I pinpoint that film's release date to be the day Star Wars fans were permanently fractured. Some say The Last Jedi did but while that film undoubtedly expanded it, this film got the fanbase into an ugly division that has yet to be fully healed nearly a decade later. Before, it felt unified, the love for the original trilogy, the hate for the prequel trilogy and special editions, there was still enjoyment of being a fan. Then The Force Awakens comes and fan wars began on how some felt it was a return to form with spectacular effects, emotional beats, and the best acting in the franchise, while others felt it was a safe cash grab that did nothing to respect the lore, got too political, got too childish. The film's outstanding success only made these arguments nastier. I can remember what Reddit and IMDb was like during those days. Disagreements over movies always happened but this felt like the tipping point, especially as people continue to be this argumentative and cruel in their debates. No longer about having friendly disagreements, just to see who's the better "fan". I do hope the fanbase can come back to being more unified someday.