"The meaning of life is the most urgent of questions," said the existentialist thinker Albert Camus. And no less a philosopher than Woody Allen has wondered: "How is it possible to find meaning in a finite world, given my waist and shirt size?"

Movies and the Meaning of Life looks at popular and cult movies, examining their assumptions and insights on meaning-of-life questions: What is reality and how can I know it? (The Truman Show, Contact, Waking Life); how do I find myself and my true identity? (Fight Club, Being John Malkovich); how do I find meaning from my interactions with others? (Pulp Fiction, Chasing Amy); what is the chief purpose in life? (American Beauty, Life Is Beautiful); and how ought I live my life? (Pleasantville, Spiderman).