Why Stories Matter

I’m going to start this off by asking you a question: What do you think is the greatest movie of all-time? Got an answer? Great. Here’s another question: What is your favourite movie? Is your answer the same or different from the first question? If it’s different, why is that?

We live in a time where movies, TV shows, and music run the forefront of our entertainment. Yes, video games do as well, but all these things have one thing in common. They all tell a story. Depending which story you liked more or how the story is told can dictate what you think is the best all-time and which is your favourite.

Movies have always captivated people for many reasons. For example, some movies are easy to connect with and are so real to us. Another example is certain movies are just so fascinating you don’t want to look away.

If we take the 2009 movie named Avatar, we can see how fancy pictures and beautiful scenery captures so many people. But this alone doesn’t make a great movie. The main reason why this movie was so successful was because of the hard work that was put into it to make it so stunning. But as the movie settled in and people started to look into it more deeply, they realized the flaw of what they thought a great movie was. Basically, Avatar was just Romeo and Juliet but super pretty.

Personally, I never really liked that movie because I didn’t see what was so special about it. It didn’t feel unique and new to me other than the pictures. Then when I read “Avatar receives backlash,” I read into it and realized why. It’s just a copy of another popular story.

But if you take a step back and look at all the other movies, some of them are just copies of another story, too. For example, I’m sure everyone is familiar with the story "Cinderella." So many movies and TV shows that we watch today have the same basic elements of Cinderella. The story is such a prototype for romantic movies that we don’t even realize that Cinderella is the origin of it all.

Here lies the truth of storytelling. Why does this all matter? Why do stories matter?

Well let’s use an example and talk about it. Since we were talking about Avatar earlier, let’s talk about its box office rival: Avengers: Endgame. This movie was the movie that wrapped up ten years of Marvel Cinematic-Universe storytelling. The MCU’s storytelling was marvellous and literally broke records. It captured the hearts of millions and continues to be the best cinematic universe of all time. All the beloved heroes in the MCU coming together to fight an army as one, united. They walk away triumphant, but with loss. A man sacrifices himself because he knows that’s the only way to win, but in his last words, you can tell how difficult it was for him. Yet fulfilling. If you’ve seen the movie, you know exactly who I’m talking about. If you haven’t, then I’m sorry… my bad.

Everything in this movie matters. The difference between a great movie and an all-time great movie is the story. Avatar is a great movie, but the story is not special. The MCU holds some of the greatest movies of all-time because it holds the best qualities of a story.

Avengers: Endgame as a stand alone movie isn’t as great if you haven’t seen the movies before it. I even watched it a second time with friends who haven’t seen the previous movies in the cinematic universe and they said it wasn’t even that good. But to me, it has become one of my favourite movies. At the same time, I know for a fact it isn’t the best movie of all-time.

My favourite movie is The Secret Life of Walter Mitty but according to IMBD, The Godfather is the best movie of all-time, which I think is debatable but respectable. What I think is the greatest movie of all time is Forrest Gump, but it isn’t my favourite. Why is that? The reason why is the same answer to why stories and storytelling matter: we live in our own story.

Why is your favourite movie your favourite? Is it because you fell in love with the plot, the characters, or is it because you fell in love with the idea? The reason why I love The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was because of the lifestyle the protagonist wanted to live but wasn’t outgoing enough to do it so he lives in his head and his imagination whenever he can. It was a story that I wanted to live in. I knew I wasn’t outgoing enough but I’ve always wanted to do so many things.

This is why we can never stop telling stories and why we should never forget them. Without them, we would have a blank life. No lifestyle, no creative goal, no idea what idea to live. If you loved Avengers: Endgame so much it probably wasn’t because of the action or all the funny little jokes. It was probably because it was the end of story that lasted 10 years. It was the end of an idea, the conclusion to an eventful and scary story. I loved The Secret Life of Walter Mitty because it held an idea of a man that I wanted to live like. I connected with the character and my whole life changed from boring to exciting.

So why do stories matter? Because a story holds life in it. It holds more than just words and sentences. It holds ideas and things to live by. Imagine what world we would live in without stories. Everyone would see everything has black and white. No one will have a different view on life. We all would be bored and life would be uneventful. Stories bring excitement and wonder. A story brings curiosity to everything around us. It’s a beautiful, inspiring, and marvellous delight to be part a journey like a story. Luckily, our own life is a story, so that’s why it’s a privilege keep living it.

Listen here if you would rather listen to the above than read!