What is a MacGuffin?
A MacGuffin is going to be an object, person, or event that the characters in the story value greatly and normally the plot is surrounded this object. However, by the end, we see that it doesn’t have any real significance what or who it is and is mainly used to push the characters and story forward.

This first video is very informative about MacGuffins and their different examples. I also posted the next video because I thought it was visually unique and informative. It is Alfred Hitcock’s voice narrating what he believes is a MacGuffin.

There are many MacGuffin’s in famous films. The first example I will use is from Pulp Fiction. The briefcase in which many have speculated the contents, is in fact a MacGuffin. It is not the main driving force of the movie, yet it remains a very important subject throughout the movie.

Another example of a MacGuffin is in Saving Private Ryan. In the film we only are introduced to Ryan’s character at the end for a couple minutes. The plot and story continues to move on for the entire film with the family and soldiers moving forward to obtaining the soldier. This driving source in the film is the MacGuffin.

I found this resource valuable because it was very informative and also gave many examples from movies in the different types of MacGuffins. I will be watching for them in movies now a lot more, or even just being able to notice when there is a MacGuffin in the story line. I know that I have watched different films before, and unfortunately can’t remember which ones, but when they have the twist at the end and realize something wasn’t even relevant but you thought you needed to pay attention to it in the story. It will be interesting to now have this knowledge when watching films, new and previously watched!

-Betsy Thyfault