Monday, December 21, 2009

Crash Course on Craft: Hero’s Journey Review, Part 1

The last few weeks we’ve been working through the Hero’s Journey in general terns. Now we put it all together along with what it looks like in two very different movies: Star Wars and While You Were Sleeping.

Ordinary World: The character’s “normal” world is established.
Star Wars: The evil empire controls a galaxy far, far away and Luke works the farm with his uncle and aunt.
While You Were Sleeping: Lucy is a lonely, single woman with not family. She works a train station in Chicago.

Call: An event disturbs the character’s world.
Star Wars: Luke discovers the recording of Princess Leia.
While You Were Sleeping: Lucy rescues Peter and is mistaken as his fiancé by his family.

Mentor: A secondary character offers counsel and help to the protagonist.
Star Wars: Luke’s visit to hermit, “Old Ben Kenobi.”
While You Were Sleeping: Lucy chats with her employer about what to do and Saul speaks to Lucy about the family before impromptu Christmas.

Refusal of Call: Protagonist tries to ignore the disturbance to his world.
Star Wars: Luke refuses Obi-Wan’s initial offer to travel and train with him.
While You Were Sleeping: Lucy confesses to comatose Peter her loneliness and declines the invitation for Christmas.

1st Threshold/Point of No Return: Protagonist makes a decision and sets a course of action that will forever altar life.
Star Wars: Luke return to find his family dead and decides to join Obi-Wan to train as a Jedi.
While You Were Sleeping: Lucy promises Saul to protect the family.

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