Come on, people!

It's time to stop worshipping George Lucas That Was and demand more from George Lucas That Is.

According to NECN.com, Lucas received the Gene Siskel Film Visionary Award on June 13 in Chicago. This - or a similar type of - prestigious honor is about 20 years too late. The damage has already been done. Blame it on the bread.

Take a journey with me to the 1970s, a time in which Lucas was an auteur. This was the decade in which he made some of his best work: the sci-fi thriller "THX 1138," the joyfully nostalgic "American Graffiti" and the iconic "Star Wars." Filmgoers and Lucas were happy as his movies continued to be critically acclaimed and become blockbusters.

In the 1980s, Lucas even showed Indiana Jones fans he cared about what they thought by featuring Nazis once again in the third film of that franchise.

But then something happened in that same decade: Lucas began milking his franchises for every cent they were worth, regardless of how much that upset their fans. This began with small projects like "The Ewok Adventure" and "The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones." Eventually it spread to bug budget films like "Phantom Menace" and "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

After all these years and projects, Lucas doesn't care how his movies are perceived because he'll makes tons of money no matter what.

It's time for film organizations to start recognizing the achievements of young visionaries while they - unlike Lucas - still care about more than just making money.