Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or her swag? Yeah, scholar Joseph Campbell noticed first—in 1949. He wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces, in which he outlined the 17 stages of a mythological hero's journey.

About half a century later, Christopher Vogler condensed those stages down to 12 in an attempt to show Hollywood how every story ever written should—and, uh, does—follow Campbell's pattern. We're working with those 12 stages, so take a look. (P.S. Want more? We have an entire Online Course devoted to the hero's journey.)

Ordinary World

Before his quest, Carl’s just your average, everyday hermit. Retired and widowed, he lives alone and spends his days inside his house, watching TV with the shades drawn and waiting for the mail to arrive. He’s lonely and stuck in a disgruntled, antisocial rut.

Call To Adventure

Carl’s initial call to action comes in the form of the construction project going on all around his house. The head of the construction company wants Carl to move, which would mean leaving his house, which is essentially a shrine to his late wife, Ellie, and trying something new.

Refusal Of The Call

Carl repeatedly clashes with the construction company, and tells them they can have his house…when he’s dead.

Meeting The Mentor

Russell shows up on Carl’s front porch, wanting to help Carl with just about anything in order to earn his Assisting the Elderly badge. Carl doesn’t know it yet, but young Russell’s going to rock his world—you know, once he finishes the snipe hunt Carl sends him on just to get the bubbly kid out of his hair.

Crossing The Threshold

Faced with the prospect of moving to Shady Oaks, Carl outfits his house with millions of helium balloons and takes to the sky, setting his journey in motion. Once he and his home lift off, there’s no turning back.

Tests, Allies, Enemies

Carl’s first challenge is dealing with Russell, who accidentally stows away onboard Carl’s floating abode. Carl begrudgingly accepts him as an ally, and then the unlikely duo faces its first real test: piloting Carl’s house through a wicked thunderstorm.

Once they land in South America, their quest for Paradise Falls is loaded with even more obstacles and enemies. For starters, they have to drag Carl’s house to Paradise Falls before its balloons are totally zapped of their helium. Along the way, they pick up two more allies that Carl initially views as enemies, or at least major pains in the butt: Kevin and Dug.

And then there’s Muntz’s dog pack. There’s no confusion about these conniving canines: they’re enemies from the start, as they pursue, and ultimately capture, Carl and his crew.

Approach To The Inmost Cave

After Muntz realizes that Carl and Russell are just an old man and a roly-poly kid, he invites them to dinner onboard his opulent airship as his guests. Carl quickly recognizes that Muntz has gone bonkers and will stop at nothing to capture Kevin; he and Russell need to get out of there ASAP. The dog pack may have been dangerous, but their master, Muntz, is the real threat: not just to Carl’s mission, but also to his life.

Ordeal

When Carl, Russell, Dug, and Kevin run away from Muntz, the fallen explorer’s dog pack is hot on their trail. Carl and his posse outrun the dogs, only to have Muntz himself track them down, capture Kevin, and set Carl’s beloved house on fire. Still, Carl and Russell survive. Sometimes it pays not to be a giant, exotic bird.

Reward (Seizing The Sword)

With Muntz out of his hair, Carl and his house finally reach Paradise Falls, but the victory is hollow. Muntz has Kevin in his clutches, and Russell feels Carl let them down. When Russell heads back to Muntz’s airship on a solo mission to save Kevin, Carl has a change of heart, realizing that his real mission is to keep his new pals safe.

The Road Back

Carl’s road back is literally the road back into the mouth of Muntz’s madness. It’s the reverse of his initial call to adventure: back then, Carl drove Russell away by sending him on a snipe hunt. Now, Carl’s actively pursuing Russell. He lugs all of his and Ellie’s belongings out of the house so it’s light enough to fly again, and takes off for Muntz’s airship, his sights set on saving Russell.

Resurrection

Carl is reborn as a geriatric action hero in his final, most dangerous battle with Muntz on Muntz’s airship. Carl puts his life on the line to save his friends; if he fails, the consequences would be huge. Ultimately, he rescues Russell, Kevin, and Dug, and sends Muntz plunging to his death. Peace out, Chuck.

Return With The Elixir

Carl returns to the States a changed man. Most notably, he picks up a surrogate son—and a dog! More importantly, he breaks out of his rut. He recognizes that his whole life has been an adventure, learns that everything from trekking in the jungle to chowing down on ice cream is better with friends, and harnesses the awesome power of his own heart.