Every film has the potential to become a widely important medium within society. Films have the ability to entertain, while proposing new ideas, supporting some and/or challenging others. Many films have had a major impact on society and are extremely popular, but does that make them important? I would say that an important film is one that raises important questions, challenges important beliefs, or reminds the audience what is or is not important to society. Peter Weir is a popular director known for the Australian films Picnic at Hanging Rock. and Gallipoli. Since then, he has made many other popular American films, three of which I believe are important to society. The Mosquito Coast (1986), Dead Poets Society (1989), and The Truman Show (1998), each address important factors in the human condition – the experience of living as a human and with other humans. Mosquito Coast addresses the weakness humans can have when they rise to power; The Dead Poets Society shows the tragic circumstances between realism and idealism, while the more recent The Truman Show presents a metaphorical representation of how society can be manipulated by our own creation – the media. Allie Fox believes in living with only the most basic needs. He is fed up with society and its addiction to materialism. So he takes his family to the Mosquito Coast, a tropical Latin American country located in the Caribbean Sea, to start a new, seemingly incorruptible life. However, as he becomes more and more powerful in the small civilization he has created, he begins to take advantage of his family's loyalty and the film inevitably ends with his death. The film The Mosquito Coast delivers an important message. Power corrupts. Allie Fox wanted to direct the simple... middle of paper ... It's because cinema has become such an influential part of society, and we need to accept it and use it to its advantage, rather than us beat. he. The message of the Truman Show could easily be read as "the media is bad", but that is not the case. The film is an eye-opener on society and another reminder that we need to think critically about what is presented to us. It draws a parallel with our society and reminds us that if we don't stay vigilant, we may not be able to make our own decisions in life. Cinema could be considered the most significant cultural text of the decade. Each of these three films directed by Peter Weir has meaning and importance, as they almost force society to look in the mirror and take a shock. I encourage readers to watch these films and think about the importance of their messages. Works Cited The Truman Show