A MacGuffin is a term coined by famous director Alfred Hitchcock (and used continuously by George Lucas) to define a plot element, generally an object, that drives the characters and the story. To illustrate, I compiled some of the most famous MacGuffins. Check my list out, and let me know all good ones I missed by leaving a comment!
7) The Matrix – The Matrix
This one is debatable as a true MacGuffin, because it’s not necessarily an object, but an environment. However, throughout the movie, the question “what is the Matrix” is asked, and answered with varying layers, with the ultimate answer establishing it as a MacGuffin. My head hurts.
This article appears in Sep 30 – Oct 7, 2009.