This Star Wars fan's Christmas offer gave Vancouverites A New Hope for friendship

David Vion didn't think his simple ticket offer would blow up like the Death Star.

But it did. The Force is mysterious like that.

The French immigrant, now living in Vancouver, normally goes back to France every Christmas to visit friends and family.

But this year, that wasn't in the cards and he had no plans on Christmas Day.

So he took to the Vancouver Reddit with an idea: he offered a free ticket to Star Wars: The Last Jedi to anyone who would join him for the movie.

The response left him feeling like Luke Skywalker battling the Emperor: shocked.

"I didn't expect much [response]," he told On The Coast host Stephen Quinn. "I just thought someone could tag along with me."

"It just seems like lots of people are feeling lonely in this city. I don't know if it's just Vancouver but there are people spending Christmas by themselves. Not everybody has a family to go to."

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Lots of support

Vion's post on Reddit generated dozens of replies, ranging from people who wanted to join him to those merely offering kind words.

"You're a good dude! The gift of Star Wars is a magical thing," one person wrote.

"If I buy a ticket ahead of time, can I join you?" asked another.

Vion thinks he tapped into a phenomenon many others have noticed: that it is a challenge to make new friends in Vancouver.

"We don't talk much about it but it's in the minds of a lot of people," he said.

"Everyone is really friendly or smiling in general, but if you want to make real connections or make real good friends, that's a different story."

In the end, Vion found a person to go to the movie with him but said he would not reveal his or her identity yet.

And now that he's made a new friend, Vion says he has a new challenge: avoiding spoilers before he sees the movie Christmas Day.

With files from CBC Radio One's On The Coast