From the Discworld fantasy novel, "Hogfather", by the late Sir Terry Pratchett. Made into a 2 part movie (4 hours total).
DEATH is literally the Grim Reaper. He has developed an affinity for humanity.
Susan Sto Helit is his adopted granddaughter. She has acquired a limited set of DEATH's powers.
They are discussing the nature of "belief". It should be noted that DEATH always speaks in all capital letters.
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SUSAN - "You're saying humans need fantasies to make life bearable."
DEATH - NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
SUSAN - "Tooth fairies? Hogfathers* — ?"
DEATH - YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
SUSAN - "So we can believe the big ones?"
DEATH - YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
SUSAN - "They're not the same at all!"
DEATH - YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
SUSAN - "Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"
DEATH - YOU NEED TO BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE. HOW ELSE CAN THEY BECOME?
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* The Hogfather is the Discworld's version of Santa Claus.
We have a Hogswatch party every year during the holidays, and that scene always gets everyone choked up.
Here's my submission:
MILLER
A lot of people don't realize what's
really going on. They view life as a
bunch of unconnected incidences and
things. They don't realize that there's
this like lattice of coincidence that
lays on top of everything. I'll Give
you an example, show you what I mean.
Suppose you thinking about a plate of
shrimp. Suddenly somebody will say like
plate or shrimp or plate of shrimp out
of the blue no explanation. No point
in looking for one either. It's all
part of a cosmic unconsciousness.
OTTO
You eat a lot of acid Miller, back in
the hippie days?
MILLER
I'll give you another instance. You
know the way everybody's into weirdness
right now. Books in all the supermarkets
about Bermuda triangles, UFO's, how
the Mayans invented television. That
kind of thing.
OTTO
I don't read them books.
MILLER
Well the way I see it it's exactly the
same. There ain't no difference between
a flying saucer and a time machine.
People get so hung up on specifics.
They miss out on seeing the whole thing.
Take South America for example. In South
America thousands of people go missing
every year. Nobody knows where they
go. They just like disappear. But if
you think about it for a minute, you
realize something. There had to be a
time when there was no people. Right?
OTTO
Yeah. I guess.
MILLER
Well where did all these people come
from? hmmm? I'll tell you where. The
future. Where did all these people disappear
to? hmmm?
OTTO
The past?
MILLER
That's right and how did they get there?
OTTO
How the f (hell) do I know?
MILLER
Flying saucers. Which are really? Yeah
you got it. Time machines. I think a
lot about this kind of stuff. I do my
best thinking on the bus. That how come
I don't drive, see?
OTTO
You don't even know how to drive.
MILLER
I don't want to know how. I don't want
to learn. See? The more you drive, the
less intelligent you are.
And of course . . .
