Call to Adventure Examples in Movies: How the Hero’s Journey Begins
In every great story, there is a moment when the ordinary world begins to fall away. The familiar fades, and something beckons the protagonist into the unknown. This crucial narrative beat is called the Call to Adventure, and it marks the true beginning of the Hero’s Journey—a storytelling structure made famous by mythologist Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces and later adapted by Hollywood through works like Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey.
Whether subtle or spectacular, the call to adventure serves one essential purpose: it kicks off the hero’s transformation. In this 2000-word post, we’ll explore what the call to adventure really means, its variations, and—most importantly—call to adventure examples in movies that span genres, tones, and styles. Whether you’re a screenwriter looking to sharpen your structure or a film buff exploring storytelling craft, this guide will illuminate the first crucial pivot in the journey.
What Is the Call to Adventure?
In the Hero’s Journey, the Call to Adventure is the first major turning point after we’ve met the protagonist in their Ordinary World. It represents a challenge, opportunity, or threat that disrupts the status quo and presents the possibility of change.
It can be:
- A literal invitation to go on a journey
- A crisis that demands action
- A subtle shift in perception
- A confrontation with a new person or problem
Importantly, it often leads to the Refusal of the Call—the hero hesitating or resisting the challenge.
Let’s explore how this beat is used in some of cinema’s most enduring stories.
Classic Call to Adventure Examples in Movies
1. The Matrix (1999)
Call to Adventure: Neo receives cryptic messages on his computer, followed by Trinity’s appearance and the offer to meet Morpheus.
This call is both literal (meeting Morpheus) and symbolic (waking up to the truth). It’s mysterious and layered, setting the tone for the entire film. When Morpheus offers the red pill, Neo has a clear choice—embrace adventure or stay in ignorance.
2. Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
Call to Adventure: Luke Skywalker discovers Princess Leia’s message in R2-D2, asking for Obi-Wan Kenobi’s help.
Luke is just a farm boy at this point. But the message is a spark—a signal that something bigger is out there. The call is completed when Obi-Wan asks Luke to come to Alderaan and train as a Jedi.
This example is basically THE textbook example. Unsurprising, since George Lucas has been very vocal about his use of the Hero’s Journey to structure the script for the first Star Wars film. (How successfully Lucas did so is arguable; it’s worth checking out Angus Fletcher’s take on this in Fletcher’s Great Courses Screenwriting 101.)
It’s external (a call from Leia), and internal (Luke’s desire for a greater destiny).
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
Call to Adventure: Hagrid arrives and tells Harry he’s a wizard.
The wizarding world invades Harry’s mundane life in the most dramatic way. This call to adventure includes both revelation and opportunity—everything he knew about himself is upended.
Harry initially doesn’t believe it (a soft refusal), but quickly embraces the call when he visits Diagon Alley.
4. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Call to Adventure: Gandalf informs Frodo that the ring is dangerous and must be taken away from the Shire.
Frodo’s peaceful life is shattered. The Shire is no longer safe. Frodo’s call isn’t one of glory—it’s a duty. This aligns with Tolkien’s themes of reluctant heroism.
Emotional and Internal Calls to Adventure
Not all Calls are loud or supernatural. In character-driven or indie films, the call may come in the form of loss, love, conflict, or longing.
5. Lady Bird (2017)
Call to Adventure: Christine (“Lady Bird”) argues with her mother and decides she wants to apply to colleges on the East Coast.
This is a deeply internal call. It’s a desire for independence and self-definition. The story isn’t epic in scope, but the emotional stakes are enormous. Her call to adventure is about breaking away from her family, hometown, and expectations.
6. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Call to Adventure: Olive qualifies for the Little Miss Sunshine pageant, and the whole family must road trip to California.
The Call in this case is an opportunity: a chance for a little girl’s dream to come true. But it’s also a catalyst for the entire family’s growth. The road trip becomes the crucible for transformation.
Funny or Subverted Call to Adventure Examples
7. Shrek (2001)
Call to Adventure: Shrek is told that Lord Farquaad will clear his swamp of fairy tale creatures if he rescues Princess Fiona.
