Ordinary World Movie Analysis

In December of 2007, The director, Tim Hill introduced the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks to moviegoers. This movie became so popular and well liked that two other movies were created after it. The writers show the audiences Dave’s adventure of trying to get the chipmunks to come live with him and be their manager. While thinking of a movie about singing chipmunks, most people would not think about it following the Hero’s Journey, but Alvin and the Chipmunks demonstrates it perfectly. Alvin and the Chipmunks viewers see the Hero’s Journeys initial step, Ordinary World, very early in the movie. Dave Seville comes on the screen as a middle-age man who wants to become a song artist. After showing Ian Hawke his song and getting shut down, Dave stole a muffin basket on his way out and threw all of his music supplies outside when he got home. The Hero’s Journeys definition of an Ordinary World states that the hero might feel out of place. When Dave throws his music supplies out in the rain and decides he is going to give up, this shows that he feels out of place in the music world. Dave feels as if he is not good enough for the music industry. After Dave threw his music supplies outside, he shortly received his Call to Adventure. In the Hero’s Journey, the Call to Adventure is when the hero is first given notice that life is about to change. Alvin and the Chipmunks demonstrates this step of the Hero’s Journey when Dave finds the chipmunks in his house. Alvin, Simon, and Theodore had jumped into the muffin basket that Dave took from Ian’s office. Once Dave realized that he was not just imagining the chipmunks talking and that it was real, he did step three of the Hero’s Journey. The third step of the Hero’s Journey is the Refusal to Call. Dave refuses his Call to Adventure by telling the chipmunks they can not live with him and throwing them outside. The next step of the Hero’s Journey that is used is Crossing the Threshold. After hearing the chipmunks sing outside, Dave decides that they could sing his songs for him and lets them back in. Crossing the Threshold means that the hero is crossing into the field of adventure. When Dave allows the boys to live with him, he is accepting the adventure. Meeting the Mentor is another step of the Hero’s Journey. This step is after being committed, you meet with the guide. In Alvin and the Chipmunks, the mentor is Ian Hawke. Ian tells Dave that he needs to be writing more songs and getting clothes put on the boys. Another step of the Hero’s Journey that is used in this movie is the Woman as Temptress. A Woman as Temptress is where the hero is led away from the quest. It does not always have to be about a women, it could be led away by temptation of anything. Dave is led away by a woman in …show more content…
Ordeal is where the hero reaches the obstacle they have been journeying for, for so long. In this movie, the Ordeal is demonstrated when Dave is driving home and the boys pop up from the back seat. Dave’s goal was to get the chipmunks to come home and live with him, and when they appear in the back seat of his car, that is him getting what he had wanted. The next step of the Hero’s Journey is the Reward. Dave was rewarded with getting the boys to come home and live with him. The Road Back step of the Hero’s Journey is when they are returning back. In Alvin and the Chipmunks, this is demonstrated when Dave is driving him and the boys back to their house. Resurrection is another step that is used. What Resurrection means in the Hero’s Journey is that the hero has to become a master of two worlds. Dave has to become a master of having three talking chipmunks living in his home. Freedom to Live is another step of the Hero’s Journey that is used. Now that the chipmunks know how Ian really is, Dave does not have to worry about the chipmunks wanting to live with