Welcome to Beautiful Mos Espa, Tatooine

Tatooine’s a big planet. Did you think Mos Eisley was the only town? Mos Espa is the home of the Boonta Eve Podrace, Watto’s Junkyard, and  young Anakin Skywalker. The following scenes all take place in this fateful desert slave town.

JAR JAR’S HESITATION

In some drafts of the script, when the Queen’s ship lands on Tatooine, Jar Jar is very hesitant to head off to Mos Espa with Qui-Gon. Perhaps he’s afraid. Perhaps he knows he’s a bumbling idiot. We don’t really know the reason why, but he just doesn’t want to go.

There was supposed to be a scene where Jar Jar begs Obi-Wan not to make him go but Obi-Wan agrees with Qui-Gon’s suggestion to bring him along. This takes place right before Obi-Wan tells Qui-Gon that the hyperdrive is shot. You can find this scene in both the Episode I Illustrated Screenplay and the Episode I Novelization by Terry Brooks. The novelization’s version is a bit longer.

Here are excerpts from both sources:

NOVELIZATION

Qui-Gon sent his protégé to uncouple the hyperdrive and Captain Panaka to advise the Queen of their landing. He was settled on going into the spaceport alone as he left the cockpit to find other clothing and came upon Jar Jar Binks, the Queen’s handmaiden Padmé, and the little R2 unit.

He slowed, considering the possibility that going into the city alone would make him more noticeable. “Jar Jar,” he said finally. “Get ready. You’re going with me. The droid as well.”

He continued without looking back. The Gungan stared after him in disbelief, then in horror. By the time he regained his wits, the Jedi was out of view. Wailing in dismay, he chased after him and came upon Obi-Wan in the main cabin hoisting the hyperdrive out of the bowels of the ship.

“Obi-One, sire!” he gasped, throwing himsef to his knees in front of the younger Jedi. “Pleeeese, me no go wit Quiggon!”

Obi-Wan was inclined to agree, but knew better than to say so. “Sorry, but Qui-Gon is right. This is a multinational spaceport, a trading center. You’ll make him appear less obvious by going along.” His brow furrowed as he turned back to the hyperdrive. “I hope,” he muttered to himself.

 

ILLUSTRATED SCREENPLAY

INT – NABOO SPACECRAFT – MAIN AREA
OBI-WAN is hoisting the hyperdrive out of a floor panel. JAR JAR rushes up to him and falls on his knees.

Jar Jar
Obi-Wan, sire,
pleeeese, no mesa go!

Obi-Wan
Sorry, Qui-Gon’s right.
You’ll make things less obvious.

JAR JAR walks back to ARTOO in the hallway as QUI-GON (dressed as a farmer) enters the main area.

In the original shooting schedule, there is a scene described as Qui-Gon, Jar Jar, and R2 walk the hallway to the ramp and exit. This takes place inside the main hallway of the ship, directly after the scene above.

 

 

 

WATTO’S JUNKYARD

Watto’s junkyard is a mess. It’s full of junk but if you need spare parts for your ship, he’s probably got ’em. How he got them is something you shouldn’t ask.

 

SEEING THINGS BEFORE THEY HAPPEN

It is mentioned in Episode I that Anakin can “…see things before they happen.” This is, of course, true but we saw very little of it in the film. Some peculiar events would take place inside Watto’s shop one fateful day on Tatooine. These events would have more clearly illustrated Anakin’s prophetic talents, but alas they were ultimately deleted.

One scene takes place the very first time that Anakin and Padmé converse in Watto’s shop. In the original screenplay, Anakin not only asks if Padmé is an “Angel” but goes on to describe just what these elusive, beautiful creatures are in a little more detail.

Here’s the excerpt from the Episode I Illustrated Screenplay:

Anakin
Are you an Angel?

Padmé
What?

Anakin
An Angel. I’ve heard the deep space pilots
talk about them. They live on the moons of
Iego, I think. They are the most beautiful
creatures in the universe. They are good,
and kind, and so pretty they make even
the most hardened spice pirate cry.

Padmé looks at him, not knowing what to say.

Padmé
I’ve never heard of Angels.

Anakin
You must be one…
maybe you just don’t know it.

On the Episode I DVD, if you look at the web documentaries, one of them contains the screen tests for young Anakin Skywalker and you can see some of the Anakin hopefuls, including Jake Lloyd, speaking these lines.