Shrek is a satire, so the call to adventure is presented comically. But structurally, it’s solid: a reluctant hero is given a quest. What makes it compelling is that the external goal (getting his swamp back) evolves into an internal transformation (falling in love).
8. The Incredibles (2004)
Call to Adventure: Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) receives a mysterious mission from Mirage to return to action.
This moment reignites Bob’s suppressed identity as a superhero. The call is wrapped in secrecy and nostalgia, making it irresistible for someone who yearns for the past.
His call also reflects midlife crisis themes—it’s as much about personal fulfillment as it is about heroics.
Tragic or Reluctant Calls to Adventure
9. The Godfather (1972)
Call to Adventure: Michael Corleone decides to avenge the attempted murder of his father.
Michael initially wants no part of the family business. But circumstances and his own sense of justice draw him in. The call to adventure here is not external but emotional—a turning point where he chooses a path that will define him.
This is a brilliant inversion of the classic hero call: the audience watches a man slowly embrace the dark side of power.
10. Manchester by the Sea (2016)
Call to Adventure: Lee is called back to his hometown after the death of his brother.
This is a reluctant Call wrapped in grief. Lee doesn’t want to return. He doesn’t want to feel. But the call is unavoidable. His journey is not about slaying dragons but confronting guilt, trauma, and memory.
Magical and Mythic Call to Adventure Examples
11. Moana (2016)
Call to Adventure: The ocean chooses Moana to restore the heart of Te Fiti.
Moana’s call is archetypal. The sea literally gives her the mission. She’s driven by both external pressure and internal longing. Her refusal (based on self-doubt and her father’s expectations) makes her eventual acceptance more powerful.
12. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
Call to Adventure: Ofelia meets the faun, who tells her she is a princess and must complete three tasks.
In Guillermo del Toro’s dark fantasy, the call to adventure bridges reality and myth. Ofelia’s world is brutal, but the magical call gives her a sense of purpose. Her journey explores courage, sacrifice, and imagination.
When the Call Is Subtle
Sometimes the Call doesn’t come in a flash of magic or a tragic phone call. Sometimes, it’s a slow realization.
13. Her (2013)
Call to Adventure: Theodore installs a new operating system and begins communicating with “Samantha.”
There’s no single line of dialogue that shouts, “This is your adventure!” But that moment of connection begins a journey of emotional risk and renewal. It’s about vulnerability, not physical questing.
14. Inside Out (2015)
Call to Adventure: Riley’s family moves to San Francisco, triggering emotional upheaval.
In this Pixar film, the call is embedded in a child’s life event. For Joy and Sadness (as characters), the call is to step outside their roles and cooperate. The emotional journey is as impactful as any sword-wielding saga.
Writing Your Own Call to Adventure
As a screenwriter, crafting a compelling Call is about clarity, stakes, and invitation. It should feel like a threshold—a line between the old world and the new.
Some questions to guide your writing:
- What does my protagonist believe about the world before the call?
- What disrupts that belief?
- What’s at stake if they accept—or refuse—the call?
- How does this moment hint at the deeper journey ahead?
A well-executed call can hook the audience, emotionally invest them, and set up a transformative arc.
Why the Call to Adventure Matters
The Call to Adventure is more than a plot beat. It’s a mirror—reflecting what the hero values, what they fear, and who they might become. It’s a moment of invitation to change, and in many ways, it’s the beginning of cinema’s magic trick: taking ordinary people and showing them—through conflict, love, fear, or ambition—what they’re truly capable of.
The good thing about the Call to Adventure is that it is a nearly universal feature of a screenplay. While I would hardly agree that the Hero’s Journey is applicable to every (or even most) scripts, you’ll find the Call to Adventure in nearly any story that asks change of the protagonist. And, of course, nearly any story will ask the protagonist (or someone close to her) to change.
From Star Wars to Lady Bird, from The Matrix to Her, the Call to Adventure is where the story begins. Not with a bang, necessarily, but with a choice. And every great screenplay begins with one.
So the next time you’re mapping out your own script, ask: what is the moment my character’s life can no longer stay the same? That’s your Call to Adventure.