Thinking big picture here, what is this edit all about? What is the core message of the movie? If such a message could be condensed into a single sentence, what would it be? I’ve done this for the Original Trilogy before:

ANH: One can overcome the mightiest empire through the power of the human spirit.

ESB: The true enemy is not an empire, but the darkness within oneself.

ROTJ: Darkness can never prevail when one decides to forgive themselves and others.

But what of the Sequel Trilogy? Here are some tentative theses:

TFA: One can become heroic by striving to be the hero they see in others.

TLJ: The most heroic act can be disguised as abject failure.

Do you think these are the primary messages of the movies? I feel like for TFA at least, the message has to include something about a person’s heroes, whether imagined or real. Finn becomes a hero when he sees Rey and wants to be who she thinks he is. Rey wants to be like Luke, and sees the best in Han. Kylo sees the worst in his family and in Vader.

I think this big picture is really important when it comes to the end of the movie, and informs the editing decisions throughout.