The other scene I want to mention is from the Episode I Novelization. This one clearly displays Anakin’s prophetic talents and features Anakin and Padmé. It takes place just after Jar Jar hits the nose on the Pit Droid to shut it down.

“I’m going to marry you,” the boy said suddenly.
There was a moment of silence, and she began laughing again, a sweet musical sound he didn’t mind at all. The creature who accompanied her rolled his eyes.
“I mean it,” he insisted.
“You are an odd one,” she said, her laughter dying away. “Why do you say that?”
He hesitated. “I guess because it’s what I believe…”
Her smile was dazzling. “Well, I’m afraid I can’t marry you…” She paused, searching her memory for his name.
“Anakin,” he said.
“Anakin.” She cocked her head. “You’re just a little boy.”
His gaze was intense as he faced her. “I won’t always be,” he said quietly.

 

THAT CLUMSY JAR JAR

This short deleted scene inside Watto’s shop involves Jar Jar and his clumsy antics. After Jar Jar’s encounter with the Pit Droid (“Hit the nose!”), he proceeds to move along through the shop curiously while Anakin and Padmé talk. He knocks down some objects and loses control trying to catch them – ending up in the middle of a crazy juggling routine. You can catch a quick glimpse of it in the film as Qui-Gon is returning from “out back” with Watto. You can most definitely hear him fall.

Here’s a small excerpt from the Episode I Illustrated Screenplay:

INT. WATTO’S JUNK SHOP – DAY
JAR JAR pulls a part out of a stack of parts to inspect it, and they all come tumbling down. He struggles to catch them, only to knock more down. ANAKIN and PADMÉ are oblivious.

There’s a really nice clip of this scene included on the Episode I DVD.

 

JAR JAR IN MOS ESPA

According to the original shooting schedule, the Gran Pod Racer named Mawhonic was supposed to be hanging out with Sebulba during his confrontation with Jar Jar. I’m not sure if he was to be added in digitally but after seeing the film, I noticed he was not there at all. There is no trace of him in any other printed sources so he may have been dropped from the scene early on.

In the early drafts of the script, the Episode I Novelization, and the Illustrated Screenplay, the confrontation between Sebulba, Jar Jar, and Anakin (who steps in) is slightly different and it appears some of the dialogue was removed.

Here is the version from the Episode I llustrated Screenplay:

SEBULBA holds up the frog to the Gungan threateningly. SEVERAL OTHER CREATURES start to gather. SEBULBA shoves Jar Jar to the ground. The Gungan desperately tries to scramble to safety.

Jar Jar (to himself)
Why mesa always da one?

Anakin (V.O.)
Because you’re afraid.

JAR JAR turns to see ANAKIN pushing his way next to him. The boy stands up to SEBULBA in a very self-assured way.

Anakin (subtitled)
Chess ko, Sebulba…Coo wolpa tooney rana.
(Careful, Sebulba…This one’s very well connected.)

SEBULBA stops his assault on JAR JAR and turns to ANAKIN

Sebulba (subtitled)
Tooney rana nu pratta dunko, shag.
(Connected?? Whada you mean, slave?)

Anakin (subtitled)
Oh DA Hutt…cha porko ootman geesa…me teesa rodda co pana pee choppa chawa. (As in Hutt…big time outlander, this one…I’d hate to see you diced before we race again.)

Sebulba (subtitled)
Neek me chawa, wermo, mo killee ma klounkee.
(Next time we race, wermo, it will be the end of you!)
Una notu wo shag, me wompity du pom pom.
(If you weren’t a slave, I’d squash you right now.)

SEBULBA turns away

Anakin (subtitled)
Eh, chee bana do mullee ra.
(Yeah, it’d be a pity if you had to pay for me.)

QUI-GON, PADMÉ, and ARTOO arrive.

Anakin (cont’d)
Hi! Your buddy here was about
to be turned into orange goo.
He picked a fight with a Dug.
An especially dangerous Dug
called Sebulba.

Jar Jar
Nosir, nosir. Mesa hate crunchen.
Dat’s Da last ting mesa wanten.

Qui-Gon
Nevertheless, the boy is right…
you were heading into trouble.
Thank you my young friend.

