The greatest MacGuffins of all time

[Killgore]

A MacGuffin is usually an object, tangible or intangible, but can also be a person or a place. It is essentially a plot device that moves the story forward. It is something that the antagonist is bent on achieving or obtaining and will sacrifice everything to get. It is something that the characters care so much about, but is irrelevant to the audience. What is important is what the characters do to achieve their MacGuffin.

The term MacGuffin came from a joke told by Alfred Hitchcock. There were two men on a train. One man says, “What’s that package up there in the baggage rack?”

And the other answers, “Oh, that’s the MacGuffin.”

The first one asks, “What’s a MacGuffin?”

”Well,” the other man says, “it’s an apparatus for trapping lions in the Scottish Highlands.”

The first man says, “But there are no lions in the Scottish Highlands,” and the other one answers, “Well then, that’s no MacGuffin!”

So here are my top ten MacGuffins:

10. Transit Papers Casablanca
9. The Black Bird Maltese Falcon
8. Green Destiny Sword Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
7. Keyser Soze The Usual Suspects
6. John Malkovich Being John Malkovich
5. The Ark of the Covenant Raiders of the Lost Ark
4. Rosebud Citizen Kane
3. The List Schindler’s List
2. The Briefcase Pulp Fiction
1. R2-D2 Star Wars

So, what did I miss?

 

[Lord Blackbolt]

Wolverine in X-men. Xavier thought Magneto wanted Wolverine...but it was Rogue

 

[AhabTheArab]

all spark - transformers

 

[Gilpesh]

I thought a MacGuffin wasn't important in the grand scheme of things... and some of those were important, ie R2-D2, Keyser Soze, All spark.

 

[SuperFerret]

The MacGuffin is all important, just not to the story.

It's like two children fighting over a cookie. The cookie is the cause of the fight, and it's important to the children. But to someone watching the fight, it's the fight itself that's important, to the viewer they could be fighting over a toy, or a cupcake, it doesn't matter, as long as they fight.

 

[Gilpesh]

So R2-D2 is out along with Soze and the All spark.

 

[Joker]

So R2-D2 is out along with Soze and the All spark.

no they arent...in Star Wars, the Empire could be going after the Rebellion because Mon Mothma keyed Emperor Palpatines car...it doesnt matter why they're attacking them...same with Soze and the All Spark, the specifics dont matter, just the events that come from them...so all 3 are MacGuffins.

 

[Gilpesh]

R2-D2 had plans to the Death Star. Important to the story.

All spark would destroy earth if Megatron got it. Important to the story.

Soze was a criminal playing them all. Important to the story.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

The glasses were the Macguffin in Transformers.

Payback- The money he didn't want was kind of a macguffin.

 

[cryptic name]

R2-D2 had plans to the Death Star. Important to the story.

All spark would destroy earth if Megatron got it. Important to the story.

Soze was a criminal playing them all. Important to the story.

you're not really getting it.

and the glasses were the macguffin in Transformers

 

[turtlefocker]

Has anyone here seen the movie where all these guys are trying to get some briefcase and the climax is on an ice rink with professional skaters? I can't really remember it but it fits.

Here are some:

PULP FICTION (the briefcase that glowed gold)
MI3 (The rabbits foot)
MI2 (the virus)
MI (the nock list)

 

[Speedball]

no they arent...in Star Wars, the Empire could be going after the Rebellion because Mon Mothma keyed Emperor Palpatines car...it doesnt matter why they're attacking them...same with Soze and the All Spark, the specifics dont matter, just the events that come from them...so all 3 are MacGuffins.

LOL!
That's something she would do.t:

 

[Gilpesh]

you're not really getting it.

and the glasses were the macguffin in Transformers

Oh then I guess I am using a completely wrong definition of MacGuffin which is "Something that moves along the plot that isn't very important to the whole plot."

And yes, the glasses were the MacGuffin. Once they moved all the players to the right place, "What glasses?".

 

[Killgore]

On the commentary soundtrack to the 2004 DVD release of Star Wars, George Lucas describes R2-D2 as "the main driving force of the movie ... what you say in the movie business is the MacGuffin ... the object of everybody's search".

