What a beautiful statement, and how freeing. You mean that if I just suggest an alternate reality in the context of a good story, and I lie truthfully with all the tools I bring to bear, then the audience might be moved? Yes, definitely. And will they be moved even if they don’t really believe? Absolutely, belief isn’t what they came for. Then what about acting, isn’t acting really feeling? No, acting is really doing and telling a story through conflict, or like Sanford Meisner would say to his students who could handle the truth, "Acting is lying very well."

And incidentally, that’s why we go to the multiplex. We are prepared to be lied to, actually looking forward to it. And we are disappointed when the lie doesn’t entertain; we feel like victims of false advertising and contemplate asking for a refund. But when we are pleased with the lie, when we are lied to masterfully (Finding Nemo anyone?) and come away satisfied, we say, "That was really good, I’m going to tell all my friends." It never occurs to us that we were duped and the whole thing was a shameless conceit (talking fish?), all we care about is that it was two hours well spent.

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