1st place winner

To believe in fate means to believe that our lives are predetermined by some powerful force. To believe in free will means to believe that we have that freedom or ability to make our own choices. For centuries, fate vs. free will has been hugely debated. Is it possible that both can exist together?

It's quite obvious that Spielberg believes that fate and free will can both exist. While the pre-crime program does use it's three "pre-cogs" in order to see the future based on what is supposedly our fate, as lead detective John Anderton (Tom Cruise) and the female "pre-cogs", Agatha says at the end, we do still have a choice. At first, you would think free will didn't exist in the cast, high tech world with its zooming cars and talking advertisements that Spielberg had created. After all, the whole intention of the movie was to introduce the new, yet effective, pre-crime program, where crimes could amazingly be prevented before it happened. But as Ed Witwers (Colin Farrell) works to determine a flaw in the program, you gradually begin to realize that there is something called free will after all. When Anderton is faced with problems of being a murderer himself, he fights for justice. All of sudden, he became afraid. He could not believe that he was to become a murderer, killing someone he did not even know. It's towards the end when he realizes that fate does exist, but only to a certain degree. He learned that he could always fight for his free will. He still had a choice.

I am also in agreement with the perspective Spielberg took within the film, minority report.

By: Nicole K.

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