 

[November Rain]

the force in star wars helping luke destroy the death star

 

[superkong 500]

The easiest one:LOTR, The one ring

 

[Jager X]

the snub nose revolver in running scared

I can't believe no one didn't mention blad runner. the greatest macguffin of all time was life.

 

[Gilpesh]

On the commentary soundtrack to the 2004 DVD release of Star Wars, George Lucas describes R2-D2 as "the main driving force of the movie ... what you say in the movie business is the MacGuffin ... the object of everybody's search".

Um... I wouldn't take George Lucas' thoughts or opinions on movie making and movie terms.

 

[Killgore]

Oh yeah, how could I forget the One ring?

Here's another:

Sarah Conner's Vagina - Terminator

 

[Hush]

Um... I wouldn't take George Lucas' thoughts or opinions on movie making and movie terms.

Well seeing as the guy has had a hand to 2 of the most successful trilogies in all of film history I think you can give him some credit. Im refering too the original Star Wars films and the Indian Jones films.

 

[Figs]

Has anyone here seen the movie where all these guys are trying to get some briefcase and the climax is on an ice rink with professional skaters? I can't really remember it but it fits.

Here are some:

PULP FICTION (the briefcase that glowed gold)
MI3 (The rabbits foot)
MI2 (the virus)
MI (the nock list)

I think your talking about the movie, Ronin. With Robert Deniro and Jean Reno'.

 

[Gilpesh]

Well seeing as the guy has had a hand to 2 of the most successful trilogies in all of film history I think you can give him some credit. Im refering too the original Star Wars films and the Indian Jones films.

I do. But he only directed the original Star Wars movie. Was no where near directing Indy at all, and the Last Crusade the credit he got was making the characters. Also in all those successful and good movies, there were all these other good filmmakers around him which helped him out to make the movies better.

But he did the prequels all himself, and blew. He should get credit for the original Star Wars trilogy and the Indy trilogy, but not as much as people are giving him.

 

[Hush]

I do. But he only directed the original Star Wars movie. Was no where near directing Indy at all, and the Last Crusade the credit he got was making the characters. Also in all those successful and good movies, there were all these other good filmmakers around him which helped him out to make the movies better.

But he did the prequels all himself, and blew. He should get credit for the original Star Wars trilogy and the Indy trilogy, but not as much as people are giving him.

He did do all the prequels and yes 2 of them were bad while one of them was good, in my opinion. To say that Lucas shouldnt be listen to as far as "Movie Making and Movie Making terms" is just a a bit absurd. Have you seen American Graffiti? That is an excellent example of good film making and it was flat out awesome.
The man has brought many many many innovations to the forefront of the film industry such as digital projectors and the advancements in CGI, these are just 2 of the innovations he has made. Now granted he didnt have a direct hand in these he did back them with full confidence and therefore has prolly in some way or another made your movie going experience a much more fun and colourful one. The man is a good film maker, not one the best but good, you can't just flat out say he has no skill. As far as Indian Jones goes Lucas and Spielberg constantly say it is coloborative effort in several interviews it has been said by both. A man doesnt get 2 of his movies on AFI's list with out knowing a little bit about what he is doing.

 

[Gilpesh]

The element that distinguishes a MacGuffin from other types of plot devices is that it is not important what the object specifically is. Anything that serves as a motivation will do. The MacGuffin might even be ambiguous. Its importance is accepted by the story's characters, but it does not actually have any effect on the story. It can be generic or left open to interpretation.

The MacGuffin is common in films, especially thrillers. Commonly, though not always, it is the central focus of the film in the first act, and later declines in importance as the struggles and motivations of characters play out. Sometimes the MacGuffin is all but forgotten by the end of the film.

Because a MacGuffin is, by definition, basically unimportant to the story, its use can challenge the audience's suspension of disbelief. Well-done works will compensate for this with a good story, interesting characters, talented acting/writing, and so on. In the case of an ambiguous MacGuffin, audiences can imagine what it is or ignore it and just go along with the story.

See. I have to say this is the definition of MacGuffin that I agree with and apply it to movies.

 

[demento]

The case from Repo Man

The 'Pink Panther' diamond of the Pink Panther films.