace and getting in line early? Because its something I'll remember forever. I'll be able to tell my kids that I stood in line with their uncles and aunts, how we made new friends and enjoyed just being together on a beautiful day, for the event movie of the century.

As my brother voiced in his review, it was also a special day because it was the weekend we finally left Memphis behind. With me in Atlanta for over a year, my brother and his wife in Nashville, Stephanie in Louisville with Bill, and now Stacy and Joe were moving to Louisville the next weekend. It takes a great movie that can bring us all together at the same time, and Star Wars is well worth it. We've all enjoyed it our entire lives, and being in line early on opening day of TPM is a credit to our bond as siblings, and I believe a testament to how fantastic our parents raised us.

11:30 a.m. Pick up stereo and Game Boy from Steve in preparation for being in line. I was planning on being there by 10, but a throat infection kept me sidelined all weekend, and I wanted to sleep a little longer.

Pick up Stacy's boy toy, Joe. We stop at Wal-Mart for supplies, such as batteries, magazines, and soft drinks.

1 p.m. Me and Joe arrive first in line at the Stage Cinema in Bartlett for the midnight showing. Surprisingly, there are tickets available for the four screens showing the film at that time, which is sad because I would have thought even Memphis could sell out this film ahead of time, even more so considering how few theaters are showing it in the area.

As soon as we settle down, the perfect song comes on the radio, Eddie Money's "Two Tickets to Paradise" about waiting in line so long. It made for a good chuckle.

1:30 p.m. Finished blowing up my Darth Maul chair for more comfort. Of course, three hours later the chair has a leak from the concrete, and I end up sitting on a blanket, but it was cool while it lasted. I could just sit on the cooler later and Scott and Stacy all got lawn chairs. Of course, the sunburn I am getting will be a lot worse than previously thought. We were in the sun for only an hour, so we figured it wouldn't be bad. Whoops. Tomorrow I'm a beet.

	First in line! We Rule!

Most of the theater patrons are amused by me and Joe. Most just notice us and walk in, others ask the same question "Are y'all already in line for Star Wars?" and others actually engage us in conversation. A couple of those were cut females, so I was emboldened by this, not like we weren't already hyper. Some people, though, asked if tickets were available yet for the movie. What planet do they live on?

We're a little alarmed after one of the employees leaving tells us how the manager is arranging things and seating arrangements. They won't get Nazi on us, will they? Eight hours later we learn we will be first in the theater. Episode 1 is showing on four screens, and those at each entrance will enter two screens each. So we end up being first anyway.

3:15 p.m. My sisters, Stacy and Stephanie, arrive after having lunch with our mother. They leave five minutes later to get the lawn chairs from Aunt Lynn. Thanks for stopping by!

3:35 p.m. Michael, a junior from Christian Brothers High School, joins us in line. He has an exam at 8 a.m. the next morning! That's a cool parent that allows their son to do that. He's a cool guy, jokes with us, very knowledgeable on all subjects touched upon, and is expecting six friends to join him later, one flying in from Japan that day. No, not just for Star Wars.

4:30 p.m. Stacy and Steph back, with more goods. We appreciate the little fans, because it is a warm day. About five minutes later, Will joins us.

5 p.m. Big brother Scott gets in from Nashville to join our party. Aaah, it's great being in a cool geek family. Scott's friend Eric's girlfriend Leia would later call us nerds for getting in line early. And her name again is...?

6:30 p.m. A game of Trivial Pursuit begins with me, Scott and Will being the competitors. It would last two hourse, but that's because we took our time. I had all my pieces first, but decided to wander around the board while Scott and Will finished, so we could get our heads full of Star Wars trivia, as if we weren't talking about it already.

	Some of our gang as the sun sets on the last day we can say we hadn't seen Episode 1.

7:30 p.m. Our line now has rivals! A splinter group begins at the other entrance to the theater.

It was quite a reunion of sorts for me in line. I saw former Scenic Hills Baptist youth friends Bill and Jason, former college roommate Joe, and youth golfing friend Erin.

9:45 p.m. Everyone's antsy, putting things away, stuff back in cars, as we hear the manager will let us in at 10. By 10:10 p.m. we're now standing in two lines 30 feet from the room, which is more uncomfortable than it was outside. It's hot, people are packed together, and some dude that works there jumped ahead of us in front with his family. It's okay, because we went in another theater than they did, so we can say we were first for Star Wars! Of course, the movie didn't begin for another hour-and-a-half!

11:15 p.m. Steve arrives after work, and I proudly hand him his ticket for the biggest movie in decades. Now we're all here, as the crowds really begin to swell for the midnight shows.

The crowd was the exact demographic that was anticipating this movie most: 75% male, 98% white, ages 15-24. The 3 a.m. show we attended afterwards was generally 18-24, again mostly male and all white. The 7 p.m. show Wednesday was where it mixed up, more kids and their parents and older adults with the same racial makeup.

Midnight, Wed. the 19th: Finally, the lights go down!

A quick look at the trailers:

• 1)Mystery Men: the trailer is okay, but I think the movie's supposed to be funnier than they show, especially with such a cool cast
• 2)Muppets from Space: I'll see it, if just for nostalgia. Muppets rule! When's the first Fraggle movie?
• 3)Wild, Wild, West: I have a bad feeling about this
• 4)Inspector Gadget: not for adults, similar to My Favorite Martian, for the kids
• 5)Austin Powers 2: when do the lines start forming?
• 6)Anna and the King: dunno, I like Jodie, but this one may be questionable
• 7)The Beach: stars Di Caprio, so it depends on how it does with critics
• 8)Titan A.E.: comes out next summer, so who cares right now?

The verdict: -- Anyone ready to get in line for Episode 2?

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