PADMÉ looks at ANAKIN and smiles; he smiles back. They start walking down the crowded street.

Jar Jar
Mesa doen nutten!

Anakin
Fear attracts the fearful.
He was trying to overcome his
fear by squashing you…
be less afraid.

Padmé
And that works for you?

Anakin
To a point. (he smiles)

 

JIRA (PART 1)

Not long after the confrontation between Sebulba and Jar Jar is the first or two scenes that take place at Jira’s fruit stand where we first meet an elderly friend of Anakin’s named Jira, a Tatooine street vendor. This scene was slightly altered in the finished film.

In the theatrical version, we catch a glimpse of Qui-Gon’s lightsaber under his cloak after Anakin gives him the fruit he gets from Jira. What Qui-Gon was actually supposed to be doing at that point was picking up a coin Anakin dropped to pay for the fruit.

This will make more sense when you read the following excerpt from the Episode I Illustrated Screenplay which contains extra dialogue from Jira.

EXT. MOS ESPA – STREET – FRUIT STAND – DAY
ANAKIN and the GROUP stop at a fruit stand run by a jolly, but very poor, old lady named Jira.

Anakin
How are you feeling today, Jira?

Jira
The heat’s never been kind to me,
you know, Annie!

Anakin
Guess what? I’ve found that cooling unit
I’ve been searching for. It’s pretty beat up, but
I’ll have it fixed up for you in no time, I promise.

Jira
You’re a fine boy, Annie.

Anakin
I’ll take four pallies today.
(To Padmé) You’ll like these…

ANAKIN reaches in his pocket and comes up with three coins. He drops one. QUI-GON picks it up, revealing for a moment, his lightsaber.

Anakin (cont’d)
Whoops, I thought I had more…
Make that three, I’m not hungry.

The winds pick up. SHOP OWNERS are starting to close up their shops as JIRA gives them their pallies.

 

SHELTER FROM THE STORM

During the first deleted scene at Jira’s fruit stand, there is talk of a sandstorm and Anakin invites his new friends over to his hovel to protect them from the coming storm. Yes, the sandstorm scene is in the film but it’s slightly different from the version in the early drafts of the script and the Episode I Illustrated Screenplay as well as the Episode I Novelization. In the finished film, Shmi Skywalker never even speaks during this short scene.

Here’s the Illustrated Screenplay version:

INT. ANAKIN’S HOVEL – MAIN ROOM – DAY
QUI-GON, JAR JAR, ARTOO, and PADME enter a small living space.

Anakin
Mom! Mom! I’m home.

Jar Jar
Dissen Cozy.

Anakin’s mother, SHMI SKYWALKER, a warm, friendly woman of forty enters from her work area and is startled to see the room full of people.

Shmi
Oh, my!! Annie, what’s this??

Anakin
These are my friends, Mom.
This is Padmé, and… gee,
I don’t know any of your names.

Qui-Gon
I’m Qui-Gon Jinn,
and this is Jar Jar Binks.

ARTOO lets out a little beep.

Padmé
…and our droid, Artoo-Detoo.

Anakin
I’m building a droid.
You wanna see?

Shmi
Anakin! Why are they here?

Anakin
A sandstorm, Mom. Listen.

The wind HOWLS outside.

Qui-Gon
Your son was kind enough to
offer us shelter.

Anakin
Come on!
Let me show you Threepio!

ANAKIN leads PADME into the other room. ARTOO follows, beeping all the way.
QUI-GON takes five small capsules from his utility belt and hands them to SHMI.

Qui-Gon
I have enough food for a meal.

Shmi
Oh, thank you. Thank you so much.
I’m sorry if I was abrupt.
I’ll never get used to Anakin’s surprises.

Qui-Gon
He’s a very special boy.

SHMI looks at him as if he’s discovered a secret.

Shmi
Yes, I know.

Take note that in the finished film, as soon as Anakin grabs Padmé’s hand and runs off, you can see Qui-Gon reaching under his poncho to retrieve what I assume to be the food capsules he gives to Shmi.

If you go to the Options menu on the Episode I DVD and enter the numbers 1 1 3 and 8 in a certain way on your remote, you’ll come across what’s called an “Easter Egg” or hidden feature. It’s a hilarious gag-reel and inside you’ll find bits from this scene as well as bits from a few other scenes as well. Look for it next time you have the DVD in.