Inception Discussion Questions

Parent/Teen Movie Night
This film can help trigger meaningful dialogue on important philosophical questions regarding reality and hope.  

Questions:

1. In the film, characters are continually questioning reality. Cobb carries around his “totem” to help him determine whether or not his experiences are dreams. At the end of the movie, the audience is left to question the reality of the closing scenes and, consequently, the reality of life itself. Is life a dream? Can we know what is really real? 
2. To the Christian, God is the ultimate reality and the true source of meaning in life. Where does Cobb find meaning? How does this affect him?
3. This life can often seem like a nightmare. As a result, many people try to escape reality through things like alcohol and drugs. Can these people have hope despite this imperfect world? If so, how? How can this hope change their view of life and death?

Answers:

1. Life is not a dream. The world consists of real people who make decisions that have real consequences. We can know what is real because we have the strong foundation of God’s Word (John 8:31-32).
2. He looks to reality and life itself—especially his wife and kids—in order to give himself meaning. As a result, he holds on to the past and is obsessed with knowing what is real because this life is all there is. 
3. Sinners can have hope because Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33). Because Christ defeated death and sin, everyone who accepts him as Savior can look forward to a new heaven and a new earth that have neither pain nor tears (Rev 21). Therefore, a Christian need not fear death (1 Cor 15:54-55) but can live for a purpose (Phil 3:8-21).