Movies and the Meaning of Life

The meaning of life is the most urgent of questions, said Albert Camus. And philosopher Woody Allen has wondered: How is it possible to find meaning in a finite world, given my waist and shirt size? Claims about what gives life meaning have not only been analyzed by philosophers but by the primary mythmakers in contemporary culture: Hollywood filmmakers.

"Movies and the Meaning of Life" shows how a wide variety of films have tackled ? to sometimes hilarious, sometimes surprisingly pointed effect ? the same questions that have obsessed the deep thinkers. These essays draw on such sources as "The Truman Show" and "Contact" to explore the nature of reality; "Fight Club" and "Being John Malkovich" for cogent lessons on finding one's true identity; "American Beauty" and "The Shawshank Redemption" for pointers on life's purpose; "Pleasantville" and "Spiderman" for nuggets of wisdom on how to live one's life; and more.