Cliffs Are a Convenient Plot Device

Really, how many actual cliffs have you ever seen? Compare that with how many you have seen on film, in movies, TV, whatever.

You have probably never seen a real cliff in your life. Or maybe one, two at most. The average fictional film character encounters a whopping 1.56 every hour. In fact, 0.00023% of planet earth is occupied by cliffs. Not by my measurement, by someone else's; someone who has more credibility than me (note: I made this number up, also the one before it). The point is this: the average human (let alone American) is never flung off a cliff, or forced to catch someone who has been flung off a cliff, or skids slowly towards a cliff while fighting for some life-altering treasure. Or, for that matter, has the life-altering treasure fall off the cliff and then has to go get it, perhaps by intentionally diving of the cliff. Fictional characters, however, do this all the time.

Now, I have seen a real cliff, once. It must have been a solid 1,000 feet, and I almost walked off it. But, then again, I was cliff hunting at the time. Even with my concerted effort to find a cliff, it almost escaped my notice, even when it fell directly below my very stride, and this should tell you something.

But that is an entirely different story about how badass I am. One for another time. The point is this: suspension of disbelief can only go so far when it comes to cliffs. Let's hold Hollywood to some standard!