I had the same idea you did about someone else helping Rey lift the rocks, except I wanted Leia to lift them. I think that could be a much better option. It would set up Leia training Rey in TROS, to make these movies seem more connected. It would show that although Rey has plenty of raw strength, as demonstrated in the rest of the movie, she still needs to learn to concentrate. And it would avoid deifing Luke’s character by having someone who hasn’t shown much Force sensitivity before performing such an enormous task.
That would be good, except that there’s really no footage that can be made to indicate this.
I was thinking about it, and I think it could be done. I was imagining something like this:
- Luke gives his “Everything you just said was wrong” speech, and says that he will not be the last Jedi.
- Cut to Kylo saying “I’ll destroy her, and you, and all of it!” Kylo tries to kill Luke, but realizes that he’s a Force projection. Luke collapses on the steps of the temple.
- Cut to Rey, eyes closed, trying to lift the rocks. She can’t do it.
- Cut to the shot of Leia looking up, from earlier, with a Force push sound effect added.
- Light fills the eyes of the Resistance members, and Rey opens her eyes in surprise to find the rocks lifted.