Heroic Journey

Benny Davis

Heroic Journey

One of the greatest examples of the hero’s journey would be the tale of Gilgamesh, and “The Odyssey”. The one I am more well-versed in would be “The Odyssey”, as I am currently writing a feature film based on the iconic story.

One film that I frequently have been referencing is “O Brother Where Art Thou?” which is a film by the Coen brothers, a retelling of “The Odyssey” set in the 1930’s southern American states.

My version is set in college. It is like “The Odyssey” meets “Animal House”. It takes place just after finals week as the main character, a senior named Oliver, is attempting to graduate and go home to have his last summer vacation. But the dean of students will not let him leave campus without choosing between the lesser of two evils: either he repeats senior year, or gets expelled.

If one were curious about how to write a good hero’s journey, one should seek out a book called “Save the Cat”. It is taught thoroughly in all film classes and is a masterfully written book on how to tell a good story from start to finish.

Some countless great examples of hero's journey films would be:

The Matrix

Star Wars (4, 5, and 6)

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

The Lord of the Rings films

Silence of the Lambs

Contact

The Never-ending Story

Time Bandits

Jaws

Casablanca

The Princess Bride

Spider-Man

The Wizard of Oz

Pan's Labyrinth

Avatar

Fight Club

The list is endless... 

-Benny Davis