Inception

So I heard an interesting theory about Inception that I wanted to test out. According to the theory, you can tell when Cobb is dreaming and when he's in reality because of his wedding ring. In reality, he's never wearing it after Mal's death; in dreams, he's always wearing it. So, I watched the movie, and with the help of my cousin identified that yes indeed, the theory holds true.

It even clued me in to some scenes I hadn't realized were dreams. Specifically, during their planning they talk about buying out the airline and I never realized before but they're in the lobby of the hotel they use in the dream. Only, there's no one at the concierge desk, no other people, and Cobb has his wedding ring on. I guess making plans in a dream was more secure...or just more awesome.

This puts an end to the whole debate over whether or not Cobb really does make it back to reality or not. Everyone sits there staring at the top to see if it will topple, when I believe we can just get the answer from the wedding ring perspective. Did he make it back from Limbo?

Yes.

People say it's hard to tell if he's wearing his ring or not in that final shot, but you can clearly see he's not wearing it on the plane and in the airport, thus showing that he has returned to reality and that if the final shot were a dream he would have to have knowingly entered a new dream. He never wanted to see his kids in a dream, only in reality, and now that he is free to do so, seeing them in reality is the only logical course.